London is an amazing place

Had a great day today, even though the Jubilee line was partly closed - just a little detour required. It was buzzing with visitors, both local and international.

 I finally managed to go and see Jubilee Park as recommended by Julia (NB the one on top of Canary Wharf tube station, NOT the one near Waterloo). It was well worth the visit - really gave me an appreciation of an urban space. It also reinforced Jamie's words of wisdom about people and water. It reminded me that children always walk along walls, even if they contain water so make sure the walls are wide enough. It also reminded me that you need to specify under storey planting very carefully, and also plan the path of cabling otherwise it looks terrible. I'd like to know the methodology for the change in levels - it seemed somewhat random but worked much better than at Mint Street.

I then went back to Southwark. Thankfully Cross Bones car park was open on a Sunday, even though the market was closed.




I love looking at things from the
other side: the memorial ribbons at Cross Bones:













I had another look around and took more photos then walked down to Mint Street. It has to be one of the emptiest parks I've been it. People don't even use it as a cut through, it was literally one man and his dog (no, the owner did not clear up after the dog), until a father came along with his son and made the poor 12 year old play on the climbing frame, even though he clearly didn't want to. I'm sure the space is better than it was but every time I've been there, it's deserted. The change in levels seems to be just for the sake of it. The most excitement was the cat watching something moving in the compost heap.

The recycling bins should be moved and I'm really not sure about the graffiti - I know it's South London but is it really a suitable subject for a children's play area?











One thing that really struck me again today is that it only takes a few metres to go from vibrant, lively streets to deserted, empty and soul-less. At one of the cross roads, I could see Southwark Bridge and the buildings on the north side of the river, and the the corner of Mint Street Park, and it seemed to be a ghost town in between. I suppose it's up to us to come up with some clever ideas to encourage people into these spaces.

Looking North to the Thames and the City

Looking South to Mint Street Park

Is it just me or does the Shard seriously look like a Dalek in this photo?

Something to reflect upon: this is on the side of the catholic school in Red Cross Street:

I'll scan some of the ideas I've been working on and post them tomorrow. The visit to Canary Wharf definitely helped today. Thanks Julia. Not sure I can get to Dalston though, as we're not off to the panto at Hackney this year.

Master Plan ideas

Finally I seem to have my head in the right place to move things forward.

I had to re do Playful - it was too similar to Restorative, and I hadn't really got a strong theme behind it.

For Playful I'm going with things you do as children that are still fun as a grown up - jumping in puddles, kicking piles of leaves. We should take time to be childlike, even as adults.

The idea stems from the ripples caused by jumping in puddles and has moved outwards (just like ripples).

The idea for Cross Bones is to create a space that can be used by non residents, for lunch times, weekends, evenings, pop events and to create a space that adds to the London/Southwark Plan to encourage visitors to Southwark to explore areas south of the river side area.

Ideas for pop up events:

Ripples - the original image

Abstracted pattern

First outline design

Need to go and do some more work, layout of Blogspot is frustrating me again, hence the untidy layout.

Negative Space

Have a look at this:

The-Art-of-Negative-Space


Also found this - might be useful for Advanced Rep in January:

Inspirational branding identity design projects

Time to get some sleep - procrastination is taking over and I need to turn the wi-fi off so that my teenagers go to sleep.

Southwark is an amazing place, even if you can get stabbed to death, just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought Borough High Street was ok, but clearly not.

So much to learn, so little time.

I was really hoping to have more done by this time in the week but unfortunately family life has got in the way.

Bex, Julia and I went up to site on Tuesday, and I am so pleased that I have chosen the sites I have. So much history and there are some fantastic old terraces that have so far escaped recent redevelopment - a glimpse into the past, all be it a cleaned up and sanitised version. Cemetaries and workhouses are a pretty bleak past, although pwc is not a particularly bright future. I did put some thoughts down on Tuesday night while they were fresh in my mind and have managed to do a bit more research since.

I really get the idea of overlays - an effective way of looking at the different aspects of a site, I just need to claw back some time from family and business issues to get it set down on paper. Planting hedges is nearly as boring as laying turf, the difference is that I don't have to lay the turf.

I saw this on a wall near All Hallows Church, it appealed to me, I think it was the combination of antiquated phraseology and shabby chic. I hope it wasn't bought online last week!

Something that struck me was the variation in sound - both volume and type of sound, in close proximity. Surrroundings have a profound impact - either as a buffer or an amplifier. Something for us to take into account and plan around/for. Also the dominance that things can have - the huge brick wall and the Shard in Xbones. 

Time to get some sleep - more hedge planting tomorrow morning so I can crack on with Southwark in the afternoon - a weekend of the H word again for both my girls, both days. AAAHHHH!

Metis Pages

My Metis submission. It took longer to sort the file formats to get it on the blog than to send it to Metis!

Reminder for file formats for the blog:
pdfs don't work, exporting jpeg from layout works but you have to save each page as a separate file (unless anyone has found a better way) and pdfs have to be taken into Photoshop to convert them to jpegs. You can export a pages file to pdf but you still have to take it into Photoshop to jpeg it.

 

    

Metis - submitted

Hooray, I submitted my Metis in time. I'm sure that there is lots to critique but when I compare it to what I've done before, it's a big improvement. If I can keep getting better. I actually stand a chance of getting somewhere.

I'm learning so much this term, long may it continue.

The SGD conference was good this weekend, made me realise the importance of reading the brief, writing a good brief and that it takes time and practise to be good at something. It was also another good opportunity to get hold of materials information.

Here's my metis design, I'll put the files somewhere for Jamie tomorrow.

This one's for you Jamie - not being grumpy

I found this and it made me smile.!!!!! Have a look at the gallery too:

The Pig of Happiness

Enjoy xxx

Bloody H Word

I've just looked at the time. AAAHHH. The girls are home from school and I'll have to take them to hockey in half an hour. I'll take my laptop with me, I might get one image done while I'm there. Ross said he'll do some of the journeys on Thursday so that should help.

Happy Guy Fawkes day.

So much for 3 hours!

Well, I've been at task 5 for a bit more than 5 hours so far but I'm still happy, and it will be much quicker next time. I feel really good about spending the time working on these skills because I know that they are things that I actually need and will be useful, both for for course, and my career.

So far, I've managed to create my 3d model, select tree species, draw outlines and scan. It took me 20 minutes to scan 5 pages. That's definitely worth remembering - takes much longer than you think. I remembered to put the blank piece of paper behind the trace first (makes a bit difference). I eventually remembered/worked out how to do eye level views and I sent the images to print and pdf so I've got something for the blog:

The story so far, scans and pdf views. Not sure how the final images will be, wait and see.

Eye level views 1 - 3

Isometric - Iso with Perspective

I'm hoping that this really is an axo -  iso with parallel perspective

You'll have to wait until I've done the final images because blogspot doesn't like my .pdfs either (it didn't like the ones from InDesign the other day) and it's not a constructive use of time to take the print files into Photoshop and resave them.

Quick Task 4

I had a go at making some patterns. Very play school but great fun. At least it was Halloween this week so my green hands didn't look out of place.

The renders seemed to have worked ok but they're not very colourful. Need to get some inspiration from Sid. Some bits worked well, but I'm still held back by really simple things like how to specify the size of a selection, then how to move the marching ants without moving the background. I tried different layers but then it wouldn't select anything.

I also couldn't get the fill to work on anything other than the background layer. I found the opacity but not the feathering etc. I'm still getting to grips with the fact that you can't edit, you have to redo things. Some of it seemed to work, just have to wait to be shot down in flames on Monday. 'It's all about developing a critical eye'. 

Must remember to get a glossy magazine - it's ok, Jamie says I have to!

Had to stop playing with the rendering and do something else. This is what I've got so far.

Nature is amazing

The shape that this wave creates is truly incredible.
Happy St Jude day - the patron saint of hopeless cases (or as Wikipedia puts it, 'of desperate cases and lost causes'). I'm just grateful that everyone is safe and that my greenhouse is ok.

It's all about timing!

Quick Task 3

Just spent some time at Avery Hill doing Quick Task 3. It's all done, and printed out and it's only Thursday. It leaves me the rest of the week to try and get to grips with GIS etc so I can sort out the Demographics for Southwark.

I've discovered InDesign and am so happy. All I need to do now is work out how to link all the other processes together.

I'm not happy about the racket that the other students have been making in the Mansion Lab all morning. One lot were so loud they didn't hear me ask them to be quiet!

I'm off home now before I really lose it, just in time to go to the dentist and take my daughter to her sleepover. Half term was supposed to give me more time to work on Uni stuff. I forgot to take into account that they can now arrange things themselves then need Mum's taxi service.

My .pdfs wont load at the moment, I'll try again later.

I did try later and the pdfs from InDesign still don't work, I pulled them in to Photoshop and re exported them. Looks like I'll be using Photoshop to add more dynamism!

I had another go at Quick Task 3. I tried what Jamie said, and while it was an improvement, it still wasn't dymanic so here's my offering:

It's still not right, but I'm not spending any more time on this one. It looks like I'm trying too hard, the rectangles fight with the irregular shape, and I'm frustrated because I couldn't crop or mask in the way I wanted to. Time to move on to the next task.

How to embed a Youtube video into Power point using a Mac.

I was trying to put a YouTube video into my Renaissance Music presentation and found this.

I'll report back on how it worked later although it seems to be a big file - 31.4 MB. I think I'll just use the URL hyperlink for the one on Skydrive.

Fingers crossed, it seems to have worked, although I won't know if it moves from one platform to another until tomorrow morning.

Fingers crossed that the video and music clips all work!

How to embed a Youtube video into Power point using a Mac.

I was trying to put a YouTube video into my Renaissance Music presentation and found this.

I'll report back on how it worked later although it seems to be a big file - 31.4 MB. I think I'll just use the URL hyperlink for the one on Skydrive.

Photoshop - Task 2

Well, I have succeeded in doing something on Photoshop and I actually enjoyed it too. It's not the wonderful thing that hopefully it will be in the future, but I did manage to do it, it didn't take me all afternoon and I'm not traumatised by the experience so a good start. Just need to do the other 2 but I have to go food shopping now for my daughter's packed lunch tomorrow - yes, it is the H word, an all day hockey tournament (well, it's only all day if they don't get knocked out first thing). I won't be going to watch, I'll be continuing on Uni stuff, not sure if it will be Metis, Photoshop, the demographics of Southwark or what on earth to say about how the development of Renaissance music relates to Garden Design. You could all be in luck, it looks like being a very short presentation from me on Monday.

My first attempt with Photoshop, I even had a go with the filters on all the layers! I might get somewhere eventually after all. Still need some lessons though.

Here's another one, with a different model!

I did use different effects, promise, and I used context aware fill to clean up the foreground on this one.

Struggling for inspiration?

Have a look at these and see what it inspires -

40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/maps-that-will-help-you-make-sense-of-the-world/

Found another interesting website:

This one has all sorts of interesting stuff - architecture, interesting materials etc:

http://www.dezeen.com

Rendering experiments

Wow - I used exactly the same pens on each of these sheets, promise, then scanned them with an HP Photosmart scanner.

Rendering on Cartridge paper

Rendering on Tracing Paper

               






















It'll be interesting to see the differences using different scanners. Must remember to scan the same pages at college.

Perhaps I'll do the same thing with some different colours to see if there's less variation between paper and trace.

Back to Procrastination!

Not bad as grottos go - Tiberius knew what he was doing at Sperlonga!

Some of you will remember the great procrastinations of last year so here's a quick one from me before I go back to my Roman grottos!

I was back at 'Little School' yesterday, and was lovely. It also reminded me that it was us trailing around the Hadlow grounds like confused lost souls 3 or 2 years ago.

It brought back all sorts of memories seeing the new students replanting the annual bedding by the carpark. I went to see the Tropical Borders. They are amazing this year, an absolute jungle of luxurious leaf growth, exactly what the intension is for the design. Shame I didn't take my camera.

It reinforced the realisation that we have to understand and plan for of the changing factors of time and variable climate conditions, not only from season to season but also from year to year, and that if we do it properly, we have an ever changing tapestry to create.

Navel gazing

I've just looked through to find my client & process design to post as per instruction from Jamie and all it did was bring back the horror, terror and nausea that I felt when I was doing it. I'm also appalled at it - there are some terrible mistakes in it, let along that fact that half of it is missing. It just reinforces the fact that even if I could come up with a decent design, I simply don't have the skills to express the ideas at the moment. It's so demoralising, AGAIN. Forget my best work, there isn't any, it will simply be what I actually managed!

I feel that I've gained no skills during the last 3 years at all. I've gained lots of knowledge and insight but very few skills.

I can't afford to be this despondent, this early in the term. I'll take the photoshop book to hockey tonight and do the lessons again. Perhaps this time they might sink in and I can work out how they might be useful to me.

Onwards and upwards - I don't have much further down to go!

'Native vs Non-Native, which one's best?'

Went to a very interesting conference today run by Palmstead Nurseries.

Lots of very informed people talking about the biodiversity value of native plant species versus non-native and exotic. Learned lots, one interesting fact - there's no easy and obvious way to tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly. Most moths are good, and an exclusively native plant palette does not necessarily give the best provision for biodiversity.

The list of external speakers (so I don't forget!)

Nick Coslett, Palmstead Nurseries

'The aliens have landed'

Sarah McCarrick, Building Research Establishment 

'Native plants and their importance to BREEAM and biodiversity'. 

This one was blown totally out of the water as the day progressed, I really hope they look at the guidelines!

Kate Bradbury, Independent Journalist and Wildlife Gardener

'Planting for moths: When native planting is essential' 

Prof Nigel Dunnett, Sheffield University

'Beauty and biodiversity: Why using non-native species increases the ecological value of our designed leandscapes'

Helen Bostock and Dr Andy Salisbury, RHS

'Plants for bugs: an interim report on RHS research'

Tony Kirkham, RBG Kew

'Establishing trees for the future'

Prof Chris Baines, Independant Consultant

'Striking a balance'

A day very well spent, well done Palmstead.

Also a great opportunity to network and catch up with past students, other designers etc.

Definitely one for the diary next year.

Wow, How did they do that?

BBC Radio really is the best in the world. Have a listen to these short Radio 4 programmes.

Five 15 minute radio programmes where people make brilliant things, creative ideas for real life solutions. Have a look at the video clips too.

The salt water to cool greenhouses in the desert is particularly wonderful.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0383j0r/episodes/guide

Quote for today

The achievement of patience is a greater miracle 

than the resurrection of the dead

St John of the Cross. 14th Century

Some interesting websites:

The Photographers Gallery in London - must go there soon:
The Photographers' Gallery

Some of these are really silly but a few make you look at a problem from a different direction:
http://ltips.net/the-23-solutions-to-your-most-pressing-first-world-problems/

I love this one - triumph from catastrophe and it creates something completely unexpected and even better than the original:
http://arscentral.com/david-mach-creates-devil-out-of-matchsticks-and-sets-it-on-fire/


Scale is everything - science is amazing, nature mind-blowing. It's also the only time that football shirt fabric is worthwhile. The larvae is pretty disturbing. Sometimes it's better not to know about things.
http://www.topdesignmag.com/25-amazing-electron-microscope-images/

This one I found so poignant, not only because these people thought that they would go home, that these suitcases give a window on the individuals but also that they had kept so carefully and what a joy that someone has taken the time to look at them and record them. It reminds me that we all human beings and deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of mental or physical infirmity.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/abandoned-suitcases-reveal-private-lives-of-insane-asylum-patients/

More to follow.

Interesting Print Ads

Have a look at these for some really clever design work: http://www.sortrature.com/24-clever-print-ads/

My first Blog entry!

I've finally bitten the bullet and joined the digital community. I intend to use this blog as somewhere to put things that inspire me, make me think or make me laugh. If I feel brave enough, I'll also post some of my work.

The  name of the blog comes from the lemon and poppy seed cake that I made to share with my Flowery Friends during our joint project for our BA Garden Design at Greenwich University/Hadlow College.

The recipe may follow at a later date.