Camino Studies
I am so excited to share these studies that were inspired after our trip to Florence in the beginning of April. Prior to that, I had been going through a creative lull after my grandfather's passing and was certain that our trip back to Italy would be just the remedy. (since this is a blog post and I grew up in the age of myspace, I have to treat it as such and tell a little side tidbit about the actual trip as well....) The trip was even better than I could have imagined! We got engaged on top of Palatine Hill in old Rome on a Friday and then celebrated my birthday that Sunday in Florence with friends while eating and drinking all of my favorite things. It was so much fun taking Blake around to my favorite old haunts and pointing out all of my apartments.
Being there reminded me how much I had been missing the visuals of the city. Some of the small things that can go unnoticed or one can take for granted passing by everyday. The intricate frescos on ceilings, especially the divinely strange ones of the Uffizi. There are sculptures all over the city that will take your breath away, but have you seen some of the bases they sit on?! I miss it all! This has brought on the determination to bring that energy with me and make that for my own home. This is where the word 'camino' comes in. Not the Camino de Santiago (which I would love to complete and also it is not to say that making art is not a pilgrimage to the Holy) but camino is also the Italian word for fireplace and my starting point on this venture. It comes from a dream to have an Italian Renaissance fireplace to cozy up in front of. So, even though our house now does not have a fireplace I could impose a design upon, I can still begin making it. I am starting out with these three studies around 12 inches high to work through the different elements I would like to combine. This will help me work through a composition and work out any kinks that could arise when starting a new venture. Like, I never thought I would be so into what shadow design is created by a sculpture. But in thinking about how the light coming from a fireplace works, it added this new design element to play with.
Since I have been enjoying these so much, I would love to offer these studies out for others to have in their homes as well. While working on the first study, I realized they could be used for other design elements in the home. For example, now I have one on either side of the TV, which gives the wall a little more of a frame and one in the bedroom with a plant on it. Having these around has only inspired me more and more. There are so many ways for each one to have a customized install ( think lit sconces or bookshelf brackets ) I will be making a prototype of each in the next few months, so be sure to follow along with my instagram to see them happening in real time. If you have an idea on how to customize them for your home, let me know because I would love to make it happen!
Because I am envisioning these to be sold mainly in pairs, I will be releasing them in editions of 13 instead of my normal 8. Not a lot more, but enough to make a difference. These three wall hanging studies will be available in plaster and in resin. Plaster will be the more affordable but will also be more readily subject to damage if knocked around. For this reason, plaster copies will be available only in white. Resin is stronger and will be lighter than the plaster. While I do prefer the mood of a dark coloring, they can be coloured to your liking.
I just finally finished the last study, the photos shown here are from the day before I deemed it complete. For some reason, I haven't been wanting to divulge too much about this project because it is so different from what I am used to showing people. I don't know why I needed to complete the third one before putting it out there to the world. I am sure a lot of other creatives are the same. But here's to changing that habit and sharing as I go.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and check out my work. Come find me on the socials and say hello! Or if not to say hello, check out more views of the camino studies.
-aubrey
