Sunday Post

Music picked from hats, coin-flipped lino-prints and dice fated faces... it's been a long time coming, but it finally looks as if my work with chance is showing some signs of resolve. Starting with...

MUSIC BY CHANCE: ONE [EP] 

The first of 15 EP's of music written using my 'Buskers’ Bamboozle' method: an elaborate creative randomiser, that utilises dice, coins, and hats to make creative decisions. Meaning, everything from the chords, tempo, time-signature and even the track title have been picked using chance in some way or another.

Each EP is also themed around which chord formula can be used. For instance, this EP only paints with your run-of-the-mill major chords, so it's not sounding too messy just yet. But baring in mind that its brothers and sisters focus in on altered chords, restrictive bar length and another one of my chance methods  'The Furry Gamble'... I've basically created a recipe for musical mayhem.

'MUSIC BY CHANCE: ONE [EP]' will be "released" via SoundCloud and Bandcamp tomorrow, and I'll be going into indulgent depth about each track and the methods used in next weeks 'Sunday Post'.

PRINTS BY CHANCE

By working on a 6x6cm grid of 1cm squares and cutting each square according to the flip of a 50p coin (heads to leave the square and tails to cut out the square) the album artwork above was rustically realised on discounted art shop lino.

The plan was to do 45 of these simplistic lino prints, but at the moment I'm more interested in spending my creative playtime elsewhere. However, I may dig out the cutters for one last lino-print by chance to conclude the 'MUSIC BY CHANCE' series next year. Art related chance doesn't end with lino-prints though...

CONTINUOUS LINE - FACES PICKED BY CHANCE

Each one of the independently drawn features of these floating faces was chosen by dice; blurring the line between my recent work with continuous line and that of chance.

For instance the mouth picked for face one is mouth two because I rolled a two on the dice... and so on.

 

 

 

Of course, the method could be applied to almost anything. I've thought preparing a meal this way could be quite novel. My original idea was to create a collage using the dice, not far detached from the awkward faces above I suppose. Having a large collection of numbered cut-outs and attempting to compose something from what the dice chooses... something for another day perhaps.

Happy thoughts, 

- The Wormling

Sunday Post

It started with hands, but now my venture using one continuous line shifts to facial features, in an attempt to evolve my usual style of portrait and character design into something a little odder.

  

(A selection of hands drawn using one continuous line from the last few weeks)

 

By drawing the features separately it leaves the door open for a little horseplay in Photoshop, arranging it altogether to make my very own monster (as above). It also leaves the opportunity to add some of my work with chance into the mix. But I'm getting ahead of myself once again, there's many ears, eyes, noses and mouths to concentrate on before such tomfoolery begins.

Also, throughout next week I plan to finish the first of my music by chance, as well as a few lino prints and possibly one of the aleatoric stories... I'm getting ahead of myself again. So many things to do, so much fun to be had!

Anyway, happy thoughts,

- The Wormling

Dirty Bomb

- The Wormling

Sunday Post

What's this?! The first 'Wou-Wou...' track of 2015, set to drop over SoundCloud and Bandcamp tomorrow?

Looks likely.


- The Wormling

Resolutions

Traditionally the new year revolves around new beginnings and bettering yourself, and although I don't believe you need a specific date in the calendar to do either of these things it seems that for 'Wou-Wou...', the New Year does mean a fresh start.

I view my work over the last few months more as "building up my chops" than exploring or pushing myself creatively. The 'Daily Doodles' and 'Music Monthly's' have been creative stretches to keep me limber. But I fear that I have reached a point where I keep repeating myself, and aiming for the result instead of enjoying the process; the original essence of 'Wou-Wou & The Wormling'.

With this in mind, my resolution begins with learning new skills and techniques. Things like embroidery, painting, collage, sculpture and mark-making are way up there on the list. I've eased myself in with continuous line work (a welcome detachment from my usual figurative oddballs) which I'll be sharing over the month.

On top of this, I hope to reach some sort of resolve with my creative experiments involving chance. The first of my music by chance will be surfacing around the end of the month, as will the creative writing. And although the chancy music will keep coming way into 2016, I'm giving myself a loose ultimatum of three months to put everything else (chance) to bed, and move on to the other creative experiments and subjects I have lined up.

The usual 'Daily Doodles' and 'Music Monthly' commitments will remain throughout, as I feel it's still important to express, practice and grow in what feels familiar. And with any luck, everything new that I learn will compliment and become familiar in time. So who knows, this time next year I might be sewing nudies instead of sketching them!

Anyway, belated Happy New Year to you and happy thoughts, 

- The Wormling

P.S. - I've been playing catch-up on society6, adding a host of last years doodles to the roost. Meaning prints of 'Jack', 'Elysia', 'Robin' and many others are now available. I'm also in the process of setting up an Etsy shop to sell a selection of my originals. More details to come, soonish.