The Difference You All Made

November 24, 2013

I grew up skipping rocks on a small reservoir across the street from my Grandmothers house. Sometimes the rocks, though smooth on one side, seemed to jolt themselves into the water with a "plunk". One big "plunk."

But other times the rocks soared…1, 2, 3, 4, 5…..I think my all-time record is somewhere around 11, maybe 12 skips. Not only was it magical to watch the rock bounce across what seemed to be an impossible surface, but the aftereffect of seeing all those rings of water rippling outwards in perfect concentric circles was mesmerizing.

A few weeks ago I received an email. The kind that surprises and delights! I love those kinds of emails and I must say I have received my fair portion since arriving in London.

Hi Lorien,
I hope all is well. I'm an American fashion illustrator and I lived in London on and off for two years while studying at an American design school, AIU London, located near Marlyebone. I decided to start studying at London College of Fashion but I qualified for no financial aid because this isn't my first degree and so on…so I went to GoFundMe, but I seriously doubted that I could raise such a huge amount until I found your campaign! I was so inspired and your courage gave me the confidence to get it started. I started in June and 3.5 months later I reached my goal and I'm at the London College of Fashion! So I want to say THANK YOU! I know you probably had obstacles with your campaign, but you did it and that helped me. Let me know if you'd like to grab a coffee sometime.
- Kris Keys

Lorien Hall, garden designer and Kris Keys, fashion illustrator

She sent this email to me - but really it's for all of you - all of my supporters and GoFundMe contributors!!! So THANK YOU! For not only realizing my dreams, but the dreams of others who were motivated by what happened last June and July. And the rippling effect will continue from here, I know it! There are others still, who after seeing the success of my crazy campaign, were more enthusiastic to move forward, progress, take a chance….you never know until you try.

Did we meet up?

Yes - after one failed attempt (I was mentally lost in a project and totally left her waiting - bless her heart!!!) we did meet up! And we ended up talking for hours about our experiences. How similar they were! The struggle it was to ask for money. The hard days and the great days. How you just had to keep going and persevere even when it seemed truly impossible. The unexpected sources for funding. The experience of putting yourself out there in front of everyone and feeling SO vulnerable. Incredibly vulnerable. I told her that some days I literally hid under my covers, so anxious about my campaign and thinking I wanted be invisible. But the following day I would get out of bed and say, "Right. I have got one chance and this is it. I take it or leave it. I have to believe I have done this." There were a lot of pep-talks in the mirror. So we made those uncomfortable phone calls, sent emails, texts, person-to-person talks….Kris Keys even went on TV. We both worked very, very hard. The miracles and blessings came. And because of all of you and so many others - we both made it! We are both here.

Check out Kris Keys Go Fund Me Campaign and watch her awesome video to get to know her - she a talented lady with a bright future! And someday you'll be seeing her pieces on the runway...

KRIS KEYS GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN

BY KRIS KEYS - The Official Website

So thank you once again for the difference you made.

Xoxo,

Lorien

Nature's Color Palette

November 22, 2013

At the very beginning of the school year at the Inchbald we went to the Tate Modern for a color exercise. Part of our task was to create a color palette from a painting - to study what colors the artist had used and combined to create the effect they did. Part of the motivation was to help us see how we could develop color palettes for gardens we would design.

What became apparent as I looked at several paintings in depth was what you think you see isn't always what is really there. Not a new concept, but when recognized the real work of seeing begins. Sometimes it took me great effort to really see the color as it really was. And even then…(as color is affected and appears to change depending on the color it's next to).

When I was at the National Portrait Gallery a few weeks ago sketching, the tutor came around to my area and started talking about a particular painting and referred to the shadows as being very blue…I strained my eyes to see. Hmm. I even went up afterwards to get a closer look. Hmm. His trained and practiced eye could see something I couldn't.

I would like to develop a keen eye for color - and create fascinating combinations. I have always thought nature would be an exceptional source for this and have paid attention off and on to nature's palettes - especially when it comes to lichen and bamboo.

When I saw these examples of quite literally creating color swatches from nature, I was on board. I think it will be a great exercise and design tool for future gardens and paintings.

All images came from The Creators Project blog

The Art of Walking

November 18, 2013

For a Postgrad project at school we were to walk a familiar route and in some way record our experience. I decided to record my walk in photographs and then turned those photographs into a video. I found it interesting that my observations and learning took place mostly post-walk…while sorting out how to make this little video. I am pleased with the final conclusions I rested upon. I warn you that after the video there is ample text, not required reading…just supplemental...

The Art of Walking by Lorien Hall

Reflecting: What I Learned

Destination Matters: Where We Are Walking to Makes a Difference

Where we are walking to makes a difference in how we feel during our walk. The walk to the front gates of Disneyland would surely carry a different tone and weight to it than the walk to the cemetery to bury our loved one. I became particularly keen on the idea of the walk home. There's a warmth which accompanies the walk home...and when it follows on the heels a long day at work or school, there seems to be an added anticipation to that warmth. I believe this is because of what home, or the symbol of home, means to most people: warmth, food, love, shelter...the basic needs of life that makes us feel stable in the world. Even when you are out for an evening wander to nowhere in particular, you know at the end of that journey home is the ultimate destination. In contrast, there may be unpleasantries at home and your walk is to escape or avoid them, then the walk may carry a bit of heaviness to it, knowing that your destination is a difficult situation.

So unless you are Bilbo Baggins going on an unexpected journey, without knowing when or where you will end up (which would have an energy of it's own), most of us know where we are going, and that can influence how we feel.

Materials Beneath Our Feet Matters: Changing Materials Can Change Attitude

As I walked home, the materials beneath my feet changed at least 289 times. And a change in material also means a change in texture, pattern, color, and size. We feel all of those changes with our feet and subconsciously, with our brains. How it exactly changes or stimulates our brains, I don't know, but I assume it does. From personal experience, and even during this particular walk, changing of materials made my walk more interesting visually and physically – it also affected my mood.

There is this certain part of the journey, just after Buckingham Palace, where I walk down the Mall. This tree-lined thoroughfare has more than one type of surface to tread on and I am always drawn towards the softer, loose material as it reminds me of walking down a country road, yet I am in the middle of London. That juxtaposition makes me smile and I feel rather imaginative during that portion of the journey.

Community Matters: Walking Connects Us to Others Present & Past

I have an image in my mind's eye about walking and the art thereof – and it's two-fold...present and past. First, the present. When I think of global community my mind goes to those events that captures the attention and hearts of millions of people around the world at the exact same moment...there is a certain energy associated with this. To me, the moving personal stories and professional records which are broken at the Olympic Games have this power. Also, my mind is taken to the miraculous events when 33 mine workers in Chile surfaced after being trapped beneath the earth for more than two months. The world watched live as each one emerged from the unfathomable darkness – it was riveting. And we all felt it together.

This sense of community is felt and cultivated on all levels, from global to familial. With walking, especially in a city like London where walking is commonplace, there is a sense of community with those who also walk. And though walking is not as dramatic an event as those mentioned above, there is something unifying as you look around and see who you share the ground plane with...invisible ties between all of our feet.

Second, the the past. Each time we take a step, we are physically connecting to the environment we are surrounded by. Sometimes it's the only physical contact we have, our feet to the ground. But in those very moments of walking and moving forward with our lives, may we aren't just connecting to the pavement beneath our feet, and to those immediately around us. We are also reaching back in time and connecting to the worlds and lives that have stood where we now stand, and have walked where we now walk.

The Story Behind the Making of the Video

When I was deciding what to do for my “Art of Walking” experience, I wanted to come up with a clever walk – a “cool” walk. But all the vague ideas moving around in my head were becoming too contrived, when what I was really wanted was a sincere experience, a walk that would mean something to me once completed.

The route I take most often in London is from home to school and from school to home. I live on Shaftesbury Avenue and there's a stop right outside the door of my building where bus 38 stops. Within 15 minutes I am at Victoria Station and 5 minutes after that - studio. I had actually never walked between these two destination points, home and school, even though it's a simple 30 minute journey (something foreign to many Americans...to walk for 30 minutes to get somewhere). So, being encouraged by the assignment, one day after school I decided to skip the bus and see what the fantastic streets of London had in store. And that's when the excitement and the planning began.

I was to photograph my walk, a visual documentary – but somehow wanted an approach with purpose. I planned for my view to be from a snake's perspective and would take a photograph each time my course changed direction and then contrast it with eye level photographs. I thought maybe I could present these images in a video format with a song in the background or something...I still wasn't quite sure about all of the details but I figured they would sort themselves out as all design does in the process of it.

Originally I wanted to do the walk on a school day (back to the authenticity of it all) – but it ended up being on a Saturday. At first this put me in a poor mood and I felt that the whole experience was going to be tainted. I took the bus to Victoria Station and there curbed my frustration with a warm sandwich.

Once I reached the front stoop of the Inchbald I was feeling more optimistic and was actually glad no one was around as I started on my walk. There on the stoop I decided I would also include a photo looking straight up at the sky plane, as well as looking straight down at the ground plane and include my boots to give the photograph scale and a human element. After a few shots I decided to eliminate the sky plane due to my camera not taking the shot every time I pointed it upwards...and about 20 minutes into the walk I also abandoned shooting from a snake's perspective due to a lack in photography skills and time.

By process of elimination I was left with taking a photograph of my boots on the ground plane every time I stepped onto a different material. I wasn't sure what I was after exactly, but as a landscape and garden designer I figured that focusing on different materials we walk and stand on could be of use for future designs.

My walk home normally takes about 30 minutes and after an hour I was only halfway home. Dusk was settling in so much so that my camera couldn't capture crisp images anymore. I was tired and cold and a bit frustrated at this point as I felt increasingly disconnected from the environment around me. Here are the notes I took during that journey:

Nov 2, 2013: Walking Home From School................................Start Time: 3:55pm …...............

Photographing the Journey: Feet on Pavement, Snake View, Looking up; Picture taken at every turn

Walking Home: sense of satisfaction: going to where you are loved

At 4:47pm I am running out of daylight for photos, I reached Buckingham Palace

I got lost. It was getting boring. I felt disengaged. I felt less human. I felt numb or without feeling.

Not too many written notes, granted, but a lot of photographs taken! At this point I was in debate of whether I should call the assignment done – I had walked and documented enough and was feeling rather despondent. Upon arriving home I promptly transferred the images to my laptop. And as I watched my captured route pass so rapidly in front of my eyes, it moved me, and I knew I had to finish documenting the journey. Though I still wasn't sure what it would lead to.

That (not just two, but four-part) documentation turned into a short film and a rather significant learning experience for me as I was taught more about my walk afterwards, than during.

Mood Board for D2

November 15, 2013

This is the mood board I created for D2. I want to imbue a feeling of a forgotten, though not neglected, garden that is found and tenderly loved. Also - a garden of gratitude….I think a space that includes a decent-sized vegetable garden, a kitchen garden, rain barrels, and an orchard….is a land of thanksgiving and gratefulness. So I aim to embrace these feelings and attitudes and infuse them into the lines I draw. 4 acres of wonderful!

Q&A: What Is Your Favorite Part About The Course Work?

November 15, 2013

I was asked this question just the other day by a friend - so I thought I would respond by posting my answer here.

What is my favorite part about the course work….wow. Huh. Well, I can't just keep it to one thing…so here's ALL my favorites….

We jumped - or were thrown - into the deep end from day one. There was no gradual build up really, we just did what needed to be done and learned through the process of doing and experiencing. And while there are informational (and enjoyable) lectures, the course is very hands-on - experiential, practical learning. For example, we never had a classroom lecture on how to take site measurements - we just went and did it and talked about it there. It seems we are able to learn and move through the design process and produce fantastic work in such a short period of time because of this diving-in-and-really-doing-approach.

The feedback, encouragement and attention from the tutors and instructors is fantastic. Being just 9 in the full-time studio we normally have 2 and sometimes 3 tutors hovering around the room - that means we get the attention we need to really dig into our designs and discover what's working, what's not so much - and what could be done to resolve our dilemmas. Positivity abounds while receiving feedback, even when it's frankly not working. It's a very motivating and open environment. Plus, your work is really your own, while the instructors effectively guide you along and give suggestions, they want me to find me in the design, and not them. They don't force their ideas upon your work.

Also - as an addendum to this section - I must say that the tutors and instructors themselves are marvelous individuals who are a joy to be around. They are fun, funny, interesting and really care about us and our work. You can feel their genuine souls and that makes a difference.

We have tea time! 11:15 am - we break for tea. I believe the creative mind needs negative space in order to maintain it's fluidity of expression. Plus it's seems so hobbit-like to have tea-time…it's basically second breakfast!

(And as I briefly re-read through this, I am reminded of elementary school…what's your favorite subject? Recess. Wasn't that always in the top two?)

I am challenged every single day. For someone who has been in the landscape design business for over 8 years, the fact that I am fascinated and challenged every single day THRILLS me. I feel like I am learning how to be a real designer! From creating mood boards, to building models, and pushing the grid process over the edge…I am developing wonderful skills and learning the most effective process for me - Lorien - to move forward and produce effective and sincere designs. Ah! It's the best.

The Inchbald is my home away from home. And while this has nothing to do with the coursework - it has everything to do with life and living happily! I adore the people I share the studio with and those who teach us, they are my family while I am here. It's been just over two months since school started, but I am already going to miss them come end of July - ugh - I don't even want to think about it!

Study and learning is also researched-based. Being based in London, we have incredible references all around us - be it paintings, parks, architecture, you name it! We frequent museums and public spaces to gather information that we can add to our memory bank, sketch books, and picture library - we have mini-assignments that exercise our brains and push us into thinking that goes below the surface that is so easy to stay above.

Postgraduate work is such a blessing. Every Monday we gather at 3 pm to discuss, debate, and explore ideas, theories and experiences from philosophy, studies, reading assignments, our own design work….talking it out and exploring through words with others is enlightening. I always walk away with great insights, information, and questions to consider. Plus I am keeping a Postgrad Journal where I am recording this year through mostly reflective writing, and that has been fun and interesting to work on.

There are probably more 'favorites' - but these will do for now! I am so happy - I love what I am learning and experiencing. Every day I am so grateful for my time here. It's an amazing adventure and I hope to effectively apply myself each day so that my potential can more fully come to fruition.

Cheers all around!

P.S. If you have a question about my time here in London - or anything really, email me and I may answer it on my blog!

D1 reflective writing about the design process

November 9, 2013

PG Reflective Writing on D1

I guess you could consider this a condensed version - or an abbreviated version of the D1 process post I wrote and recently published. But both "reports" needed to be produced, so I will go ahead and post this one as well.

Grid -> Model -> 2D -> Pegging It Out -> 2D

Grids, Grids, Grids

This is the part of the process that gave me the biggest headache literally. My head was hurting so badly after I finished with all of my grids, I think I went and bought some aspirin! I remember coming to the point of delirium and I couldn't tell if what I was doing was leading towards anywhere positive or not. It's a good thing Andrew and Marcus were there to tell me which ones to develop further. I do remember thinking, “if I use this process after I leave the school how will I know which grid to explore and use without someone telling me?” I was concerned.

I am not sure if I would have chosen the grid that Andrew and Marcus selected for me had I been on my own. I really don't know what would have happened or which direction my grids would have taken – I don't think I would have done as many grids as I did, but I am learning the value of persistence and exploring in the process.

In the end, I was grateful for the guidance and I enjoyed the result and the process. As I was thinking the other day – Process is Progress!

Moving into Model: Cardboard @ 1:100 / Foam Core @ 1:50 / Photos

I had never made any kind of model for any design I had done so I was very excited about this part of the design process – and that we were exploring with model so early on, even before we could think about gardens (sure, sure). The models were a challenge for me. I started out using cardboard at a scale of 1:100 and focused on positive and negative shapes and tried to focus on mass and void as well (which was the point?), though I felt rather inhibited by the cardboard in creating mass especially. It was at the 1:100 scale that I resolved the overall motivation for my garden, but felt like I was blocked by the small scale I was working with. When I moved to 1:50 I brought some foam core to work with, which was MUCH easier to cut. And while I was able to develop my model a bit further by way of structures and existing tree placement, I still felt frustrated in creating mass and void. I did not have the patience to cut out the same shape 10 times just to create height. Also – I couldn't see it in my minds eye, I couldn't see via the model where there should be mass and void and that was frustrating to me, because I believe that mass and void are very important elements in design and a space, especially a garden. I remember staring into the space, waiting for it to tell me something, but it never spoke. Once I reached my limit with the foam core model at 1:50 I needed to go back to the paper/2D to get my mass and void (kind of ironic, I think).

Looking back I am still not sure if I nailed mass and void in my design. I can see visions of my design, but the vignettes that flash through my mind...have I captured them on paper? I suppose a 3D computer system would help me decide that. But I want to be able to see it and know it on paper. I think that is something I will make a conscious effort to create in my designs this year – effective mass!! And void!!

Back to 2D

After the models were completed (or as far as I could take them with my patience) I went back to paper and developed the skeleton of my design (now being allowed to think of it as a garden). It was here that I was able to better push and pull with the mass and void, define obscure areas and also make some practical decisions. Soon enough I had a semi-final layout that was ready to be pegged in the square to see how it was working in reality.

Pegging It Out in Eccleston Square

I knew what I had come up with on paper wasn't working for me 100%...there was a nagging that I couldn't quite shake or resolve, but I didn't know what to do. When my turn came I was curious, nervous and anticipatory. And while I enjoyed this part of the process, it was a disappointing day for me in that what I had prepared on paper didn't work fantastically in the real world. I knew beforehand it wasn't working...and pegging it out only confirmed that. But it was through creating it in real life that I was able to know that the seating area needed to be larger, the pond a tad smaller...and that is what made the difference, pegging it out made the difference.

I do need to add here that the day didn't quite end in too much disappointment, read on to see why...

Resolving Concerns – Back to 2D!

Once I was done with my “pegging out” I was motivated to do some twisting and turning in my design back on paper – with the dining area and the pond especially. And it wasn't too long before I came to a resolution I could live with, that the garden could live with! It was a relief and I knew I had it when I did. I was back in the saddle!

Overview

Creating (many) grids led me to positive and negative space, the beginnings of mass and void.
Model helped push that agenda further and started to define strong elements in the garden.
Once I was blocked there I moved back to paper to develop the spaces in 2D, now thinking of it as a garden (although I was earlier) – still struggling a bit seeing mass and void.
Once I exhausted that process – pegging it out confirmed my uneasiness about some areas of my design, but it also helped me pinpoint where the problems were exactly.
Back at the drawing board, I was able to come to a design resolution that I was happy with.

The process of moving between design methods, for me, was a really great way to break through designer's block, which I seemed to run into in each method of the process. It allowed me to consider ideas that otherwise, would have gone unthought of. When did I have my eureka moment? I am not sure – it seemed that each stage of the design process had a eureka moment – I can't say that my design would have been as successful if one of those steps had been omitted. Receiving guidance from Andrew and Marcus also proved invaluable.

Words Worth Remembering

November 5, 2013

“The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique”

— Walt Disney

Royal Academy of Arts: Australia

November 5, 2013

Today for the second part of school we went to the Royal Academy of Arts and saw the Australia exhibit. It was wonderful! Here's a 30 second promo:

Terms I wrote down while observing the artwork (Not all - but many of these orbit around the indigenous work):

Mosaic-like
Dreams/Dreaming
Repeated Patterns
Fine Textures
Spirits
Sacred
Ancestral (Lands)
Energy
Dots and Lines
Lines and Shapes
Earthy
Dry and Arid
Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas
Natural Earth Pigments on Canvas
Red, Tan, Black, White
Black, Cream, Tan, Red-Brown
Golds/Yellows
WHITE (dots and lines) (and mixing colors with white)
Sky Blue, Ochre, Sage, Putty
Light and Shadow
Atmospheric
Rose, Greens, Tans, Yellows
Pink, Green, Blue, Purple
The Edges Which Fire Creates

I did note that there was a golden or yellow-based quality to many of the pieces. I believe that must have to do with the natural lighting that exists in Australia? I have never been there, and have had minimal tugging at my heart to go…but I think I would feel very at home in the landscape. It's an adventure I want to have.

I also noticed, after leaving the indigenous room and moving into a later period when Australia was being colonized and had English and then German influences - how the emphasis on light and shadow played into the artwork (many were oil paintings) - many times a dark foreground, with the light in the background. I don't know if this was typical of that era and style in German painting and so it seeped over as they migrated south…that would be my guess, but I could be wrong. I do like this technique however and have always been drawn to light and shadow in paintings since I was very young.

How can I incorporate that element effectively into the garden? I ponder that - and I believe it will be a driving force for my next design.

Below are some of the pieces shown in the exhibit - though funny enough that none depict that strong dark foreground with the light in the background.

The first image is a still from an 8 minute video of Shaun Gladwell riding in the Mundi Mundi - which did pull my heart (I have a thing for small machines and riding gear - and raw landscapes). It's the introduction to the entire exhibition and I feel it set the mood well.

Wc_Piguenit_-_The_flood_in_the_Darling_1890_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Watch this short and informative video explaining the Australia exhibition

Here's a video of Shaun Gladwell giving more insight into his riding video

Black Iris

October 28, 2013

It's not really it's time of year...but I included it into my planting scheme for Design 1 and so it's on my mind...

Danny and Annie

October 28, 2013

This has nothing to do with design, or gardens, or plants...but it's too sweet not to share.

D1 Process

October 28, 2013

D1

The Design Process

Lorien Hall

Inchbald School of Design

October 28, 2013

A framed view into the thinking waters where the twisted and reaching branches of a silhouetted Hamamelis reflect; deep in meditation. A rising rusted wall echoes from behind.

Gravel pathways ask me to wander, calling back to the fields and river beds that once existed.

In the late afternoon and into the evening a meal is shared with laughter as the sun filters through the canopies of Birch and Pagoda Trees, captured and held by the grasses that move gently with the air; a clearing in the woods.

Underneath a striking angled roof, a pot is thrown behind walls which opens to the surround of foliage and flowers. Close by a book is read lazily from a swaying hammock.

Tall towering Yew protect and guide while coming and going, and sculpture mimicking a low wall always says hello.

D1: The Design Process

Contents

Site Visit to the Wear Residence
Creating the Brief
Mood Board: What it was Meant to Be & What it Became
Drawing up the Site Plan
Grids, Grids, Grids
Moving into Model: Cardboard @ 1:100 / Foam Core @ 1:50
Pegging it out in Eccleston Square
Adjusting Spaces on Paper/2D
Plant Research: Weekend Visit to Kew Gardens
Plant Selection: Developing a New Plant Palette
Plant Placement
Final Design Decisions
Line & Rendering Techniques
Breaking Designer's Block: Dancing in Hyde Park After Dark By Myself
Continuing with Rendering Techniques
Materials Board
Final Colored Pencil Rendering

Site Visit to the Wear Residence

During the visit two main tasks occurred: 1) talking to Alison Wear about her garden and goals so we could create a brief for the design, and 2) taking measurements of the site so we could develop a site plan.

The first part was very interesting to me. We were there as a group and were free to ask any question which we felt would help us understand her, her way of living, what she wanted for her garden by way of items and feelings. I probably did the least amount of questioning and found that it was either hard for me to think of intelligent questions that I felt were very effective, or because of the amount of people there, it was hard to get a word in when I tried. But I learned so much about Mrs. Wear, and about the process of questioning by observing all the others submitting questions – I felt that a lot of good ones were asked. After that interaction I decided that something I wish was better at is questioning and conversing with the client...following their answers down the rabbit hole to see what's really there.

I also paid attention to the interior of the house. Though looking back now – I feel like more could have been done with my design to pull what I saw inside out into the garden. But then again...should a garden be a direct reflection of the interior? Or even the client? While I think a garden should compliment it's owner/caretaker/guardian – I do not necessarily think we are meant to design gardens which are a replica of the client. A garden, for me, is like a member of the family, or a friend. They have their own personality – and sure, you may be related, but you're not each other, but better because of each other. I did wonder about this idea in the beginning stages of the design process, and I think that it lessened the chain I could have felt to make it a “Mrs. Wear” garden, per se.

The measuring out went well with our group. We were all willing to work together and resolve different ways of preferring to pull measurements. In the end we were delivered a list of measurements with no or little errors (from what I could tell). I would obviously prefer to receive a survey for any site I develop a design for, but seeing how that might not always be the case, I would like to have someone there with me helping to hold and pull the tape. I think it would go much quicker....maybe that's what you have an intern for.

Creating the Brief

A short time after the site visit we met back at the school in the lecture room to discuss our experience with Mrs. Wear and what we learned about her and to create the brief. Maria had taken very good notes, so much of our list came from her. We divided the information we gathered into two sections: 1) objective, and 2) subjective. From what I got out of it – the objective where items that we were (almost) definitely suppose to include/accommodate for in our design, the “must haves”...of course, you could negotiate on some things I am sure, but for the most part...the list on the objective board were to be included in the design.

The subjective board was filled with items that were open to interpretation of what we thought Mrs. Wear wanted as far as feel, mood and ambience. It also included things she likes, for example, rust. It was up to us whether or not we would incorporate these items or moods and how we would do so. A few things that she said which I ran with to develop my design were...water, rust (corten), meditative, sunlight, sculpture, humor, reflection, calm but not bored....all of these elements are now present in my design, or hopefully are. Something I wish was more strongly presented in my design is turning the entire garden into a sculpture itself – think land-art...it seemed like a good challenge and one I wanted to really tackle and develop, but I am afraid it got away from me. For the better I am not sure.

Drawing up the Site Plan

The next step was to take the measurements from our site visit and create a base, a site plan – from which all drawings would be based. Between the two groups this went well and the site I would say came out fairly accurate, I thought? I had a devil of a time understanding how to use the scale!! And after years of being able to use a scale just fine, this was a bit weird for me. And while I eventually got the hang of it – I am still learning what a space feels like when we are talking about meters, centimeters, and millimeters...I think there are still a few more battles to be had with the scale.

We first created the site plan at 1:50 (when really, what does that mean?! I still don't know! One of what equals 50 of what!? Are we talking centimeters or millimeters? Neither?) - then we created a site plan at 1:100.

I was satisfied when this was done.

Mood Board: What it was Meant to Be & What it Became

For me, creating the mood board was a visual extension of the subjective board we wrote out as a group. More or less anyway. We were supposed to gather images which evoked the mood we were going to try to capture in our garden – it could be anything from plants and garden to fashion and paintings. I started out by purchasing several magazines...garden, fashion, more garden, home and garden...and after getting home and flipping through them I was disappointed that my purchases seemed fruitless. But I leafed through them several more times, trying to be more patient and open minded. I did end up using four images from the magazines, which really did make a difference in the end.

After the magazines came the internet!! I googled and googled and saved many images to my desktop that I wanted to throw at the garden. I was doing this late the night before the mood board was due, and normally would have like to have taken more time and put more thought into it, but I was still living in my friends lounge and spending a lot of time looking for housing and getting over jet lag, so the first few assignments felt like jumping hurdles (even though I think this whole year will be jumping hurdles really). When the time came to print the images they started coming out really blue and a cool-colored yellow...ink shortage!!! There was nothing I could do about it at that time and in defeat I didn't finish printing the rest of the images and just figured I would add them later (that never happened).

The next morning I arrived at school and in a slightly embarrassed manner pinned up the four magazine pages and the several poorly-printed images on my wall. When it came time to present my mood board I briefly explained what had happened with the ink and the printer...but it was well-received nonetheless. The words spiritual, mysterious, and challenge were used so I decided to leave the board as is and run with it.

In the end I am really glad my “happy accident” occurred. Serendipity. As I look back at all the other images I wanted to incorporate...well – I am just glad I didn't! In the future I will be more loose about my mood board. I think the thing for me is to not think too much about it or read too much into it. Otherwise it may become very contrived and who wants a contrived garden? I do not. I need to just let it happen and relax a bit. Sometimes mistakes are exactly the right way to go.

Grids, Grids, Grids

In the end, I was grateful for the guidance and I enjoyed the result and the process. As I was thinking the other day – Process is Progress!!

Moving into Model: Cardboard @ 1:100 / Foam Core @ 1:50

I had never made any kind of model for any design I had done so I was very excited about this part of the design process – and that we were exploring with model so early on, even before we could think about gardens (sure, sure). The models were a challenge for me. I started out using cardboard at a scale of 1:100 and focused on positive and negative shapes and tried to focus on mass and void as well (which was the point?), though I felt rather inhibited by the cardboard in creating mass especially. It was at the 1:100 scale that I resolved the overall motivation for my garden, but felt like I was blocked by the small scale I was working with. When I moved to 1:50 I brought some foam core to work with, which was MUCH easier to cut. And while I was able to develop my model a bit further by way of structures and existing tree placement, I still felt frustrated in creating mass and void. I did not have the patience to cut out the same shape 10 times just to create height. Also – I couldn't see it in my minds eye, I couldn't see via the model where there should be mass and void and that was frustrating to me, because I believe that mass and void are very important elements in design and a space, especially a garden. I remember staring into the space, waiting for it to tell me something, but it never spoke. Once I hot my limit with the foam core model at 1:50 I needed to go back to the paper/2D to get my mass and void (kind of ironic, I think).

Pegging it out in Eccleston Square

So I am seeing that I am a little out of order here. After the models were completed I went back to paper and developed the skeleton of my design (now being allowed to think of it as a garden), before pegging it out. So photographs of that part are probably shown in the next section.

Basically, I knew what I had come up with on paper wasn't working for me 100%...there was a nagging that I couldn't quite shake or resolve, but I didn't know what to do. Another block! Another frustration!

I was third to go – the first two gardens (Graham and Sarah) I felt worked really well and I was very excited for them. When my turn came I was curious, nervous and anticipatory. And while I enjoyed this part of the process, it was a disappointing day for me in that what I had prepared on paper didn't work fantastically in the real world. I knew beforehand it wasn't working...and pegging it out only confirmed that. But it was through creating it in real life that I was able to know that the seating area needed to be larger, the pond a tad smaller...and that is what made the difference, pegging it out made the difference.

Adjusting Spaces on Paper/2D

So this section should fall before and after pegging out my design...but we're all good.

So, I am done with my “pegging” and after some twisting and turning I finally came to a resolution I could live with, that the garden could live with! It was a relief and I knew I had it when I did. So just as an overview:

Creating grids led me to positive and negative space, mass and void
Model helped push that agenda further
Once I was blocked there I moved back to paper to develop the spaces in 2D, now thinking of it as a garden (although I was earlier)
Once I was stumped there – pegging it out lead to a resolution, once again
Now I am back at the drawing board, resolving issues on paper. Checking my scale always, but not always understanding what it means.

The process of moving between design methods was a great way to break through designer's block. It allowed me to consider ideas that otherwise, wouldn't have gone unthought of.

Plant Research: Weekend Visit to Kew Gardens

All I can hear is Marcus telling me I spent too much time on my plants. So I decided to spend even more time and go back to Kew on a weekend and study more plants!!!

The time there was helpful – it didn't answer all my plant palette questions or even resolve the soul of my planting scheme (more like my planting problem at the time) – but it did lead me to my answer in the end. And so yes, it was worth it.

I paid attention to some of the areas we visited as a class, and then off to the grasses!!! As I knew grasses were an important part of my design.

Plant Selection: Developing a New Plant Palette

I hit a low in the design process with my plant selection phase. And while it is only 5 points for the project (therefore I shouldn't overdo it) - I thought, “how can I stay with the plants I originally chose from Kew when they don't fit my mood board at all? Then what am I trying to achieve?”

The plants I had gathered from Kew were great as a palette in and of themselves, but when I matched them to my design, so many of them didn't belong. Was the list I created at Kew wasteful? Not at all! I actually ended using the Hamamelis, Iris, Anthriscus and Anemone...so four. Not too bad. It was an excellent exercise and gave me a base.

As I was wrestling with the original plant palette I had all the photos laid out on my drafting table. Glancing back and forth between my mood board and my plants laid out before me I became quite despondent at the lack of connection.

In walks part-time student Eileen.

I shared with her my dilemma and she agreed.

Eileen seems to have a sensitivity for plants and their textures. She pointed out that my mood board was very textured and so I should try to pull that out in my plants – and the coloring should be cool....silvery even, which I had thought of earlier. She gave me a list of plants to look up and talked about each one and why it would fit with my design. Once I got home I started googling the list and was excited about her suggestions. After mixing her ideas with mine, I feel that though I may not have the best plant palette for my space, I have a very decent one. And that is good enough for me at this point!

What I learned through this experience was the value of knowing your plant material. Really knowing plants – what they are like, how they grow and how they react to different situations. You can make much more intelligent palette choices when you have more options to work with.

Final Design Decisions

With my layout finally resolved – and feeling better about my plant selection and where the major players were going, I moved into the final-design-decision stage which included adding the furniture, deciding heights of walls, steps, etc., and selecting hardscape materials. Even though I found that some of these decisions (mainly heights) were still being decided upon while labeling, etc.

Plant Placement

At the beginning of placing my plants I figured I needed to know exactly what was going where.

At the end of placing my plants I concluded that I just needed to know my trees, a few key structural shrubs and all else could just be...

And that was that.

Done.

Line & Rendering Techniques

I was encourage to stick with pencil for this project. I felt fine about that and at first, thought it would buy me some time and make the process simpler and easier for me. I was wrong! It was a great challenge!

I first started creating plant symbols that I was familiar with, but I was told to loosen up – which even though I desperately wanted to – I was having a hard time doing so. It seemed that when something didn't matter or didn't “count” in my mind, then was I able to be free and my line quality reflected that relaxed state I was in. But the moment I was doing something “for real” I had a devil on each shoulder telling me I couldn't do it well enough.

Breaking Designer's Block: Dancing in Hyde Park After Dark By Myself

I was in a funk at this point and feeling very wound up. I kept thinking how I will never make a great designer and that I didn't know what I would do with my future. I know this sounds quite melodramatic, but that's really how I felt. I was very discouraged at my inability to create something I felt had value. I had already forgotten that process equals progress.

So I went for a run in Hyde Park to unwind.

After half-running around the park I left the path and ran into an open field. It was getting dark and the large silhouettes of the surrounding trees encompassed me. I sprinted up the field as fast as I possibly could – running out all of my frustration and tension (and breath). I flew.

I jogged back down the other side of the field where the grass had grown long. I had my earbuds in and then after some moments of hesitation I started dancing to the music. It's what my body wanted to do. Dance, dance, dance! Although it was more like flailing my limbs around without much reason, although I did stay with the beat. I did that for a good while. Then as I moved around the park to other areas I would start dancing at will. I just wanted to throw out all my pent up perfectionism that was tying me down. So I did!

This won't be the last time I go dancing in Hyde Park I am sure!

Continuing with Rendering Techniques

The next day I had a better attitude and was able to continue with my line work and rendering techniques in a more relaxed fashion. I think dancing in the park paid off! I decided to take away all borders that were diving the gravel from the plant beds. Not only does Mrs. Wear seem like a person who doesn't have tight boundaries in her life, but her garden didn't seem to want it too much either. Besides, my design had a lot going on already and I needed to find ways of simplifying. After taking the edging away, I was able to work with the shapes of the plants in a more organic way. I didn't push this as far as I would have liked to, but I am happier with how the planting areas turned out.

While working out my line work I think I redrew my entire plan 3 or 4 times.

Materials Board

For my materials board I used the images from my mood board, images of my final plant selection and images of the hardscape elements (including water). I found the materials board valuable because I was able to see if it all felt cohesive...from beginning to end. And for the most part, I think it works. Although with a little more collaboration or research, I feel I could have made a stronger connection to my mood board.

I can see though, in the future, I am going to have to be careful about becoming obsessive with everything working perfectly together. But I hope with time and honest practice, I will become better at “seeing” - which is what I think so much of garden design is.

Final Colored Pencil Rendering

Hallelujah!!! Almost finished!

After scanning the pencil drawing I had created on trace paper, I imported the file into Illustrator where I had created an information block and labels on an A1 sheet. I then had that file printed at Hobs and that is what I colored on.

I had figured out the approach I was going to take with my colored pencils earlier, so this was just sitting down and doing it!

Did it turn out exactly how I would have liked? No – there are a few line weight issues, a few shadows forgotten or portrayed inaccurately...but this is the first time I have ever rendered a plan this way, so at the end of the day I am very pleased with the results. Happy! Yeah! I feel I can work with the style and develop it a bit further pushing it into a more professional realm. And that will make me very happy.

Ron Arad

October 24, 2013

I came across this video the other day and I thought he had some good lines to remember.

Some favorites:

"The current thing I am working on is my favorite - and what I haven't done yet is even a better favorite."

"Sometimes the material looks for a function, sometimes a function looks for a material."

"What are you about? What's good about what you do, and what can you teach us that we don't understand yet?"

Calvary and Guards Club - Autumn Lecture

October 20, 2013

If we look back we are dying on our feet.

- John Makepeace

This past Thursday we were invited to attend a private lecture at the Calvary and Guards Club which is near Hyde Park Corner. Dress code was men in suit and tie, dress smart, absolutely no jeans and no trainers - failure to the observe the formal dress code would result in denied entry.

The evening was outlined as follows:

6.15pm gather in the Waterloo Room

6.30pm Lecture in the Peninsular Room, followed by Q&A

7.30pm Drinks in the Waterloo Room

The evening was fabulous and I loved what I learned during those few hours. Lecturers were John Bly and John Makepeace.

John Bly is the resident furniture expert on BBC Television’s Antiques Roadshow since it started in 1978, and has his own ITV programme Heirloom. The Bly family have been dealers in Tring, Hertfordshire since the beginning of the 19th century and John Bly worked for four years at Sotheby’s before joining the family firm. He lectures in Britain, Europe and North America and writes for a variety of specialist magazines. He has written and edited 14 books related to antiques.

John Makepeace is a renowned furniture designer and maker. Early professional recognition led to his work as a design consultant to the all India Handicraft Board, a founding member of the Crafts Council in the UK and a Trustee of the V&A, London. Early commissions from Templeton and Keble College, Oxford, and Liberty’s were followed by major museums, corporate and private collections around the world.

In 1976 he bought Parnham House, Dorset to set up a college alongside, but separately from, his own furniture studios. Parnham rapidly gained an international reputation. Following the sale of Parnham in 2001 he purchased Farrs, a listed house in Beaminster, and here he and his wife, Jennie, now have their home, gardens, design studio, gallery and timber seasoning for current and future commissions.

John Makepeace was awarded an OBE in 1988 for services to furniture design and in 2002 received the American Furniture Society’s Award of Distinction.

FROM MY NOTES

We are like trees - we grow from the inside out. We weather, show sign of our age
The hidden beauty of trees - it's inside, it's revealed when we cut into the tree.
Disclosed and revealed beauty
There's nothing in life that isn't reflected in furniture
1 - material, 2 - use/function, 3 - shape, 4 - decoration, 5 - manufacture
Age of timber...first, oak. Second, Walnut. Third, Mahogany. Fourth, Exotic timbers
1700's staff would bribe the dinner guests because as they drank alcohol during the meal they would become indiscreet. To fix this they had the servants leave after the food was served and that's when self-serving furniture/pieces were created.
How will your designs reflect your pattern of life? And the patterns of life of your time?
Furniture fulfills four functions: sit, support the body at ease, tables (the floor raised off the ground) and cabinets/storage (added level of protection)
Structure, Expression
Anything looking backwards has no future
Design is about constant innovation. Nothing remains the same.
If we go back we are dying on our feet.
New
New opportunities
Equals new inventions
In regards to clients: What they are trying to say instead of what they are saying
Repeating doesn't lead to innovation and invention
Trends are superficial
Find something personal

What I Listened to Every Day During the Design Phase of Rivendell

October 19, 2013

When I started designing the landscape for Rivendell I chose a segment of a song from The Fellowship soundtrack and I listened to it each day (over and over and over) I designed during the fall of 2007. As I would turn off of White Pine Canyon Road and onto White Pine Lane I hit play - as I walked around the raw site and the unfinished house I hit play. As I moved my pencil across the site plan developing my thoughts, I hit play. I even made the builder listen to the music which was driving and inspiring my design.

I wanted the installed landscape to move me the way the segment of this song moved me. I wanted to capture that moment of crescendo and infuse it into nature. And after all these years of growth, I believe it does just that.

I must be missing Rivendell today.

Evenstar

October 19, 2013

Eryngium bourgatii

October 19, 2013

Stipa tenuissima

October 18, 2013

Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing'

October 16, 2013

Black-leaf-cow-parsley-Ravenswing - Anthriscus Sylvestris.jpg

Birthday Party for John Brooks

October 15, 2013

WOW! What an evening it was! Who would have thought that I would be invited to attend the 80th birthday party of garden design icon, John Brooks.

John Brooks!

I had never even met the man until this evening and learned first-hand that he is a delightful and jovial individual. It was a night to remember, and one for the books. So here's a brief, and hopefully enjoyable written record.

*******

It is 4 o'clock and school has officially ended. The party doesn't start 'til 6 o'clock and as it's just a 10 minute walk away several us of decide to stay at the studio working on our projects until it's time to go. I have come prepared for staying at the school afterwards which means I brought a blouse to replace my daytime sweater. (Although I could have, and maybe should have, dressed a little classier).

I go downstairs to change in the bathroom and as I pull the bag off the blouse which is on a hanger, I realize this thing has not been ironed. A strong "new-shirt" crease runs right along the back horizontally. I was embarrassed for myself for 5 minutes, then decided, "I will just act like it's not there and smile. Maybe nobody will notice." Even if they do, what can I do about it? It's a better option than the sweater.

Six of us arrived just before six o'clock - we leave our bags and coats in the first room to the left and ascend the staircase which doubles back before we are met with trays of champagne. One has two glasses of orange juice as an option. I take the option.

Being punctual to the party, there are only a few other people in the room besides John himself as we excitedly (well, I am excited, but of course keep composure) - meet the man of the hour. John is warm and inviting, asking us each where we are from and a bit about our professional backgrounds before coming to the school. He is gracious and genuine, laughs easily.

The crowd thickens, the champagne starts to flow while black and white uniforms float around with platters of delicious hors d'oeuvres. Maybe scrumptious is more appropriate.

The room is full of luminaries of the design world and it is my chance to meet them. I decide I better go make the most of the night and separate myself from the group. There are introductions to be made, people who's faces I am not familiar with, but whose names are a big deal in the world I favor. I wonder...whom is who?

Borra Garson of Authored Apps - a gentleman who says if I think of an app that garden designers or gardeners need - to please let him know.

John Lawson of Alitex: Greenhouses, Conservatories, and Orangeries - a lively fellow in a green jacket and a big smile who builds/installs greenhouses all around the world. A useful contact for the future I am sure.

Tamsin Westhorpe, editor at The English Garden magazine - who is very nice and very enjoyable to talk with. Most of their readership is from the States!

Juliet Roberts, editor at Gardens Illustrated - (I think this was my second most exciting meet of the night!!) "Is it your voice on the BBC GI Podcasts that I subscribe to!?!?" "Yes, it is!" She says to send her an email, she likes to follow the careers of designers, etc. Will do!

Stephen Lacey, writer at The Telegraph and a garden designer himself. He has also authored several books. He is delighted I am from Utah, and therefore a Mormon - he had just seen the Book of Mormon the week prior. We have a lively encounter which ends up with his glass of champagne on the front and back of my blouse. "It does't stain."

Cleve West, award-winning garden designer - Regretfully we don't talk much. I am not sure why. His work is so stunning.

Andy Sturgeon, award-winning garden designer (Most exciting meet of the night?) - considered one of the best there is he was twice voted one of the top 10 garden designers in the UK and has 6 gold medals and best in show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. And that's just the beginning!

There are a few more names I hear but don't remember. My phone is downstairs and I have nothing to take notes with.

(I was so looking forward to meeting Luciano Giubbilei - he was on the list, but never made an appearance).

*******

As time wains the crowd thins, glasses are emptied, and we are encouraged towards the door. We make our way in and out of the cloak room and in the shuffle I am having a conversation with garden designer Anthony Paul (remember him?!)...something about next time...planting...spiritual...connection...(sounds good!)

It has been an overly-delightful evening and the only students remaining from the school are myself, Graham, Sarah and Rachel. A late dinner is voted on unanimously. The first place we try, the Botanist, has a hour-too-long wait. We try the restaurant across the street. As we make our way in, and inevitably out..we bump into the lovely character whose drink ended up on my blouse! Stephen Lacey and Andy Sturgeon are also looking for a table!

We join parties and jointly head to a well-known Italian restaurant (so of course I can't remember the name) - and wait for a table for six.

*******

It's almost midnight and three courses have been served and I am more than full...of food and happiness. To share a meal with these professionals and have real conversation about gardens, plants, design, the industry, what's happening here and there and who's doing what and where...is so enjoyable. I have hungered for this type of interaction for years and now I am living it.

The tab is paid and out on the sidewalk we split into three groups...Graham and Sarah head to Sloan Square, Stephen walks his own way and Andy, Rachel and myself make our way towards Victoria station. Eventually Rachel turns right while we stay straight on. It's just me and Andy Sturgeon talking about why I came to the Inchbald while walking the midnight streets of London.

We arrive to the station. "This is where I go left." And before he heads inside to catch the train back to Brighton we ceremoniously say goodbye, "See you soon."

*****

The Blind Man and the Tree

October 12, 2013

Today I watched a blind man touch a tree. And it moved me.

I was walking down the long grass lawn of the Syon Vista and he was walking behind me with an elderly lady whom I thought might be his mother. His white walking stick was moving back and forth, back and forth in rhythmic motion.

When I first saw him I wondered what would it be like to be in such a beautiful place as Kew Gardens, so vast...full of nature...gorgeous mature trees - and not be able to see anything. I wondered though, if maybe he understood it at a different level than I or in a different way. Maybe there was something he could see that I couldn't. In my thoughts of curiosity I glanced back. He was approaching a large tree and as he moved closer he didn't veer away. Instead he walked right up next to the main trunk and moved his hand to a massive lateral branch which was about chest height off the ground.

His hand moved purposefully back and forth, back and forth along the old bark. He was so gentle and loving. He rested his walking stick against the trunk and then with both arms, wrapped himself around the branch tilting his head slightly downward, almost like giving a protective hug to a child while patting the trees underside to feel it's girth at the same time. He straightened back up, smiling broadly through his dark beard. I smiled too. He then removed his backpack and I watched him try to saddle the branch. He jumped and threw his body up and over, ending on his belly just hanging there for a few seconds before sliding back down.

With both feet back on the ground he followed the branch with his hand, moving upwards with the growth of the tree and pausing in places but never letting go. He went around to several parts of the tree. It seemed he was making out the form and dimensions as he went around. This interaction was curious and methodical. It was so beautiful to me, that now from a distance, I took a seat on a bench from under another tree to observe.

I have spent time with trees, running my hands over their bark, but I have never spent time with a tree like this man did. It was inspiring. He probably stayed there for over 10 minutes at the branches around the base, moving his hands over the bark, stopping, pausing, continuing. Stopping, pausing, continuing. Paying attention to something, I wish I knew exactly what.

As they moved on I stood up and continued walking through the allee. I saw a massive oak with impressive form and made my way to it's base. I closed my eyes and ran my hand over it's roughly textured bark, stopping, pausing, continuing. Trying to listen and feel something new. Maybe it was a heartbeat.