More thorough responses to Callesen.

 Having already analysed Callesens work, in relation to the formal elements and how he uses them to convey his ideas and feelings through his work, how his work and techniques could help us practically and conceptually advance our own work and techniques and finally create some quick responses of our own incorporating his method and style, without attention payed to what we were creating, or how we could relate this to the contents of our box based on more than physical appearance.

 I wanted to explore what fascinated me in my box, and if any of it could connect to a deeper, more meaningful them or concept. I chose my all-day child travel card from the last day of August, the idea of the last day of summer and the passage of time was already becoming something of interest for me and Callesens work proved an ideal medium for exploring this topic. I photocopied my travelcard into various different sizes and experimented with how I could apply paper with this print on to create something really powerful. 

 I spent some time thinking of symbols and slightly more obvious ways to show summer ending, I had a few ideas from the beginning that I wanted to practically test to gauge the effectiveness of them when made. My first idea was a sunset, that's all great but I wanted to extend it and use something within my item to make it, the TFL symbol looks a lot like a sunset, a horizon line and a reflection does it not? I created two experiments out of travel card paper one with a more obvious sunset and an extended one incorporating the TFL logo- 

 Although this is a visual success it wasn't entirely related to Callesen in the sense that it doesn't have anything coming up off the paper.

 The second had elevated sections and was connected symbolically (sunset--TFL logo) 

 I felt this one was slightly more successful in its relation to Callesen as it had cut-outs and elevation.

 I tried to remember the last day of summer and what I felt and what I observed- I had noticed a change in the trees by this time, although it wasn't as abundant as it is now. I liked the idea of two sides, which Callesen also explores, the happy, green and lush side of a tree for the summer and the frail, balding tree for the autumn, this idea was very refreshing to explore as I haven't ever really done something of this nature (no pun) 

 Cutting out the tree of two sides and trying to get it to stand, by which point the idea was clear. I wanted to use colour to give extra impact to what I was creating. This made me revert to my studies of colour theory and think carefully about what colours would be appropriate for each side of the tree, I decided on a pale green and a vivid orange.

 

 The coloured flat section of my tree.

The part that stands, ironically even without colour I felt this one was more vivid and visual!

 The second one I created was a single tree (not divided into two) with its leaves falling off, I was very specific about which areas of my massive travelcard print I should use.

 Choosing the last day of August as the tree gave the perfect physical embodiment to the theme of, 'End of Summer' the colours worked quite conveientiently aswell.

 Finally my last one I created was again about the last day of summer, dodging the rain! This is something everyone has to get familiar to as the colder seasons draw closer, shouldn't have taken the sun for granted! 

 The cutout is literally running from the imminent rain!

 This activity helped me to really narrow my ideas and helped my critical and conceptual thinking skills. I want to continue exploring ways that I can convey the end of summer using the object I collected over the summer!