Ridgeway Farm Art Project – Designs for a new Entrance Sign – Vote Now!
This blog post is to share the designs for a new sign proposed for the entrance to Ridgeway Farm development from Purton. If you have read the other newsletters and blogs you will be up to date with progress of the project and the reasons for this location but just in case you missed it, the best space for a bespoke Ridgeway Farm entrance sign is on the public open space to the left hand side (north) of Cowleaze, approaching from Purton, opposite “Snail Hill’.
I have three design options for you to consider and vote for your favourite by email or on social media.
The three design ideas draw on the unique topography of your immediate landscape – “Snail Hill’ and the dips and peaks of the open spaces, roads and paths that interweave between your houses giving your homes an intimate, village feel.
Combined with the recent farming history of the site I have developed two designs that reflect this: crops growing and a pastoral scene depicting old English animal breeds. The third design idea is more bold and is my stylised landscape sculpture of the site.
It is a more contemporary idea to consider as a statement piece at the entrance to your home area.
The designs have been informed by meeting with local residents and talking about what a sign says to people driving through or visiting you – making them feel that they have a arrived at a place where people, children and animals live; to slow down and be aware of the surroundings and create a sense of pride in the space in which you live.
Design Option 3 ‘ANIMALS
2.6m tall x 1.7m wide approx.
Design Option: 4 ‘LANDSCAPE’
2.5m tall x 3.8m wide approx.
My form of making is based in the traditional techniques of blacksmithing and this is the way in which the signs will be made. Designs 2 & 3 will be made by me, by hand in my forge in Wiltshire. The larger sculptural sign Design 4 would involve fabrication techniques suited to the scale of the piece.
An example of this style of sculptural work can be seen here:
The proposed finishes would be galvanised steel, etched with gold highlights as shown in the image above and on the Moravian Star sculpture I made for the new wing of the Athelstan Museum in Malmesbury. You can also see other examples of my style of work here:
https://www.melissacole.co.uk/gallery-of-work/
To view the mock up-drawings of each proposed design on site and in more detail go here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hnb1s_qW3ElmHnD48C9GU9TCNDnK9USc?usp=sharing
To vote for your favourite design please
email me your choice of
CROPS or ANIMALS or LANDSCAPE
by 4th July 2020
I will let you know which is the most popular design via this blog or email me to sign up for the next newsletter.
The finished nature map is currently being printed in Wootton Bassett and I am looking for volunteers to help distribute in your street – if you can help please let me know!
Print at home and colour in nature map can be downloaded here.
I would love for you to share the coloured-in drawings on line via Instagram or Twitter and Facebook with the #ridgewayfarmart
Still to come with this art project:
The Community Orchard
You can still sign up to be involved in choosing trees, planting and caring for your community orchard – just let me know!
Bat Walk & Bat Boxes
The bat walk and bat box making workshops will be postponed – hopefully we can plan these for later this year or next spring/summer – watch this space for more info!
Location: Ridgeway Farm Residential Development, Purton, Wiltshire.
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#ridgewayfarmart
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@melissacole001
If you would like to contribute to this project in any way please contact me melissa@melissacole.co.uk