Perspectives Viewpoints and Angles

Posted on 11/08/201606/08/2016 by Alastair

As I proceeded further along the beach towards Port Talbot on my walk this week, I became more and more excited by the patterns I was seeing. I kept walking backwards and forwards and around in circles to view the patterns of ridges and ripples in the sand from different angles, enjoying them from different viewpoints and finding new perspectives. As I said earlier in the week, I may be becoming obsessed with sand as a natural art form.

Sand Patterns

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Sand bank

Sand Patterns

Crossing to the Other Side

Posted on 05/07/201603/07/2016 by Alastair

Crossing to the other side of the street on my walk this week revealed more natural life than it occurred to me I might find. This is a busy city centre street (or close to it) and the predominant features tend to be of man-made materials – concrete and metal, tarmac and bricks.

As I reached the point where the street I was on changes its name, I crossed to the other side and as I waited at the pedestrian crossing I noted some of the patterns around me and also the plants and flowers lining sections of the street. The perspective of trees lining the extension of this street is a deliberate plan, but the plants and flowers (some would say weeds) in the forecourts (if they can be called that) of the buildings on this section of the street are there because that is what nature will do if you let it.

The owners of these buildings and businesses are clearly not concerned about this aspect of their working lives and from my point of view the growth of the wild flowers and grasses are a lot more attractive than concrete, but each to their own. At least the vegetation allows some natural drainage.

Street-side plants

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Street Perspective

Pedestrian Crossing 1

Pedestrian Crossing 2

Pedestrian Crossing 3

Street-side flowers

Street-side plants

Bins and wildflowers

Bay Campus – Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 08/05/201607/05/2016 by Alastair

During my walk this week at Swansea University Bay Campus there were some beautiful sunny spells which allowed me to enjoy the campus at its best. However, below is the proof that bad weather will set in eventually! Even when the prospects look good for sunshine, these unpredictable days can so easily change and suddenly bring in wind and rain, even hail or snow.

My apologies for not providing any sound clips this week and similarly no soundscape to listen to along with the image sequence below.

The Great Hall, Swansea University Bay Campus

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Building Blocks

Posted on 06/05/201605/05/2016 by Alastair

My walk this week around Swansea University’s Bay Campus suggested to me that there were limited materials to work with when designing the place. I imagine that this was indeed the case with regard to finance (it always is), but it seems there may have been a restriction on the shapes that could be used as well.

From my criticism of the architecture used, it might sound as though I don’t like the campus, but in fact in some ways I do. I enjoy the regular rows of dark rectangles set into the alternating colours of brickwork. I like the reflections of light in some of the glass fronts (see tomorrow’s post),Continue reading→

Classically Standing Alone

Posted on 05/05/201605/05/2016 by Alastair

The new Great Hall at Swansea University Bay Campus stands alone in the arrangement of buildings housing the College of Engineering, the School of Management and student accommodation. The whole complex has quite a conservative feel about it, but the Great Hall is very deliberately classical in style.

Is this building and the rest of the campus architecture intended to present such a serious and sober outlook? I suspect it is.Continue reading→

A Field of Fog and Fences

Posted on 29/04/201620/04/2016 by Alastair

When I arrived at the highest point of my walk this week and rose above the fog, I was taken completely by surprise. Despite having walked through the mist, I hadn’t expected to see such a solid looking wall of it completely blocking the view I would normally have over the Loughor estuary and beyond to the Gower peninsula.

However, on turning my eyes to the north, the scene was clearer and the last wisps of mist were Continue reading→

Reviewing the Walk – Colwyn Bay

Posted on 17/04/201612/04/2016 by Alastair

My walk across Colwyn Bay beach was fairly brief but gave me some sense of the place in favourable conditions. The low sun revealed classic line patterns in the sand and it seemed to me that these were reflected in the patterns of the encrusted fence that surrounded the old pier.

Continue reading→

Poles and Perspective

Posted on 14/04/201612/04/2016 by Alastair

The fencing, and scaffolding poles holding it up, create what I am sure would be a beautiful mathematical formula, if you are that way inclined. The poles themselves may not be the most beautiful objects on their own, but seen together in perspective and with the gentle twist from where they have collapsed creates, for me, a distinct beauty of line, pattern and the mathematical dynamics of nature . . . to say nothing of the colours and reflections!