Harmonograph - wikipedia

A harmonograph is a mechanical apparatus that employs pendulums to create a geometric image. The drawings created typically are Lissajous curves, or related drawings of greater complexity. The devices, which began to appear in the mid-19th century and peaked in popularity in the 1890s, cannot be conclusively attributed to a single person, although Hugh Blackburn, a professor of mathematics at the University of Glasgow, is commonly believed to be the official inventor.[1]

A simple, so-called 'lateral' harmonograph uses two pendulums to control the movement of a pen relative to a drawing surface. One pendulum moves the pen back and forth along one axis and the other pendulum moves the drawing surface back and forth along a perpendicular axis. By varying the frequency of the pendulums relative to one another (and phase) different patterns are created. Even a simple harmonograph as described can create ellipses, spirals, figure eights and other Lissajous figures.

More complex harmonographs incorporate three or more pendulums or linked pendulums together (for example hanging one pendulum off another), or involve rotary motion in which one or more pendulums is mounted on gimbals to allow movement in any direction.

Red Rolling Skit in the Snow

I put some red acrylic into tin with three holes drilled
I trailed it around for a while in the snow, filmed by Chloe

(I wiped the paint off the roof afterwards - no damage done)

After making a trail, I started to repeatedly go over one area - the same motion as if I was sweeping but having the reverse affect splattering red paint all across the ground.


















I then wanted to clear some of that paint which was outside our door to disguise my trail, I placed it in the road in a line down the middle - contrast of the white and red snow against the mulsh, would be interesting to do this down a large section of road

Then I used up the last of the snow in the pot I had used for mixing the paint and used this as a mould.


















I started to clean out the tin outside in our garden with water and carried on spreading the red- as, I was doing it I thought it would of been more visually striking, if i filled in the lower part all in red

second version of attachment

The previous attachment worked alright, but although I strengthened the metal by putting bends in it is still to flimsy and the fixed two points of connecting to my bike mean that it doesn't turn the corner to well. So I looked around my Dads yard for a bit and found a straight sqaure box piece of steel, which again I have ajusted so that both attachments can fit on. (and more when I've made them)

After coming up with various ways of creating a pivit, we found this to attach to the back of my rack. I then cut the metal down using the hand held grinder with a thin Kerf cutting blade and sanded down the edges, drilled the hole and bent it in the vice to the right angle.














Dad suggested that we bend the rod in the Hydrolic Press which we did a bit tested it and bent it a bit more













Frame for Tin Attachement - attachment that I can put around the tins, made from alluminium, so was easy to bend and cut. Pot rivited joint. Again attached with bolt, spring washer and butterfly screw.















Tin Attachement


















Rake Attachement

Attachment, Tin Roller and Rake

I cut an old bicycle tyre down














measured the width of the tyre and dived the rest of the width on the tin to drill 3 lines of holes on, I used this strap to get a rough straight line, I then pot riveted the tyre to the can














found the center of the bottem and the lid of the tin with this set square (very useful)














cut some threaded rod to length and placed two bolts locked these off and a washer at both the bottom and the top of the tin inside














I then drilled a hole to fit a bung in the lid and hammered the lid on, fixing a washer and bolt tight to the tin














Test outside putting dry sand into the tin worked well, sand came out as a pretty much constant line. Attachment followed the movement of the bike pretty well, bit cumbersome round the corners














placed four bolts on the threaded rod either side of the tin so that the attachment doesn't get caught














- Attachment, attaches to the side of my bike rack as it can quickly be attached andd detached with the butterfly screws














- can also be folded down by unscrewing the black tube which keeps the two rods either side parallel
- bends in metal to try and keep it more rigid














I made the attachement so I could utilise it for other extensions.
I found an old cast aluminium rake, I bent the metal at the end of the attachment and drilled holes through this and the rake to attach it with four bolts and butterfly screws

first test of Spirograph

after chatting and playing with it I think this is what I need to change:

- the angle of the cogs - more rounded and equal top and bottom
- place the outer circles further inwards as the holes towards the center work much better due to the pressure being applied...

design a few different ones and cut them at a smaller scale in card, (this one was in 5mm plywood) to test which works best and to try layering some together as I think this will help to

what other medium to draw with? - smaller chalk sticks/ graphite

smaller holes that slot in to the existing ones? so same spirograph can be used for multiple materials to draw with

Redrawring the Spirograph in Illustrator

After getting to uni at for 8:30!!!!! as Neil had kindly said he would squeeze me on to the lazer cutter.I found that my VectorWorks file just wouldn’t work! –wouldn’t convert, save or open as an Illustrator file.
Mike suggested a DXF file this seemed to work but still wouldn't open on another the computer

So I embarked on redrawing it in Illustrator which I don’t really know how to use –asked one of the technicians – is there a way of putting the shape on a line and bending it around a circle? no but suggested this way

Effect > Distort and Transform > Transform
Which allows you to select a shape, chose the number of copies, which point to rotate from and chose the degree of rotation. Also Scale - which will rotate the shape into a spiral and Move - spacing etc. But after fiddling about with this for a while I couldn't get it to work.

so the technician Kay showed me this helpful website: www.illustrator-brushes.com - which has a handful of tutorials for Illustrator brushes (also sister website for Photoshop brushes)

Select rotation tool (if you hold shift you get set angles) (slect object press enter brings up rotate panel so you can enter in angle).

What I did:
- drew a circle found center (using co-ordinatates of page) and marked with horizontal and verticle line
- placed the tooth so that end points touched the edge of the circle(which I had also made largr then my orginal VectorWorks Scale up)
- by moving the rotation point away from the center of the tooth to center of the circle
- press Alt key, trial and test to find right angle to join the end points of the tooth, select copy
- shortcut key to duplicate copyied object Apple and D


This first attempt of the middle circle didn't join up, I think that this may of bean becuase of how iI orginally placed the tooth on the circle and then copied it

Outer circle:
Inner Cirlce:
Middle Circle:
Smaller Circle:


Placing holes for circle

circle the average diameter of my chunky chalk/crayon 3 cm
draw sprial and placed circles on spiral, then deleted center lines and spiral

finished Illustrator drawring

size: 70 cm by 70cm

Outer circle: d rotation: 5
Inner circle: d rotation: 6.8
Middle circle:
Smaller middle circle:

Site Specific Spirograph?

I was thinking about this one little area near Lidils, which I always find interesting as there are so many built in circles - the double mine roundabout and with in the little park:

Natural Health Service...

....reading an article in from the National Trust Magazine....

'recent poll commissioned by Natural England found that 94% of the population thought it a good idea to refer people for outdoor exercise rather then medication'...'at least 5 times a week being active has the same effect has the same antidepressent effect as taking tablets.'

...'we have drifted away from how we were designed to live. we need to be restored to our factory settings'........we are designed to be on the move much of the time and this helfs keep our blood pressure down, generate good cholestral, allows more oxygen to the heart and muscles and keep our joints healthy and free of pain. Just a 30 minute bost of exercise will boost our immune sytem for te whole day helping keep away infections'

....'we were never designed for treadmills, and algthough the gym can really help some people, for many it simply isn't suitable. We were firmly once connected with the natural enviroment...harvard zoologist E.O Wilson termed this link biophilia - an innate affinity with nature'

...'health walks and the Green Gym so that local people were introduced to exercise in their local envirometn....across the UK..with 4,00 walks a week.......reasons people gave for walking were keeping fit being in the countryside, watching the seasons change and socialising'

...'the natural enviroment has a powerful efect on us to become less stresssed'

...'research in Tokyo and Holland shows that people are more likely to walk or cycle to work if the streets are lined with trees and they live longer and feel better'

Chalk - Crayon?

The colours and so scrumptious and fresh! mmm edible! but i was expecting chalk not crayon!



















LESSON LEARNT
- always ask for a sample before forking out the cash!

22nd Thursday - Crazy Day!

Visited Conchange studio with Raw Canvas looking at the new Microsoft Expression Software and Microsoft Surface - a 30 inch table top works much like an iPod touch in that you can grab, slide, flick, pull the surface as a group or separately.

Chalk arrived - but delivered to my home address! had to go and collect - nice 3 hour journey back n forth!

I AM FOR AN ART....
Exhibition and live art event: Thursday 22 January 2009, From 8.30pm until midnight
Bun House Pub, 96 Peckham High Street, London SE15 5ED

Taking its name from Claes Oldenburg 1961’s text piece, this one-night only exhibition brings together the work of a group of 2nd year BA students from Camberwell College. The exhibition is the result of an intense period working with artists Mark McGowan and Ana Laura Lopez de la Torre, as part of an Elective Level 2 Course on Performed and Live Art Practice. The evening will include film, interactive installations and performances.

Here's some pictures from my little skit:




Quite impromptu as I hadn't planned on what I was going to draw, joing in with Irene Pineda who was leaving a trail, drawing lines for her to follow, around peoples feet - giving them flippers.... I tryed to get hold of a little photo printer so I could draw throughout the night and print pictures on post them above the fireplace in the pub, but couldn't get holf of one