28.04.2019
As I was making progress on the bottle tops mural for the Students Union, it was clear I was running out of different colours and tones. After collecting from the Union but also neighbours, family and friends, I had to think about different ways I could accumulate quantities of plastic bottle tops. I had found a local manufacturer that donated 100 whites and 100 oranges, but I still needed hundreds of warm tones and whites. I then found on eBay there was a small market for selling used plastic bottle tops for craft projects, so I was able to purchase hundreds of different sizes and colours. This really saved the project as I was working to a strict deadline for the work to be photographed and finished during easter, so that the mural can be printed and installed for the opening on Friday 3rd May. 
Whilst the bottle tops were arriving throughout the week I managed to finish the wave, going through one by one attaching them to the wooden board. I removed all the reds so that I could stand the work up and get a better view of the piece. Once I was satisfied with the blue tones I placed it back onto the table I was working on, and begun the background and placement of whites and silvers.

The long process of getting the different colour and size bottle tops placed on the board was complete, and I then had to go through and individually glue them to the wooden board. Once all the bottle tops were secured, I was able to stand the work up and check over the colour distribution. I was able to then remove and shuffle around certain bottle tops and edit the work. 
I am really pleased with the finished composition and transition of colour within the piece, achieved by placing bottle tops within bottle tops. Adding a sunset colour theme to the background gives a strong colour contrast to the wave, making it a very bold and colourful mural. I also have clearly translated Hokusai's, The Great Wave, within the mural whilst making it unique at the same time. 
I had some trouble photographing the piece as the lighting I had was creating too many reflections and shadows within the work, as each bottle top is a different size/height. I decided it was best to bring the mural outside into the natural lighting and used a white sheet to reflect some light.

 

The final photograph has turned out very crisp and I am pleased with the quality. As the board is 1.5 Metre square, and the print will be 2M square, the image quality is extremely important as it will be enlarged by 25%. I am really looking forward to seeing it installed in the Cadman Courtyard, and hope it is done in time for the reveal at our exhibition Amalgamation on Friday 3rd May.