Tag Archives: mudlarking

Mud Larking Brooches

Boudica

Making my Boudica A Norfolk Story animated film was such fun, that this weekend I thought I would make a set of Mud larking Brooches in the style of Boudica to sell, wear and give to my friends..

birthday card for coco

Brooch Card for Coco’s 19th Birthday

I was in a manic collage sort of mood. Most of my best work has come from this kind of creative play, you never quite know what you will discover. Maybe another film or a book who knows?

I had almost run out of suitable bits of broken pottery so on Sunday, my partner and I went down to Vauxhall Embankment to find some more.

Emma_Mud_Larkin_001

Emma Calder at Vauxhall Beach

The very first thing I found was this.

Pottery Treasure

A Grand Find

How Grand is that!! Immediately putting us in a fantastic mood.

We were also lucky as it was almost the lowest tide of the year revealing to us for the first time, the first known London Bridge, built 3500 years ago in the Bronze Age around 1500 BC. This was first discovered in 1993 when the remains were uncovered by erosion of the foreshore.

Original London Bridge discover in 1993

Original London Bridge near Vauxhall Bridge

Here are a few of my best Brooches. More coming soon from my shop!

Flower Grirl Mudlark Brooch By Emma Calder

Flower Grirl Mudlark Brooch by Emma Calder

Brooch: Houses Hat by Emma Calder

Houses Hat Mudlark Brooch by Emma Calder

Brooch_with_finger

Tiny Soldier Mudlark Brooch by Emma Calder

Rasta Hat Mudlarking Brooch by Emma Calder

Rasta Hat Mudlark Brooch by Emma Calder

 

Purple Girl Mudlarking Brooch by Emma Calder

Purple Girl Mudlarking Brooch by Emma Calder

Brown Patternl Mudlarking Brooch by Emma Calder

Brown Pattern Mudlark Brooch by Emma Calder

Stripy Hat Man Mudlarking Brooch by Emma Calder

Stripy Hat Man Mudlark Brooch by Emma Calder

 

 

 

Boudica News

I have just completed the storyboard and animatic for my Boudica Film for the Norwich Castle Museum. This took roughly a month to produce, for what will be a four and a half minute film. Last week was fun as I had my two favourite helpers working for me. Julian Cripps architectural designer who always helps me with background design and my daughter Coco Cripps who was officially on work placement at Pearly Oyster.

Julian Cripps

Julian Cripps working on Boudica Storyboard

Now I am moving on to the next stage of the film, which is to design and make the characters and design all the backgrounds. As some of the characters are made from very old things dug up. I have had a good excuse to go mudlarking on the Thames regularly.

Here is a photo a  goose with a fantastic backdrop.

Goose by Thames

Goose at Vauxhall beach

What is interesting is what I am learning about some of the my mudlarking finds. After looking at iron age pottery in Norwich Castle Museum. I now realise that I had already found my own bit of iron age pottery by the Thames. I had thought it was a bit of petrified wood but, now I am quite sure it’s the same sort of material.

A picture of my finds, where’s Boudica?

Mudlarking Finds

Emma Calder’s Desk with Mudlarking bits