House No. 170: Wedgwood House

House No. 170: Wedgwood House
acrylic on repurposed heavy cardstock
6 in. x 7 in. x 8 in.
170/365; 06/19/11

I found this heavy blue card stock in recycling, and the color immediately brought Wedgwood Jasperware to mind. I am a fan of Wedgwood, particularly the black Jasperware. I love the contrast of it. The blue Jasperware is so ubiquitous that its shade of blue is frequently called Wedgwood Blue.

For today’s house, I studied details of the Hellenic-style ornamentation used to decorate the porcelain, and then worked from my sketches to paint the house that I fabricated from the cardstock. I based the shape of the house on the Greek Revival style, with a low-pitched roof and gable-facing facade, to coordinate with the neoclassic style of ornamentation.

House No. 59: Unity House

House No. 59: Unity House
ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, digital layout

8.5 in. x 11 in.
059/365; 02/28/11

Following the Second World War, Britain had an urgent need for housing, and traditional building materials and skilled labor were in short supply. In order for inexpensive and easily erected properties to be installed, component parts made of cast concrete were produced in factories and then sent out to be erected by labor who were untrained in traditional construction skills.

One style of house was called Unity housing.

About 15,000 Unity homes were built in the 1950's, mostly as semi detached and terraced houses.  They were factory produced and assembled on site with precast reinforced concrete columns. They had pre-fabricated kitchens and bathrooms and were situated in excellent locations with roomy accommodations and sizable yards.

This type of structure makes me think of Number 4 Privet Drive and the Bucket residence (Chez Bouquet).