developing something
Well I have taken a leap, at the moment I'm developing the tube sketches I have been doing. I am very inspired by the shapes, but I don't know really what I am doing. Painting and drawing makes me feel so much more satisifed and happy yet it can be so painful and frustrating. Sometimes I feel like tearing at my own skin. Somehow it still lifts me up, someone once said 'painting connects me to the earth'.
So that is where I am, loving it, hating it, and needing to do it as much as I can. I don't really know what my making is about...I am just compelled to do it.
sketchbook v3
Another study from the tube, focusing on a sense of all the different lives happening in small ways while squished in the tube.
from the sketchbook
This week has been hectic, one of those weeks that you wish you could start again although maybe not, because you would have to re-live it. Anyway thankfully it is Friday, and I thought I would share with you some studies from my sketchbook. At the moment I am a little focused on shapes of people on the tube.
another medium, another self portrait v3 FINGER-PAINTING
this image is A1 in size and painted with fingers, yes that is right i said fingers. No brushes allowed, not even for mixing colours. Surprisingly the result is something interesting. Who said finger-painting is only for kids.....
another medium, another self portrait v2
This image has been created by first selecting and mixing 3 main colours i see in my skin tones plus super dark contrast colour. Then tearing the painted paper to pieces and creating this collage self portrait. It was amazing to see all the different outcomes form the different people in the class, mine looks mosaic like where as others had more big flat colour planes.
Actual size is A3, quite a large piece for what it is. I was satisfied with the outcome, almost inspired to do this sort of portrait of others. I like that it isn't traditional but can still communicate to the viewer.
more vain and crazy to come....
another medium, another self portrait
A simple self portrait, created by using quill and ink. One of the more successful images of the week.
vain, crazy or both
This past week I have spent my evenings doing a self portrait course. So yes maybe I am vain, crazy or both. Inspired by Van Gogh and the fact I always have this subject available to practice on, I enrolled at City Lit. Thomas Gosebruch was the lovely teacher and he really pushed us to experiment with many different techniques for creating a self portrait. I ended up really enjoying myself after finding it uncomfortable and difficult for the the first half of the Tuesday night(this I realise is a pattern in my learning). Over the next few days I will share some of the self portraits.
Self Portait: Monotype created with block printing ink and my left hand.
So call me vain, crazy or both.
x
mouths and realisations
Yesterday I spent the day at a drawing workshop on mouths at the National Gallery. Taking inspiration from the greats, looking at how artists treated mouths through the ages. I have included the page of studies I did for the first half of the day. I had magic moment at lunch when I realised, I can draw.
Drawing is something I have really struggled with for years and this year I decided to tackle it. Starting with drawing for many days over the Christmas break, then drawing every morning in January, taking 3 drawing courses....and yesterday I was really shocked that I have almost reached a foundation level. Without looking I have reached the first stage of my goal.
I still have a way to go to get to a standard that won't hold me back. My aim for drawing is that I have a level that won't hinder my creative expression of drafting paintings and creations that I want to pursue. It is like learning a new language you want to be able to hold a decent conversation.
This also leads to me to another realisation, sometimes I need to use my mouth more with my friends. When I am unsure, when things feel weird talk about it so it doesn't have to go for months when you imagine all sorts of things. Speak up in the beginning to prevent it growing into something it was never meant to be. I am very privileged to have the most amazing friends and I don't what to mess it up by not sharing and forgetting to use my mouth.
more prints
here is another print that is based on my collagraphs plates with etching ink and using a great big press at City Lit.
I loved Oliver last night it was so great to see a big musical that had all the magic that I remember from first seeing Cats when I was 10. We we sitting in the rafters but it was still so great and I will be singing the songs for days.
reminding me of home
When I was experimenting with collagraphs the outputs and the colours I was getting reminded me of Australia. So I focused on that intent and the development of the prints came to be all about Australia's colour and textures.
In terms of the process this is a different version, before I ripped the collagraph plates into pieces.
it is July
I can't believe how quickly this year is flying, time is getting quicker I am sure. After a four Sundays of Printmaking I have had some positive results on the last day. I have focused on Collagraphs as I have been super inspired by Collagraphs & Mixed-Media Printmaking by Brenda Hartill and Richard Clarke a book I discovered at the Tate Modern.
Weekends full with drawing and printing has fast forwarded time, I have now realised I am in July where I have Lawrence home so there will a little more life and a little less art. We are off to see the musical Oliver tonight to see Rowan Atkinson and try not to think of him as Mr Bean. A fun way to spend a Monday night in London.
