I had another productive week in the studio. I primarily focused on people sitting, adding bits of furniture now and then. My favourite is drawing ladies in salon chairs – I did tons of them. I also did lots of friends and family, which was a lot of fun.
Towards the end of the week I started drawing contraptions. I love a good contraption…who doesn’t! The last image is a Heath Robinson (the king of contraptions) inspired one. I bought a Heath Robison book during the week, and when it arrives, I plan to draw one of his contraptions each day, to build up my contraption-component lexicon, with the hope that I can eventually draw fabulous one’s of my own.
After going out for 41/2 years, it suddenly dawned on my fella and I that in all that time we haven’t spent a day together where he’s chosen the day’s activities. This isn’t by fiat, rather a default position that goes something like this.
Me: What do you fancy doing today?
Fella: Whatever you fancy.
Me: Ok, lets go to a cemetery, stop off at a bog (as in sodden peat-rich ground, not loo), and visit a magic well.
Fella: Sure thing Kiwi Fruit (note how he separates the words).
This meant only one thing. It was high time for Geoff Chooseday. And what, with his new found power, did he choose? Not being waited on hand and foot and a Star Wars marathon (as I suspected). No, he chose making me breakfast (a nomelette to be precise, which is an extra tasty omelette), trimming the hedge (with me helping), and hosting a barbeque for our respective parents. He made a lot of people happy with his choosing, not just himself, cause that’s the kind of fella he is. Sure, it was no well visit, but our hedge looks amazing!
I had another enjoyable and productive week in the studio. This week I focused on drawing people sitting (a few examples below). I also bought some new watercolour paints (I use a Japanese brand called Kuretake), so was able to change the palette. The new paints are a range of blacks, which give the various colours a lovely muted tone, as seen the last 5 images. The paper I am using at this stage is just cartridge, hence why the paint looks a bit streaky. Still, it’s a lovely treat to add a bit of colour to the drawings, and it gives me my painting fix.
I turned a corner this week with my sketching, and feel like I made real progress. The best part is, I am really enjoying drawing now. Not only is it much easier now, but I also really like the results.
The previous week I mostly drew people from behind, which is a great way to start when drawing figures. This week I started drawing people in profile and from the front, as well as people sitting. I also graduated from using other people’s sketches as a reference, to using photographs. Using sketches is a good place to start, as you can see where to put the marks. Photos are slightly harder, but the results are more original. My favourite thing is drawing friends and family.
I am aware that illustration could be a distraction at the moment, so I am being disciplined in my approach to keep moving my drawing forward, so I can use it in my figurative paintings. I’m so thrilled with my progress so far, and feel very hopeful for the paintings I have in mind.
Below are just some of the many the sketches I did this week.
After 3 frustrating weeks at my self-imposed drawing school, I finally turned a corner this week. Not only am I enjoying drawing, but I am starting to like the results. A few changes helped facilitate my new found enjoyment.
I switched from pencil to pen, which means no more fussing about lines, and rubbing out the ones I don’t like. Once a line is down, that’s it, I have to live with it. This alone makes drawing more relaxing and enjoyable, plus, I think errant lines add to the character of a drawing.
I switched from using other people’s sketches as a reference to using photographs. While using sketches is a great place to start (as you can see where to put individual lines), there’s no satisfaction in the result, because the drawing is not really yours.
Once I began drawing from photographs I was able to start drawing friends and family, which makes me very happy.
One of the people I love to draw the most is my mum, I think because her lovely personality comes out in the drawings.
Sitting in the gardenOff to see AngelaEnjoying a pub meal
Of all the drawings I did this week, my favourite is of my fella when he won the Isle of Man Field Archery Championship. Sure I made him 6’3″, but I think I did a pretty good job nonetheless.
Since my corner-turn, I can’t stop drawing. All my sketch pads are filling up, and when I walk down the street, I keep seeing people I’d like to draw. It’s such a relief that I actually enjoy drawing, as well as show some aptitude for it, as it would be impossible to make the paintings I have in mind without it. I have big plans for my drawing, so I still have a long way to go, but the progress I made this week makes me hopeful. Of course, the biggest win is that I enjoy it.
Another frustrating week in the studio. I tried to spend most of it drawing, to varying degrees of success. Though, towards the end of the week, I began doing these little pen and watercolour sketches. Using pen means your committed to the lines you make, which can lead to less fussy drawing and which I think ultimately adds character. For some reason I seem to have a knack for old ladies. they are definitely my favourite type of person to draw. I’ll keep doing these for a while.
Painting
No.103No.104No.105
I also did a little bit of painting; mostly developing the lace/water technique and playing around with colour. I am really loving the addition of brown, as in no.105.
I decided to spend the week drawing – above are some of the results. These aren’t really the types of figures or faces I would have in a painting, but they are good practice. I’m trying not to get attached to the outcome of an individual drawing, but rather see them as exercises to get more fluid and confident with drawing. Hopefully, by the time I come to put figures in my paintings at the end of the summer, the drawing practice/discipline will pay off.
Friday 7th July – Sunday 9th July
No.98No.99No.100No.101No.102
I thought it would be nice to take a break from drawing for the weekend, and work on developing the lace detailing, trying different designs and techniques etc. I love no.99/100, adding the vertical lines of dots really enhances the overall design. I love this kind of painting. I’m not that keen on the more formal/balanced designs of no.98/101 (I prefer the more free-form design of No.99/100/102). Although No.102 isn’t finished yet, I like where it is going. I think this technique will be a good way to represent water underground.
That’s the conclusion my fella reached after I sent him the 5th video of my family of choughs (Kylie & Jason and their kids, Harold and Izzy) sitting on the foghorn. To be fair, they are freaking adorable – just look at Harold and Izzy peeping over the edge!
I also sent him several photos depicting different angles of my latest beach-rock find, which, according to a local expert (that expert being our friend Debbie, who likes a rock or two), is actually a fossil.
Isn’t it a beauty! I was beyond thrilled when I found it. I absolutely love spirals, and this one is glorious. The fact that it came from the sea makes it even more special. The spiral is the Celtic symbol for the sea, and I can’t help thinking if a local Celt had been walking on Cranstal beach 3000 years ago, and found this same rock, they would’ve been just as thrilled as me, and probably would’ve picked it up and taken it home too. And who knows, they may have even thought it held special meaning (as I also do), if not magical powers (a bridge to far for me, though you never know).
It had to happen sooner or later, I’m back on the Weight Watchers. Rock bottom this time was yesterday’s breakfast.
I spent most of my studio hours this week drawing. I don’t enjoy drawing as much as a I do painting, but not drawing limits what you can paint, so I am trusting the effort will be worth it. I mostly drew people, my favourite of which were a bunch of old ladies, a man-baby, and some buxom women who are perhaps not averse to cake and ice cream for breakfast either.
As a treat, I resumed painting this weekend, developing the lace-like technique I want to use in the paintings for my course project. I was happy with the results, and really enjoyed the process.
No.88 – A few strange paintings this week, including this one.
Tuesday, 27th June
No.89No.90
No.89 – I really like this one, especially the way the image is suspended and emerges from the darkness.
No.90 This was a struggle, especially the shell-like casing on the back of the bug. I got there eventually and really like the result, although the image as a whole is a bit too static.
Wednesday, 28th June
No.91aNo.91bNo.91c
No.91 – I tried this fellow with various backgrounds. With the last one, I used middle-grey, as in film/photography, and although the colours are truer, I still prefer a black background.
Thursday, 29th June
No.92
No.92 – An experiment with a figure. It gives me hope that if I keep practicing my figures over the summer, I could have some really interesting paintings. Here I used a fashion model as a reference for the body – I love the stance.
Friday, 30th June
No.93
No.93 Experimenting with colour here. I like the colour of the thing the bird is standing on, and think that’s probably as blue as I should go for these paintings. Not as keen on the light blue in the bird. I think I’ll keep blue I use in these paintings to a minimum – less is more. For example, in the painting above, I used blue for the woman’s eyes, and a tiny bit to the right of her shoulder and feet. That’s enough.
Sunday, 2nd July
No.94
No.94 – Obviously, I didn’t make the decision about blue for these paintings until after I painted this. I do like the colour of the hare, just not so much of it. I love the colour of the owl, which has a hint of Indian yellow. The little dots in his wings is sufficient blue.
I have called some unique places home – a Kombi van, a disused ugg boot factory, a broom closet in a rundown theatre – but nothing compares to the one-of-kind magnificence of Anam Cara. I am utterly in love with this place and would gladly sell my soul for it. Unfortunately, no one’s in the market for a slightly jaded, long in the tooth ephemeral essence, so I won’t be possessing it anytime soon. Not that anyone can really possess a place like Anam Cara, it belongs to the sea, and the sea is coming for it. That’s what makes it such a beguiling place to live, its fragility in the face of the big blue wobbly thing.
Although I’d dearly like to stay here until I’m a little old-biddy without a tooth or sensible thought in my head (or until the wobbly thing is lapping at the front door, whichever comes first), it doesn’t belong to me, so I have to content myself with my apportioned time, which I’m thrilled to report has been extended for another year. That my apportioned time has coincided with doing my masters is a remarkable confluence of my heart’s desire, and I can’t ask for better than that!
It’s been a productive week in the studio. I finally started drawing figures, and discovered that the best time to draw them is when I am talking to my dearest friend, Lauren, in Australia.
I also managed a figure painting this week. I particularly like the stance, which was referenced from a fashion model picture I found. It’s not perfect, but I like most of it enough to not meddle with it. It’s a good start, and gives me hope that if I keep practicing my figures over the summer, I’ll likely have some really good paintings at the end of it.
You can always tell when I’m stressed, cause I eat sugar and draw cats. This week Geoff and I have been in negotiations to buy Anam Cara, consequently, I ate a fuck-ton of sugar, and here are my cats (except for the first which is a horse).
Monday, 20th June
No.83
No.83 – here I am experimenting with building up the picture with see-through layers. I really like the look of this technique.
Tuesday, 20th June
No.84
No.84 – I absolutely love this painting, it’s one of my favourite of this series so far. I like all the different elements in it, and think it is a style that could lend itself to storytelling. I especially love the flying cat. The addition to this painting, that distinguishes it from the previous ones, is the use of pencil outlines. I really like the effect.
Wednesday, 21 June
No.85
No.85 – from here on the paintings this week seemed to devolve into frantic doodles, on account of the stress. Still, I love cats so much that I really like this and the following paintings.
Thursday, 22nd June
No.86
No.86 – a negotiation faceoff if ever I saw one. We lost this round, but we’re not defeated yet.
Friday, 23rd June
No.87
No.87 – I love this little scaredy-cat.
Sunday, 25th July
No.88
No.88 – this painting illustrates the fact that losing Anam Cara and owning Anam Cara are terrifying in equal measure. It’s been a very hard week in the studio, with lots of internal disquiet and external distractions. However, looking back over the paintings I produced, I can see some real progress, in terms of style and storytelling possibilities, so it definitely wasn’t time wasted.
bexODESSA 