"empty" spaces tell a story - part 2: letting the space speak

Derrick

Dorothy

 

Monica

Will

Christine

Mike

Mike:  cropped 

The following images paved the way for two above.

Monica:  learning 1

Will:  learning 1  

"empty" spaces tell a story - part 1: filling the void

Last week we made drawings from a still life comprising of crown green bowls.  Towards the end of the session, it was questioned whether the "empty" space around the subject should be shaded in.  Rather than try to explain what would happen if it was shaded in, I thought we would be experimental this week and find out.

The still life we worked from comprised of apples.  [Those observant folk amongst you will spot a similarity to last week's subject.]  The still life was drawn at the top of the paper allowing plenty of "empty" space below it.  Where necessary, a horizontal line was added to enable the paper to be divided into two.  [see first image below]

The "empty" space could then be filled either by drawing or adding images cut from a magazine.  As the session progressed everyone went their own way from this starting point.

The results demonstrate how an "empty" space, once filled can have a huge impact on the original drawing.  I say "empty" rather than empty because these spaces can be as important as the drawing itself.  A space in a composition brings its own narrative to the work.  more on this next week...

Lots of learning took place.  The experimental work is below - some with surprising results.

Very well done everyone:  as usual, you rose to the challenge! 

Christine:  demo page

Derrick

Derrick

Dorothy

Dorothy

Dorothy

Dorothy

Mike

Mike

Mike

Monica

Monica

Monica

Monica

Monica

Monica

Monica

Myra

Myra

Will

Will

Will

a warm up & bowling bowls

In celebration of my bowling team winning the league cup (Hoorah!), I decided a set of bowls would make the perfect still life!

Before we began everyone was asked to draw the subject quickly, using biro with their "wrong" hands.  Then to repeat using their "right" hands:  in this case everyone used their right hand except me - my "right" hand was left...

We then went on to make drawings using pencil.

The sometimes quirky but lovely results are below.

Very well done everyone!

Next week we will use craft knives and a cutting board.  If you have them, could you bring them please. 

Dorothy "wrong" hand

Dorothy right hand

Myra "wrong" hand

Myra right hand

Derrick "wrong" hand

Derrick right hand

Christine right/wrong hand

Christine left/right hand

Myra - cropped. 
Beautiful, strong mark making Myra - well done!

Myra

Dorothy

Derrick

Christine:  demo page

Fairhaven, stories, songs & sunshine

What a lovely way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday. I went down to Fairhaven where The Fairhaven Story Stall was set up. Sophia Hatfield aka Stute Theatre, ably accompanied by Patrick Bridgman performed stories of Fairhaven and the Fylde, collected and re-imagined by Sophia.

They were brilliant and all enhanced by an incredibly clever set designed by Cath Ford aka Cath in the Attic.

Loved it! I was so engrossed in the performance it hadn't occurred to me to take photos until half way through so... sorry no image of the regatta, water ski pyramid, a pirate adventure or the effective way of making a boat out of a bow & violin!

Commissioned by Fylde Council funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our Lady Star of the Sea, Art Group: narrative & expressions in portraits

We started by looking at the Marilyn Diptych by Andy Warhol, The Scream of Nature by Edvard Munch and Myra by Marcus Harvey.  Through these images, we took time to explore narrative, process and emotion in portraiture.

We then considered the work of Nick Park and his characters Wallace & Gromit.  Amazingly one member of the group had met him and another walked by his studio in Manchester each day when he was a boy - it's a small world!

Nick Park used a mirror to practise the expressions of his characters so, as in all good learning practises, we copied the approach.

Using a schematic to help place the features, mirrors & images from newspapers, we had a go at drawing different expressions.

The brilliant work follows - very well done everyone!

Today was our last session.  

Thank you for making me feel so welcome.  Your work has come on in leaps and bounds and lots of learning has been done too!  Keep up the excellent work.