observational drawing at Lytham Library

Jane:  11th November 2015

Monica:  1st October 2015

Wednesdays, 2 & 9 December, 1.30 - 3pm at Lytham Library.

All abilities welcome.

Bring your preferred drawing material or borrow mine!

This is in addition to morning Art Circle sessions.

Lytham Flag Festival & Yarn Bombing 2016

Art Circle Lytham and Art Circle St Annes will be taking part.

  

More details can be found on Lytham Arts Festival website - below gives you an idea of what's happening.  

"The festival aims to bring together local schools, community groups, businesses and residents to celebrate all that is great about Lytham. It is an opportunity for you to promote yourselves by creating a bright and bold flag that will be flown in Lytham throughout the festival 13th - 27th February and then will be yours to keep for future events.

We are able to provide you with a 3 x 2 ft plain coloured flag and some extra material  for you to create your own special design. We will put up and take down your flag so there is no cost to you.

There is a Flag Festival Launch presentation planned for this Saturday 28th November at Park View Eco Pod at 2pm. Here we will discuss flag making methods and you can sign up for free workshops on printing with natural materials and sewing techniques that will be held in January 2016.

Printing using natural materials

Saturday 16th January 10am -12 and 2pm -4pm

Sewing and Stitching

Sunday 17th January 10am - 12 and 2pm - 4pm

During the festival we are also planning a Yarn Bombing art installation and we are asking for contributions of knitting or crochet work to help with the project. Knitted squares, animals and especially knitted hearts (the festival falls during valentines) would be most appreciated (add a name tag with your name so we can thank you and mention you on Twitter and Facebook) Knitting contributions can be dropped off at Lytham Library."

music, 'magination, magic...

Thinking about trees, snowflakes & ice crystals in preparation for our Christmas "Cards" for Lytham & St Annes Libraries.

the task was to:  create a 3 dimensional object using and perhaps being inspired by printed music

Interesting outputs, not least a change of direction for St Annes Library's card (watch this space...).

Tommy

Angie

Monica

Betty

Brenda

Ray

Jane

Jonti

Monica

Well done everyone!

naked still life

A tree, not even a complete tree - in six weeks time it will be decorated with the memories and glitz of family Christmases - this week, it has a starring role as a still life.

our task:  capture qualities of the tree that attract you  

measured drawing, colour, shape or something else...

Monica:  inspired by news that countries are raising fences
 to keep Syrian refuges out and the spikiness of the branches
Barbed wire branches hold a single red object.

Angie:  exploring how to depict the light at the top of the tree

Brenda

Eil:  (work in progress) double helix / kundalini, swirling energy

Janette:  combining collage and cut-out techniques

Jane

Jonti

  

Ray

Tommy

Some stunning work.  You continue to astound me - very well done!

gardens: ancient Egyptian style

We looked at aspects of the art that decorates tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt.  

These, according to EH Gombrich in "The Story of Art" were based on knowledge.  The "artists" were artisans or highly skilled craftspeople who carefully followed traditional methods to depict people, stories and objects.  

The familiar image of a person (image below), in this case Hesire from a wooden door in his tomb shows a profile of his head with the eye as we would see it looking from the front.  His shoulders and torso are also seen as viewed from the front yet the legs, feet arms and objects are shown in profile.  It's thought this was to enable all his body and possessions to be with him in the afterlife.  This style shouldn't be confused with lack of skill.  

Hesire c 2778 - 2723 BC:  carving on wooden door, h 45"
Egyptian Museum, Cairo

   

Ancient Egyptian Gardens were also depicted in the way their components were usually viewed which gives a strange combination of profile, frontal and bird's eye view points.

The Garden of Nebamun c 1400 BC:
wall painting from tomb in Thebes 25" x 29"
British Museum, London

This was the starting point for our task.

Using line and colour, create a garden, ancient Egyptian style. 

Art Circle work is shown below.

• Gardens often contained a rectangular or T-shaped pool & were enclosed by walls 
• Around the pool could be fig, palm, sycamore, pomegranate, nut and jujube [dates] trees
• Sometimes arbours of grapevines circled the outer edges of the garden. 
• Flowers would be in beds or pots lining paths. 
• Flower beds tended to be in solid colours and contained cornflowers, poppies, papyrus, daisies, roses, irises, jasmine, ivy, henna and herbs.  

Plants were grown for medicinal purposes as well as for decoration, perfume & wreaths for festivals & worship.  The garden was a place for; quiet and privacy; shade from the heat of the day; entertaining guests and family gatherings.

Adapted from women & the garden

Angie

Brenda

Christine

Eil

Jane:  in progress

Jane:  finished piece

Jean

Jonti

Monica

Tommy

Well done everyone!