negative space, brightness & snow

Working from a folded book made in Art Circle last year, we utilised the negative shape around it to draw it.  We then set our drawings in a landscape leaving parts of the paper white to depict brightness or snow.   

Mabel pushed the task further by creating a drawing that was made complete when placed next to a mirror.

Brilliant work everyone!

Mabel

Mabel (detail)

Angie

Mike

Christine

 

Dorothy

Monica

negative spaces & the Turner Prize

Rachel Whiteread was the first woman to win the Turner Prize back in 1993, nine years after it started.  Whiteread is known for making sculptures from negative spaces:  the space beneath chairs, the space inside baths & sinks, the space inside a Victorian House...  She makes tangible, absences and by doing so we're left with the impression of a ghost or trace of what wasn't there to start with.

"House" 1993 - 94 Grove Rd Bow London

"House" 1993 - 94 Grove Rd Bow London

Untitled (One-Hundred Spaces) 1995 resin, 100 units, dimensions variable

Monument, 2001
Resin and granite
354 5/16 x 200 13/16 x 94 1/2 inches (900 x 510 x 240 cm)

Installation at Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom

We looked at negative spaces and drew chairs using this approach.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera so empty spaces here, instead of images of our work!

This year's Turner Prize is announced on 5th December.  I'm rooting for Lubaina Himid not only the first person over 60 to be nominated but a Preston based artist too.

Lubaina Himid
Naming the Money 2004
Installation view of Navigation Charts, Spike Island, Bristol 2017
Courtesy of the artist, Hollybush Gardens, and National Museums, Liverpool
Photo: Stuart Whipps

something from the weekend...

I had the pleasure of drawing with friends & colleagues last Saturday, 11 November. 
Examples a couple of my pieces are below.  

These were made using water soluble, blue charcoal.  The first with white added & blended and the second (last image) using water & then working into it again using the colour.  I worked with an eraser too, on both, which allowed me to build up the layers.

Great fun - the day flew by.  Apologies to Curious Minds for the mess - I think we managed to clean it all - and many thanks to Bernie for organising the day.

 

colour: Mondrian & Rothko

We looked at the work of Piet Mondrian & Mark Rothko; their interest in spirituality and their use of colour.  We reminded ourselves of the colour wheel and the solar spectrum then...

The Task

create a grid on A4 paper

fill selected squares / rectangles with mini colour fields

if necessary, re-draw the vertical & horizontal lines 

Well done everyone particularly Stuart who was outside his comfort zone & Monica who was this weeks star baker ⭐.

Next week, we'll tackle something more figurative.

Angie

Mabel

Monica 1

Monica 2 ⭐

Stuart (uncompleted)

Stuart (A4)

colour: sound and composition

Another extraordinary week!

We started by reminding ourselves of the colour wheel and different approaches to mixing colour using coloured pencils.  Then we looked at the solar spectrum and its relationship to music and sound.

Task
Using prepared A4 paper that had sheet music added
draw a musical instrument from the still life
add colour to depict the sound the instrument makes

Some finished pieces were then cropped using my magic corners.
The fab results follow...

Dorothy (cropped)

Dorothy

Mabel

Stuart

Stuart (detail)

Monica (detail)

Monica (detail)

Monica

Mike

Angie (detail)

colour: contrasts and containment

Still working with colour, we looked at using a printed image from a magazine and adding a contrasting border to contain it.  Our interest was primarily with colour although surface pattern and perspective slipped into the work made. 

As the drawings progressed, individuals styles started to emerge which always makes me happy.  

Well done everyone!  If I was going to have a star baker student this week, it would be Stuart who had begun to be more adventurous - brill.

Next week, we work on the paper we prepared this week.  I'll have spares too, if anyone would like to join us.  Space is limited so please email me.

demo page

Mabel

Mike

Monica

Stuart