Mark making - gently erasing

Birch wood, graphite, gesso, electric sander...

Mark making magic!

Sketchbook - a familiar place

I didn't do too badly with my 'sketch a day' challenge. I limited the challenge to the school holiday, knowing that with the best will in the world I would not get out every day once the organised chaos of the school year started. Over the 6 week hols I missed just two days, and only twice had to take shelter from the rain to draw, although some days I had to time my drawing quite carefully!

As the days went by I found myself returning to a couple of spots to draw more than once. It became an intriguing thing to do, what would I look for on each occasion?

This is a familiar place that I drew 4 times, the sketches are starting to provide a much fuller picture than my photographs can...

surface

structure

 

focal point

 

light

Changes in light and mood, the influence of the weather, building memory. Building blocks for future work.

 

 

Altered Map Book

I've been invited to join an Altered Book group; a lovely way to broaden ideas.
My book has been made out of old ordnance survey maps ... an 'Altered Map' maybe... there's another idea there...

front cover details

 

page 1

page 1 - detail

mark making,

tracking,

making marks,

tracing,

leaving marks

 

page 2 - purely experimental

exploring,

experimenting,

layering marks,

creating marks,

experimark

 

page 2 - detail

This book is on its way to the next artist, can't wait to see what I get to work on next...

Cornish sketchbook - Rock structures

When I am on the coast I am drawn mostly to the rocks, the intricate ways in which the sea worn stone fits together and the way that the stone forms shapes against and within the cliff faces.



When I went to Cornwall this time I had just read a snippet about
deciding what you want to draw before you start.
It sounds so obvious, but deciding that the seam in the rock leading to this little 'cave'
was what I wanted to focus on let me concentrate on the key forms without adding too
much unnecessary detail and shading.

All these sketches were made on Kennack Sands, where the dog was allowed...

Sometimes its easier to settle to a drawing if you're comfortable,
a chair does mean you can get your angle right,
and there is somewhere to hang your coat in the changeable August weather!
I wonder if makers of this chair realise that their drink holder
 on the arm makes a perfect artists pencil holder...

Cornish sketchbook - Headlands

Our Cornish summer visit took us to the Lizard Peninsula, a lovely area, a lot quieter than much of Cornwall, and excellent drawing potential. I kept up the sketch a day ambition, and only lost one day when we were travelling.

This is a series of the sketches looking out towards headlands...

Chynhallis Point, from Coverack

Looking back to Chynhallis Point, from the west



Kennack Bay, drawn very quickly with waves crashing into the sea wall where I sat
I like the speedy nature of the marks which gave greater accuracy

From Kynance Cove, looking towards the Lizard

Tremenheere sculpture gardens

We've been away for a couple of lovely weeks in Cornwall - pretty good weather and wonderful scenery...particularly at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens (near Gulval, Penzance).  These gardens are open to the public at weekends but are still in the development stages. Only 4 other visitors were there when we visited, in August! - Bliss.

However - a swish visitor centre is being built, so visit soon if you want to see a treat in the making.

the woodland walk up to the high ground

View of St Michael's Mount from the entrance to
the James Turrell skyspace at the top of the gardens

View to the sky from the beautiful oval of the Turrell skyspace

The David Nash sculpture is hidden away but worth the search

A sketch a day...

The summer holidays are here and there will be loads of opportunities for sketching ... if I am motivated enough to take full advantage. So with Anthony Gormley's words ringing in my ears:

"A day passed without drawing is a day lost"

I have armed myself with new sketchbooks and treated myself with a trip to my local fantastic art shop, Pegasus Arts, for some new materials which are crying out to be drawn with.

An ambitious collection of sketchbooks?

Off the starting blocks...

So far so good, I haven't lost a day yet. There will inevitably be some lost days, ambition is one thing but real life tends to also happen. I'll just try and lose as few days as possible, and then post some results.