Workshop at the LAC

Earlier this month I facilitated a workshop at the Leighton Art Centre:

Ink and Twig Drawing

The workshop was meant to take place during the run of "just turn your head a little" exhibition, but due to snowy March weather it was delayed. 

This turned out for the best, since September is actually a perfect time of year to gather twigs and plant stems to draw with.

We began in the classroom, but soon moved out onto the large deck.

How lovely to work outdoors in the warm September sunshine!

I brought in various types of papers in big sheets and pads (because why work small when you're exploring materials, right?):

crystal clear wet-media Duralar

a roll of "mystery plastic" upon which the wet ink beaded for some cool effects

translucent Vellum paper

140lb watercolour paper

100lb bright white Bristol paper

80lb Mayfair drawing paper

a large yellow-toned Manilla drawing paper pad

We also used the protective tissue sheets that come with the Duralar.

Mark-making possibilities are limited only by the vast array of natural drawing materials available outdoors, coupled with one's imagination!

Drawing, stamping, dilution of ink, wet and dry paper, oil crayon rubbings and resists... and a spray bottle comes in handy too.

It was terrific fun to work with a group of adults and kids together.

I was impressed with the levels of openness to exploration, creative risk, and imaginative play of everyone who attended.

Below, one of my demo pieces, photographed next day in my studio:

I was able to make a few portraits of the kids as well.

Clockwise from top: 

ink + twig on vellum

ink + twig on wetted bristol

ink + twig on duralar

ink + crayon and tape resist on watercolour paper.

Below, the duralar drawing laid on top of the other drawings:

 

Kinda cool, hey  :)

sketchbook : integuments

exploring the possibilities of oil stick blender

with various drawing media

oil paint marker and China marker (similar to litho crayon)

graphite pencil

the book begins to develop character

"Mobile" sketches

Yesterday was all-day, all-in studio.

I was planning to stretch a canvas

and try drawing with oil sticks on it

but I felt too lazy to do all that prep work

and I've been feeling ambiguous about canvas lately anyway

So I cleaned up the studio a bit, and found a pad of bond paper

very lightweight, translucent, and acid-free

and drew on that instead with the oil sticks

plus a bit of oil medium with brushes & a rag to smudge

and: kapow!

I have used these very materials in my portrait books with excellent results (of the materials if not the image at times, haha). However, this bond paper is somewhat different from the various sketchbooks' papers, so just to be on the safe side I will wait a few weeks to see if the oil medium bleeds and/or stains, before going forward with this particular process.  Testing, always testing.

Regardless of the long-term outcome of this particular little body of work, I must say it was a fantastic studio day, very energized and leaving me feeling full of possibility.  Really, I just love drawing, in whatever form.

Now today is errands: tending to the ever-burgeoning garden, mowing the lawn, dealing with a bit of laundry, hitting up the library for more books and picking up groceries on the way home.  Maybe I'll even make dinner!

Ambitious, huh?

:)

Progressions

Hello again!

First off, I'd like to share a few exhibitions and other events which I'm feeling excited about, in my most recent newsletter.  

And now on to some of my studio explorations.

At the encouragement of a friend, a couple of months ago I was playing around with watercolours, perhaps my least favourite painting medium.  *laughs*

First attempt: rather heavy-handed, 

although the silver bits are alluring.

Second attempt: getting better perhaps.  With gold bits!

Perhaps in a previous life I was a magpie...

Third attempt: actually managing a bit of transparency.

No metallic bits, though  :=(

I used w/c tube paints, and also w/c crayons and Inktense pencils.  Although I enjoyed exploring the materials, I've not picked up the watercolours since these attempts.  Perhaps in future I'll give them another go.

Last month I went on a field trip to the Weaselhead Flats with 42 third-grade students, 3 teachers and 5 adult chaperones.  It was a wonderful field trip, and I completely forgot to take any photos of the charcoal drawings we did after our nature hike!  The kids - and adults too - seemed to really enjoy the various charcoal techniques I showed them.

"Who knew you could do all that with the lowly black stick?"

*laughs*  oh the delightful eye-openings.

My own sketches were made from this tree,

on the hillside above the river near our house.

The kids and having fun with shadows at Weaselhead Flats.

Back in the studio, I'd been itching for a bit of oil painting, so I pulled out some small paintings made long ago on MDF panels cut to various sizes, no two alike.

First colour layers over the old paintings.

Laid them in a drawer to dry out of the way

Subsequent colour layers.

Maybe finished, maybe not.

Remember the Fragile Planets work I made a couple of years ago?  There were some extra plates & prints, and I've been thinking whether they might be worth framing.  Here, playing around with random materials... not sure I like this aesthetic though.  Candace Larsen at CKG may have some better ideas.

So, there you have some of the "other work" I get into, besides the stuff that makes it to the galleries & exhibitions.  What fun, eh?  

I love being an artist, and am so grateful that I'm able to spend my time this way.

Thanks as always for reading my blog posts!

Three trees

Today, with happy anticipation,
I am leaving for Moose Jaw, SK.

Going to visit a few artist friends.

Last week, using charcoal,

I made three drawings of

one tree along the river.

in the blue book: 110lb paper, 6x9"

I like this last one the best :)

Exhibition: CHROMA at CKG

A few of my newest paintings will be included in this exhibition.

Click here for more info.

I'm feeling quite excited about my practice these days.  Feels like I've broken through some barriers, and the work is really beginning to flow.  It's so important to be persistent, even when it takes years to develop an idea.  Being able to teach children's art classes buys me the time I need to be patient with my studio practice.  I'm feeling grateful for the turns my life has taken.

Speaking of teaching, today I go with two Grade 3 classes to the Weaselhead Conservations Area, where we will go on a guided nature hike, and then do some sketching before heading back to the school.  I've got a couple of fun charcoal techniques up my sleeve :)

Looking forward!

Work in progress (1)

Working on this large painting yesterday and today:

drawn out and a bit of colour added

The process has got to feeling almost the same as working in my sketchbooks... a similar immediacy, although, of course, taking a bit longer to paint a large canvas than a wee page in a book.

background colour: everything left on my palette plus white

I worked until late last night, and was straight away this morning back at it.  My appreciation and love for my job is at a high point lately.

with a bit of darker patterning

This painting measures 31.5 x 62 inches, and I'm still composing them with my eyes closed.  Amazingly, this has not gotten boring yet.  At least, not for me ;-)

and then a bit more colour added

I'd say this is likely quite close to being finished.  It needs to sit awhile before the final bits.  Therefore I've just begun another, and had lunch while making this blog post, and now off I go back to the studio.

Bon voyage!