I'm at 'extreme poses' with Robin up in the ropes.
I'm totally relaxed and have no plans for the session ahead.
Robin explores each pose and holds each pose for 30 minutes.
Intensity-Challege-Unexpectedness-Lets' go for it-We will surprise ourselves.
This was a good morning.
Rachel is a new model for us at 'extreme poses' at Pegasus Art in Stroud.
And a new model sets up problems for the artist.
There is no doubt that time is required to establish the dialogue between artist and model. The model needs to feel comfortable in the new situation, and the artist needs to engage with the personality of the model in order to gain insights beyond the model as object.
My first drawings exhibits my frustration of not knowing who I was drawing. The pencil digs deeply into the paper, marks are heavy, and reflective time is absent from the mark-making process.
The two feet were approached with a quieter attitude. I sharpened the points of my HB pencils and held them lightly at their ends.
Then the final pose of the morning: I felt compelled to respond to the whole pose. Fortunately Rachel positioned herself so that from my location in the studio I had this amazing perspective pose, with a foot advancing toward me, her body bounding into the distance, and her leg and arm introducing verticals into the composition. I elected to explore this pose in my linear technique but decided some tonal work was essential. For the tonal work I used charcoal which I spread with my fingers.
This is my final selection for my contribution to the "Life As We See It" exhibition at Taurus Crafts at Lydney, Gloucestershire, starting with a private view at 2.00pm on Saturday, May 3rd, until Sunday May 18th.
I believe they are illustrative of three directions in my recent work, and their commonality is: drawing with pencil, drawng with two hands equally and simultaneously, drawing which distinguishes between 'squiggle' and a 'linear' mark-making, and drawing which fundamentally explores 'tone' and 'shape'.
I'm posting just one drawing from today.
It was not a good day.
My blog is a diary. I post all my work with few exceptions. I want my blog to recall my life-drawing journey. The ups and the downs.
But today I struggled.
So here is my initial engagement with Theo, and all the other pieces have consigned to the paper recycling bag.
Theo will be back next Tuesday. I hope to be back also.
This morning I simply enjoyed myself. No plan, no expectation. It was good!
The same pose as last Tuesday but from two different positions in the studio. I'm paying a bit more attention to including some background tonal drawing but not really getting very far with it. Must persevere.
The exhibition by those who attend Angela Palmer's class in Brockweir in the Wye Valley starts on May 3rd.
Here are the three drawings which at the moment I believe best illustrate (from my Brockweir work) where I am on my life-drawing journey, so it is these I will put on display.
In summary:
-drawn with two hands simultaneously
-the approach of a tonalist
-surreal: not representational, but asking questions
-cubist: gaining insights from more than one viewpoint
-morphism: creating something greater or different to the sum of the parts
To these I would add degrees of ambiguity and inuendo.
To start with Abigail did four quick poses, about 5 to 7 minutes each.
Then on to the main pose which we will have again next Tuesday also.
However, today I attended for the morning only, and elected to spend my time on the one drawing. So I didn't rush, and concentrated on the composition, the journey for the beholder's along the diagonal, and on such issues as backgound tone alongside highlighted body and silhouet against a light background. How to include background is something I intend to address over the coming weeks.
Now, it is natural for me to draw with both hands, simultaneously and both contributing equally. It has become my natural way to draw.
