Art Class at Vanda's

Great class at the Granary.  http://www.vandacampbell.com . I was a bit out of sorts driving up, drifting into negative thoughts about historical slights, of which I have many.  Class was just what I needed!  

We started by looking at an artwork of our own choice, from the last few weeks.  I chose one of my cleaning fluid bottles.

Cleaning bottle

Class was about identifying one's own expertise and playing to it as a strength.  Lots of us struggled with associating the words 'self' to 'expertise'.    We were told to get on with it!  

My strengths, as demonstrated in this drawing: 

Bold gestures; 

drawing with credit card; 

one bright colour linked to black; 

speed of execution; 

contrast of bold and delicate lines/marks.

Then we added our own views to each others lists.  

My expertise as seen by others:

Fragmentation; seeing beauty in the mundane; 

indicative and use of colours; 

narrative; 

mark making; 

suggestion; 

less is more; 

space; simplify; 

brush marks.

Vanda gave out A1 sheets of paper, for a series of drawings of same type of object (cleaning fluid bottle), using key words from list.  

First sheet of practice drawings

Large section

Small section

 Small section

I worked with credit card drawing, and created several different versions, working larger than usual, on A1 paper, sideways on, so the height of the paper was A2.  I simplified to blocks and lines of colour, drawing the whole shape of the cleaning bottles, but larger than usual, sometimes overlaying 2 or 3 bottles.  Photos to follow.  

I debated how best to display them, keeping display for my Progress Review for my MA.  They did not fit in my usual square sketchbook, neither would they fit an A3.  But they would slice up beautifully for a bespoke concertina sketchbook.  Then I got out some smaller, cropped work from last week, also in black and red.  This would work up into a lovely concertina sketchbook, A2 length, maybe one third the width of A2.  A long narrow concertina that would be sinuously extended for display.

Something to consider was prioritising the purpose of making an image:

- Create an exciting painting
- Identify subject matter
- Identify specifics of what/where it is

People don't say - what a lovely image of Beachy Head, what a lovely landscape, what interesting techniques.  They are drawn in by interesting/exciting technique, then realise its a landscape; then read the artist statement and realise it's a specific place, Beachy Head.

So with my samplers, I need to get the watercolour effects of my sketchbook, then people realise it is a sampler, then who it's about. And if it doesn't work, it doesn't matter.  That's how I build skill.

For next class - bring tools that enhance the message.  Eg in my case, draw with identity card not credit card.