At Last...

some progress with my drawing module! I didn't actually draw anyone at Ally Pally last week... just met lots of lovely bloggers, had lunch with special friends, saw some wonderful exhibitions and didn't spend too much money (far too busy chatting all day)... but I did draw people on the train.

Although I quite enjoyed these drawings there wasn't too much movement... apart from one or two people nodding off .

Still despairing of where I was going with the assignment on movement I went back to reread the module and one of the suggestions was to try drawing people moving on TV. I recalled a wonderful Tango dance sequence in the film "Scent of a Woman" (brilliant film by the way) and dug out an old video and watched the sequence over and over again... (a good excuse to watch Al Pacino)

And then I drew it over and over again... producing pages and pages like this...

The next instruction was "to move decisively beyond the observational starting point... developing the research material..." and so working on newspaper I made these pictures of a tango dance sequence...

And my tutor's response: "... you've produced some excellent work." I've got to work on it a bit further and make a final piece that has a more integrated background and has a bit more energy etc etc... but a that little bit of positive feedback was worth all the struggle over the past few weeks.

Of course once I've done the final piece it's onto the next assignment which is " The figure and the environment" and no doubt I'll be back to square one but for this week until my next tutorial... I'm on cloud nine!

Over the Edge

Please indulge me while I moan some more about this drawing module. I really struggled with trying to capture movement last week, only to have another negative tutorial where I was told I was still "edge obsessed"... crikey... is it me? When I see people moving about I see their edges! By the end of the twenty minute phone call I was feeling utterly miserable and useless and none the wiser about how to proceed. It seemed to be a case of go and try again.

Not to be downhearted I went off to life drawing class, where at least I could practise on a non moving target. This chap certainly wasn't going anywhere...

We looked carefully at the skeleton to try to understand how it supports the body and made lots of drawings starting from the inside working out... not starting at the edges!

The teacher was supportive and encouraging and made helpful suggestions for improvements.

And I came home feeling not quite so useless.

The following morning I woke feeling pretty miserable again but ventured into Cambridge where I sat in the corner of the library for nearly three hours drawing people coming and going, moving about. And these are the results....

Probably too many edges and outlines... and as far as I am concerned it looks like a lot of scribble but I am trying hard.

I think part of the problem is that I'm just not interested in drawing people moving about... especially as these drawings have got to be interpreted and developed into a personal interest.

Today I resolved not to think about drawing at all and instead I made some more tea cosies... both commissions. I'm ashamed to admit my friend asked me to make the little one back in March. It was August before I actually got to measure the tea pot and it has taken until this week to track down exactly the right fabric... but I got there at last!

I also thought a little chocolate button therapy was required to take my mind off all the edges (although I can see my own edges expanding rapidly if I carry on eating all this cake).

And just in case that's not enough, tomorrow I'm off to the Knitting and Stitching show to meet lots of friends... some bloggers and some not... and to indulge in a little retail therapy. On the other hand I might be that crazed woman sitting in a corner trying to draw you all moving about.
(without edges of course)

Food

There has been a definite food theme this weekend. I finally got to see Julie and Julia which I absolutely loved. The film tells the parallel stories of Julia Child who learned to cook whilst living in France during the 1960s and brought French cooking to the US and Julie Powell who set herself the challenge to cook everyone of the 524 recipes from Child's book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in just one year. Not only that she blogged about it too. I remember watching Julia Child on TV when we lived in Massachusetts in the early 1980s but knew nothing of her story which was both uplifting and sad in many ways. Meryl Streep's portrayal was amazing although quite exhausting to watch at times. And watching Julie Powell struggle her way through the endless recipes in a tiny New York flat was equally exhausting. The film raised issues about blogging which seemed very familiar (who are we writing for... that buzz at getting comments that never really goes, etc) but it also told two very tender love stories. An excellent evening's entertainment... Stewart thought it was "OK" but a girl's film.

And so I came home inspired to cook... of course Birthday Cake was on the agenda

Mavis's excellent Apricot and Almond cake with just a few tweaks.

I also received my seed swap package from Twiggy this weekend which contained a fabulous array of goodies. Flower seeds all beautifully packaged with cross stitch labels, flowery fabrics, gift tags and not only a recipe for chilli jam but a sample jar too.

It looked so good I just had to make a couple of jars for myself... which was loved by everyone who tried it. In fact Ben, who was home for the day on Sunday took a jar back with him (along with half a dozen eggs, some damson jam and a bag of sweetcorn and tomatoes).

A good excuse too to use up some of my home grown chillis and some of the glut of tomatoes. I think we have had about 12 kilos so far... made into endless soups and sauces but still going strong.

After producing a vat of meatballs in homemade tomato sauce I finally tired of the cooking... and found another way of entertaining myself with tomatoes....

Happy Birthday Jacob

How did you go from this....

to this in such a short time? Can it really be 17 years?

Happy 17th Birthday my lovely boy.

Follow your dreams!

Keeping Warm

It's that time of year when thoughts turn to keeping warm... and that includes little Innocent Smoothies. It's that time when all smoothies require little woolly hats. And for every smoothie sold wearing a woolly hat, Sainsburys will donate 35p to Age Concern which of course will help lots of elderly people keep warm too. You can read all about the Innocent Smoothie Big Knit HERE where there are full knitting instructions too.

And there is still a couple of weeks before the hats need to be posted so time to whip up one or two if you are handy with the knitting needles.

Not sure how this one crept in in October....

So join in... knit a hat... and help keep someone warm

They are also the perfect displacement activity when avoiding the ironing... or in my case more drawing!

More Degree Work

I couldn't put it off any longer... I had to tackle the "deconstruction" and move on to making a further sketchbook for my first assignment. I chose to work from just this one image from my original sketchbook.

I photocopied the original drawing, tore it up into sections and then endlessly re-drew and re-worked the various sections. For one of these investigations I stitched eight individual sections in black thread on paper which when pieced together make up the whole... well almost!

My favourite two drawings were this one made with a stick and ink...

And another with a brush and ink but worked into with a stick

I also made a print block of the drawing and took prints - which gives a reverse image.

And I have to admit I've really enjoyed myself and perhaps I've being doing my tutor a disservice on the past couple of posts. Yes, she has been quite ruthless with me but ultimately I think it is starting to pay off. Despite all the usual insecurities I do know I can draw and make a sketchbook of passable drawings but that isn't really the point of doing the degree and it has only by letting go of the idea of making good drawings that I'm going to travel further on this journey. I still struggle with making a mess or making something that isn't "good" but I'm getting there... I think. My tutor certainly wouldn't have helped by telling me everything was lovely... after all isn't that what blogging friends are for!

Meanwhile I've been back to life drawing class where we had Tom modelling for us.

And now I've got to move onto the next part of the module which is all about the figure and movement and paintings like these....

Marcel Duchamp

Nude Descending a Staircase 1912

Giacomo Balla

Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash 1912

Oh heck! I can feel all that insecurity returning!!!

Pictures

The exhibition in our village church this weekend was a great success. Lots of visitors and several pictures sold which all helps with the upkeep of our pretty church.

We held the first one just over two years ago and had these boards made to fit between the pews. Below you can see some of the pictures from the Green family on display... including an original Anthony Green for £8000. A little beyond the pockets of most of our buyers!

More from the Greens...

Plus plenty of fabulous paintings from lesser known but very talented local artists.

including some amazing botanical illustrations.

and landscapes of places near and far.

A beautiful variety of work including this little stitched picture by a friend called Sue Blackburn. I fell in love with it... and Stewart treated me, so it is now hanging in my hall.

Although it is called Desert it reminds me of autumn with the colours in the trees. And talking of autumn, whilst stewarding at the church on Saturday it was a chance to catch up with some hand sewing and I finished off these brooches in autumn colours.

A pleasant change from all the drawing!