Figure and sculpture

I have put it off for months…figure drawing intimidates me but also requires a lot more effort and concentration, and I just couldn’t be bothered. Creating and making is a source of energy and joy. It is immediate satisfaction.. figure drawing isn’t. 

I’ve finally joined Tina’s wonderful series of figure prompts which are motivating and inspiring.. it certainly got me started and I’m quite happy with this learning curve…practice makes progress, I heard;)

I wanted to do this one again but this time, I used a grid…

This technique gave better proportions.

I am so proud of the result! Never thought I could do this…. isn’t it always the case..

Also I joined my dear friend Jeanne Marie’s Soul Bearers wonderful class http://www.jeannemarieart.com/soulbearers/   Check her classes.. She truly creates magic and is a wonderful teacher! 

I’ve started with this guy, finished it, hoping it would dry in one piece, to find out that it wasn’t clay and will never dry! 

Fun though!!

Hey it’s December

My last post was in August! Life got pretty hectic since then with study, work and well..life. In five days, Christmas…where the year has gone? I had to slow down my art practice as my studio became a study for several months… but I’ve been back in the studio since mid October, and boy, it felt good. Not only succeeding my first two units in play therapy, but to  get my hands dirty again, with new challenges…

To start my retrospective of the last five months, here’s a poster I created for my study. It was truly fascinating not only to learn about Self regulation, but to imagine and create this poster. If you want to know more about self regulation, I found this wonderful accessible book, Executive function and child development, Yeager and Yeager, 2013. 

And then, some lovely layers, part of LynnWhipple online workshop. 

And…I’ve sold this piece to a dear friend! How cool..

Some yummy details


I bought some sunflowers at one of my fav coffee shop. I just adore the time they start getting tired, perfect for sketching. 
Trying to reproduce an intuitive and quite spontaneous drawing into a painting..
The joy of experimenting and creating in my studio is so energising and a place of comfort. It’s been a tough year with many ups and downs,  but with great success as well. 

A moonsonal rain is upon us…wet season has truly started here in Darwin with an eventual cyclone forming… see you in a bit!

Leaf

Here are some of my recent experiments. I had done two monstera on wood a little while ago. I really enjoyed the simple process and the result was quite cool, layers upon layers, often accident after accident. So cool that I’ve sold both of them…my first sale!!

  

  If you look closely you might see various drawing underneath. Lovely accidents and mark making. And collage too;)

so I had to do some more…

 

 

And this one is a recycled canvas that was covered with dust. Got a fun make over!
I might do a series;)

 

Energy

I have been so busy with work and then upcoming study, that i totally forgot about my blog. Not that it matters…

And so we went on our camping holiday in the Western Australian bush…quite remote. A challenge to get there…but oh boy, so worth it!

The Gibb River road has been kind to us this time… we reached our destination, Bachsten Camp, WA. Stunning location, remote which means no too many people with us.

Seriously, i think swimming in those natural rock pools is one of the most amazing thing, even though I remain always uncertain of the underneath world…

I came back energized and refreshed.

and the dry season is so lovely right now…

Joy

Yes, pure joy is in finishing something challenging, right!?

I am thrilled by the result. This is quite large 76x76cm and I hadn’t painted that big in a long time (& only once before 😉

It’s been a journey, with Lynn Whipple’s fun online course ‘big bold blum’.  I had many light bulb moment, most that were followed by huge doubts;) 

My big bold blum canvas!

I was so happy when I finally knew how to finish my table and vase. I didn’t want to loose the looseness and marks; so I used some matte medium gel to create  transparent layers. Finished with some pastels and graphite marks. 

Happy moi!

Blum

I have  been avoiding those  two canvases prepared for Lynn Whipple’s Big Bold Blum online class for some time.  Eventually I just needed to  start, do the first marks. For some reasons I felt intimidated.

Also I felt my style of flowers was oscillating  between real flowers and child like flowers and couldn’t get settle for one or the other…

  
  awkward stage

 
Some pencil 
More layers and then pastels to define and be playful!  
 

   
 
I’m very unsure about this piece; I only like bits and pieces of it for now. 

I will leave it aside for a while ..

Maisie

Sue  asked me to do another portrait of her beloved Maisie. I was unsure (as always) and started unconvinced, doubting on how to represent Maisie’s fluffiness… 

   
She does look like she just had her hair clipped;)

   
I’d like to draw with a more franc ‘coup de crayon’ but I’m really enjoying learning how to create subtle values. And She made me laugh!

And so, because I wasn’t totally happy, I had to try another one. I traced the shape of her body first to really get her. And then worked very fast! I’m happy with her energy!!

 

Silliness

This Saturday afternoon I joined the Darwin drawing club at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. 
We could sit anywhere and just draw what we’d like. 
I sat in front of strange creatures created by Aboriginal artists  from recycled materials. They are made of cloths, dry hay and woollen thread tied all around.  Now, forgive me, I forgot to write down the name of the artists. I will update at my next visit. 

Drawing amongst   art and other fellow artists was a lovely experience I need to do more of…

And I shall take a picture of the original pieces… They all have their own personality and presence. 

  
    
 

So fun!
This other piece was inspired by a large suspended object made of natural material, made  and used  by Aboriginal people to catch fish. I tried to capture the idea;) 

Make

Art wise, I haven’t had projects for a while. I just have been doing things without much direction it seems. 

I sense a new vitality coming from the latest Misty Mawn Make/do/art workshop so far, some collage, stencil making and even natural paint brush… 

   
  

For this collage, I wanted some meaning. A way of remembering my own wisdoms, the things that are good for me. The things that seem easy, and yet they get forgotten. Somehow Life has to slow down a bit. And I am actually allowed to enjoy it. Yes!
 
   
 

Nurture

I have been very quiet lately. I can’t keep up it seems. 

A long week end in Bali was the most nurturing experience. And the most needed. 

   

My favourite thing was  to see everywhere their daily rituals, actually every morning and evening. Little holders, made of palm leaves waived together,  of offerings are simply everywhere. This Balinese Hinduism ritual, which get created in the early morning hours and replaced for the evening is to appease the Gods. You’ll find them everywhere, some intact, some rolled over. No offence here!  
 
  

 The rice fields have been a source of fascination.  Totally new to my psyche! I couldn’t get enough of them. 

  
   

   

And some inspired drawing and journaling. Bliss. 

Can’t wait to return!