Process painting

I was watching a video about process painting, so I decided to sketch along and see what would come out of it. Not sure it's for me, but it was fun all the same.

Timeless again

I was going to submit one of these to the Signal Arts Centre, for their 15x15 project (15x15cm for €50, to help save the centre, which is in bad need of repairs). But then, after a morning spent at Vincent's getting my regular head MRI, I looked at them again, and felt these two pieces were not good enough. Even if it's for a good cause, I don't want to show art that I'm not 100% happy with. It's my philosophy when buying clothes - if I'm not 100% happy, don't buy it - so there is no reason to think differently when it comes to my art. 

Showing it here is different. I basically record everything. I have been doing so since 2006. Not about to stop!

Harold's Cross park and cemetery

It's a while since I was in Harold's Cross. We had sketched there as part of the Harold's Cross Festival a few years ago and I had very fond memories of it. So when I got there last Sunday (I'm writing this in mid-January), I headed straight to the park. And I had to sketch one of the tall trees straight away. I was standing up, it was awkward, but then the sun came out and lit up the scene. I got so excited! After adding a touch of watercolour, I had to wait for paint to dry. And I was so glad I had thought of bringing a second, smaller, sketchbook. I turned towards the other trees and squinted into the sun. Probably not a good idea when you're prone to headaches, but it was worth it. I worked in black brush pen and grey marker. Really quick, not worried about details or accuracy. All I wanted was to feel that sense of light and the trees against it.

Then I headed to Mount Jerome Cemetery. It was cold. But I got a slightly sheltered spot. It was busy with Sunday visitors. But I got in the zone again and just kept sketching, until I got too cold. I then wrote some of the names I could read on the stones. Some day, those names will disappear too, so it felt important to record them. Getting to the age where mortality is on my mind, obviously! 

I added colour when I got to the pub.

One quick sketch in the pub, then chatted with various people. I felt so energised. Kept talking about blind drawing!

Trees

What this shows me is that I am better at observing than abstracting, even if the observing is done by feel and looks quite abstract.

I took a few photos of trees yesterday in Dun Laoghaire (there is this beautiful gnarled tree on the footpath between Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove), and drew from my photos. The first one, was all about trying to follow every branch (up to a point, I will never be a hyper-realist artist!). It looks good, but doesn't express the twisted nature of the second one, where I squiggled rather than drew, and added some water on top (the Pilot ink in this colour - ina ho - creates such beautiful effects when you add water!). For the third one, I just looked at the spacse between the branches and forgot I was looking at a tree. The fourth one,  I did from a photo of a tree in Ballinteer, but I tried to create more of an illustration. Doesn't work for me! 

The three done with ina ho colour were done with my Kakimori bullet nib. The one in blue was done with a fountain pen I was unclogging!

 

Another self-portrait or two - in colour pencil

Had fun with drawing by touch. I actually achieved much better proportions than I do when I look at myself in the mirror!! Also, Shelley had mentioned using colour pencils (and I have plenty of those!) and I have to say it was a very tactile experience, to feel the pencil move on the page at the same time as my other hand was moving across my face! One pencil was Prismacolor, the other Polychromos. Very similar feel on the paper.

For one moment, I thought it would be a great way to draw my hand in that way, until I realised there would be a problem with that!

Socks

From tea cups to socks. Well, I like my new socks. They were a purchase from Instagram advertising, so I wasn't expecting much. But they are gorgeous colours, lively patterns. And they're cosy. Hopefully they will survive the laundry, because I've ordered some more. Nordic Socks I think. Made in Turkey. 27% Merino Wool. Yes, the advertising gave the impression it was 100% Merino. But if they last well, I don't mind too much. Gudrun Sjoden did lovely woolen socks one year, but I haven't seen them on their website recently.

So I started by doing a drawing by touch. Feeling the outside and the inside of the socks.With my Kakimori bullet nib, and Ina Ho Pilot ink. I love that ink so much. Don't know why I don't use it more. Then got lost in the pattern and ran out page. Then I drew the outline first. Yes, I know, I know, draw from general to detail, you would think I know that by now, but my neurodivergent mind sees the details first, never the bigger picture. And the final version is in watercolour, with a little bit of pencil on top.

 

Keeping a sketchbook at the table

I don't expect I will ever draw a proper ellipse. I shouldn't care, really. For some strange reason, I do. All to do with my lack of an art degree.  I don't know why it's such a hangup for me. I didn't have a degree in computer science, and I've worked in computers all my life. Sometimes, it bothered me. Most of the time, it didn't.

Anyways, I'm digressing. I'm on a mission to draw more, while I'm waiting for my urge to paint to come back. Another one of these things that's bothering me. There was a lot going on in my life last year, and I ploughed through. But I'm feeling the aftershocks still. So, yes, drawing more. The idea is that I don't let a day go by without drawing. So, a sketchbook at the dinner table is as good a spot as any. But also thinking about the story of my life that goes with these sketches. Recording my taste in teas (fresh grated ginger for breakfast, sencha loose tea at lunch, camomille around 3pm, and plain hot water for dinner - I like my drinks warm, not piping hot and definitely not cold). And the cup featured in the foreground is the one I bought at the Sketching Namur Urban Sketchers event last summer, designed by Sonia. Love it! 

Time to kill in the shopping centre

That could be the title of a book! Time to kill in the shopping centre.

Well, I was just waiting for Brendan, who had gone to Specsavers. And I'm trying to buy less, draw more. So this was the perfect opportunity. I have noticed that I am more shy than I used to be about drawing people in a public place. I sat quite far away from everyone, so I really couldn't get any detail in. Still, something to build on. I added the colour at home, using up an old palette. I have many of these!

Blind drawing - Louise and Danny

I really enjoyed watching the interview with Danny Gregory on Louise Fletcher's Art Tribe the other day, and I did blind drawings of Louise and Danny while I was watching. I used to participate in Sketchbook Skool and learned a lot from the many teachers there. In the last few months, I felt my creativity waning (maybe it's just winter?), but listening to Danny and Louise really inspired me! 

Sweny's Pharmacy

Our current crusade with Dublin Sketchers is shopfronts of Dublin. Old, New, Disappearing. All of them!

So on this day, it was Sweny's Pharmacy. Of Ulysses fame. This is the pharmacy where Leopold Bloom buys a bar of lemon soap. It's now a little museum, dedicated to James Joyce. You can still buy the soap there. Which is what I did when I was sketching inside.

It's been in danger of closing for a long time. I'm a bit worried about it now, as I heard that its owner, PJ, was in hospital. Fingers crossed he will make a good recovery and we won't lose yet another corner of authentic Dublin. 

It was a cold morning, but a few of us were happy to stand outside for a while and capture this historic shopfront. It wasn't much warmer inside, but the old dusty bottles on the shelves were too tempting!

 

Blue Still lives

These pots hold memories, even if I can't quite unlock them. The willow pattern teapot is from my parents' large collection. They could have fed a family of twenty with these. The vase is from my dad's side of the family. One of these things that was always there. And the cup is a Japanese- inspired cup that was to hold some herbs, except I'm really bad at growing things (I originally wrote "I'm really bad at drawing things"! Talk about a freudian slip!). I've enjoyed looking at this trio from many angles in the last few days. 

It was a prompt from Louise Fletcher's Art Tribe. A good way to start the year. I drew these in early January. By now, you all know I'm always late posting on my blog and Instagram, don't you?

Expressive drawing - it doesn't have to be pretty

Most of these hands, I drew with my right hand, but tried different ways to challenge my preconceived ideas about my own drawing skills. Yes, I do still think that I'm not very "good" at drawing. This goes along with the notion that if I didn't go to art college, I'm not a proper artist! Crazy what goes on in that head of mine! And I thought that with a solo exhibition under my wing, all these insecurities would disappear! Not one bit!

I'm thinking I have too many art tools, and some will go to charity. But then I tried this Cretacolor Graphite Aquarell pencil in 4B, and I really enjoyed what it did! But seriously, I am not buying any more art supplies for a long time! Will I last the year? I hope so. Unless I start painting a lot more again! 

I enjoyed doing these self-portraits by touch!

This stump, not sure what to make of it!

More hands

I think I drew all of these with my left hand, with different tools. The wobble definitely makes it more interesting. The drawing that looks least like a hand was done with two pencils tied together. And then I went over it again with two pens tied together (with an elastic band). Good to have a focus. And good to draw again.