After finishing yesterday’s painted portrait I thought I would add some detail with a white pastel pencil, using a different reference photo to alter the light/shadow patterns. I might add more layers on top later.
My sister has requested that I put some photos on here about a recent workshop I attended where we got to play around with Cyanotypes. The technique has been around for a few hundred years and I believe was the first ever form of photography. It is a fascinating process, I was keen to try using different objects and techniques for my exposures.
Our workshop tent
Some work by people in my workshop.
Some more examples, I really loved the one with the wave pattern on it.
Washing the image post exposure in the water bath.
My final developed pieces from the three hour workshop. The acetate sheet was added to gradually and each stage exposed onto a new photo sensitive sheet.
I took a series of photos in my bathroom because I loved the effect of coloured light: the blue curtain made one side quite dark and the other side was lit by natural light diffused through another room. This is my first attempt to paint something for this project and I am hoping my skills get better over the next twelve months!
This drawing began as a completely different idea and morphed into a drawing of a sweet potato! It was originally supposed to be more doll-like but I decided that the body shape I’d originally drawn looked very organic and I was inspired to reference one of my favourite vegetables. I suppose it is also a little bit autobiographical in the sense that I may have been over zealous with my food and drink intake over the Christmas and New Year period!!
I took this photo in the bedroom window with a bedside lamp as the only light source.
This image was inspired by a number of sources: Kate Granville’s novel “Dark Places” and a camping trip to Waychinicup National Park in Western Australia’s south west. It is also an exploration into the duality of the nature of women and our struggles to find our balance in an increasingly stressful world.
I have decided to post some selfies I did for a recent uni assignment – these were inspired by Damien Blottiere (amazing fashion photographer and artist) and my descision to not waste my life reading glossies…
It’s officially started, the first drawing is a blind contour with a fineliner. I have decided to count down from 365 to 0, not sure why but I am hoping it will keep me motivated (?!)There were two rules for creating this drawing: 1. You can’t look at the page at all and 2. Your pen cannot leave the surface of the page.
My good friend gave me a book recently that explains how to set up a creative project and make/draw/paint/sew/sculpt something every day for one year. I have decided to embark on this journey as a way of develping discipline in my art practise and also to create a focus for my life outside of full time work (other than uni, my health journal, learning how to play the ukulele etc etc etc).
My sister suggested I use the self portrait as my theme, this means I can take it wherever I am (as I move around quite a bit) and I can always draw from memory if I can’t find a mirror or reflective surface.
My original plan was to follow the ideas set down in the book (you are given an idea every day) but I think I will combine elements from the book and some of my own ideas:
Part of this task will be documenting using photographs of each days outcome and a short reflection on how I feel about it and the project thus far.
Many creative people around the world have joined this movement of mindfulness in order to stimulate their creativity, I am excited but nervous. I guess I am doubting whether or not I can stick to it! Here goes!
I have recently gotten back from an amazing holiday down to south east Queensland camping at the Woodford Folk Festival. My best friend from Brissie gave me her guest ticket which meant I was free to be a lady of leisure, as a result I was able to book in for loads of art workshops at Artisania and The Parlour. My favourite sessions were Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School, each drawing workshop went for around an hour. Dr Sketchy’s is life drawing with a twist – instead of the models being nude they were wearing cabaret and burlesque outfits, similar in style to the types of models favoured by the Impressionists in Paris. I absolutely loved these sessions, the outfits were fabulous and the models were girly and fun to draw!
These are the drawings from the first day, the longest of these poses was ten minutes. The model with the feather fans had the most amazing flower mask around one eye.
The following sketches are from day two. I loved the mermaids! I don’t know how the models kept the plastic shells on but the costumes were beautiful. The shower puffes were comical, the tiny bath tubs made me think of Degas…
The costumes on the final day were more burlesque/bondage inspired with a little bit of bunny thrown in…
I really do wish that these sessions could have gone for longer, after the first hour I am usually getting my drawing groove on and am in the “zone”. All in all Dr Sketchy’s Woodford was an awesome experience and it was great to be drawing with so many other people (there was room for 40 artists in the venue, it was great having so much space to move around too). I am already looking forward to Dr Sketchy’s at the next Woodford Folk Fest, maybe I will go to Dr Sketchy’s in New York, need to do some net research soon!
elizabethmartinartist 