Art exhibition

My art classes put on an exhibition of the things that we've done in class at the local art group. It opened while we were in Melbourne so I missed the champagne and canapes :) but I did my shifts on the door last weekend when we were back. It was open both weekends, and we had a few people through, mostly family and friends. And some tourists. 

It's hard to take a good picture of an art exhibition, especially one with 18 different artists doing wildly different works across all media, all subject matter and all talent levels too. Mostly amazing - I felt very much a beginner. We did put in our bottles though, that we started with, in charcoal. It's hard to see because of the reflection but there was a bottle wall. Intriguing how everyone takes a slightly different tack on exactly the same objects.

I put in six, including these two pastel landscapes on the right. And, yes that is a red dot because I SOLD a picture! Can you believe it, an actual person used their actual money to buy one of mine. I am confused but delighted.

Sketching in groups

One of the things I'm noticing is how different it is to draw in groups, rather than on my own which I've always done up until now. I tend to do things quickly but badly, and being with other people who do things slowly but well has reduced my pace, which is good. It's useful to get other people's feedback and see the way they've tackled a similar scene. It's also a very good vibe, everyone happily doing their own thing together. Sometimes with biscuits, or wine.

I went to urban sketchers on Sunday in Canberra where we went to the Kingston Foreshore, which is a fairly ugly collection of apartment buildings, canals off the lake and restaurants. Lots of lines and people, so I went a bit impressionistic. The bridge at least was curved. And I even went to lunch with them afterwards! Such socialising bravery.

On Saturday I went to drawing group where we did still life. I got out the pastels again - they are fun! mucky but fun - and did a fairly literal rendition of bottles and oranges. 

There were a few arrangements set up and I had some time at the end, so did a quick pastel of another table which had a flower and a coffee pot ... it's meant to be "free" i.e. a bit blurry. 

And at the art classes I finished the sunset which is OK. I don't like the headland but bits of the sea are acceptable. This is a technique where you do an underpainting of pastel then wash it out with a wet brush. The results are kind of similar to a watercolour underpainting but not the same, and you can't do wet into wet or anything like that. Then you go back in with more pastels for detail - you can add lights which is a different way of attacking it - and pastel pencils too. 

It's a fun technique so I used it again for this landscape, which I am much more pleased with. It doesn't look a lot like the reference photo (artistic license!) but I have put it in a cheap frame and it will be hung in the kitchen, where bad art belongs.

More art

 Here's an action shot of me at art classes last week - the teacher took it, I'm not sure why, and sent it to me. I am pondering the deep deficiencies in the pastel work in front of me ... I used water to brush in the under painting - interesting to do with pastels - but it's hardly the glorious sunset I'm trying to recreate. I'll keep picking at it and see.

The class before I'd finished my shed picture so picked up some charcoal and the folder of nudes .. apparently it's what you do between times, a bit of life drawing. I was thoroughly intimidated because my people have always been shocking but the teacher broke it down for me, showed me how to look at it, and away I went.

I am quite pleased with these. They look like people. The faces aren't good but faces are a different thing altogether. 

Generally it seems that looking at the shapes in front of you and re-creating them on a piece of paper is something that, broadly, it is possible to do. Huh. 

I also got my pastels out of their raggedy little boxes and tins and put them in my Wormproof Tackle Box. My memory is that my dad gave me this while I was at uni to keep my sewing threads in. My memory is also that I thought (possibly said?) "why the hell did you give me a Wormproof Tackle Box [which is what it had written in big letters on the label] I'm not about to go fishing" ... it was then explained to me it was good for reels of cotton and needles, and of course it is one of the most useful gifts I've ever received and been in constant use for nearly 40 years. I now keep my cotton reels in see through containers so I can see the colours, and the Wormproof Tackle Box has a new life to store pastels. Yay.

Arty things

I'm still going along to the weekly art classes and enjoying my adventure into pastels. The next project was a drawing of our shed. It was a learning experience and I'm not super thrilled with the result ... but I definitely learned something.

This is the photo I drew from. 

I also went along to the art group drawing sessions on Saturday (bar open) where we drew with non-traditional materials this time; sticks, blossoms, bark, feathers... it was actually heaps of fun but I'm not sure if the end result is any good. Drawing with sticks is hard!!!

We were drawing a heap of branches/flowers so if you squint you can see pine needles and waratah flowers and dead agapanthus heads in there. Kind of. 

Next art class

I went back for my second art class and it was just as much fun as the first! I had gone to the art store in the meantime (of course) and bought some lovely pastels in pretty colours and pastel paper in dark shades, so the teacher set up some apples for me under a strong light and I had a bash. This is the photo of the apples... nice colours and good light and dark contrasts.

It was definitely a learning curve, especially in how to combine the colours and how to get something that looks textured and not like a wall of solid crayon. Then getting the lights lighter and the darks darker without everything going all muddy. 

I was pleased with this in the end, but it took a lot of fiddling about for such simple shapes! I'm going to try something landscapey next week, we shall see how it goes. The teacher gets us to take a photo halfway through too, which is really useful.

The main problem is how filthy your hands get, with smudging everything together. Then I end up wiping it on my jeans. I need an artist's smock...