AdeleArtBlog

DRIED FARE In China dried foods abound. This composition is of dried sardines, mushrooms, chokra and chestnuts. I used pen on paper to create fine lines and enjoyed the amount of detail and sharpness  that the subjects naturally lent themselves to. Once I had looked at the drawing I realised that two vertical lines presented themselves so I decided to add them in and was pleased with the result - they seem to break the sweep of the fish moving in from right to left but also to emphasise it - furthermore, I felt that the composition is a little bit more experimental and its forcing me to start looking at things in a less conventional way - I hope to be growing in this regard.  Sketchbook practice for this composition.

Sketchbook practice of the kitchen sink in chalk pastel. The pastels achieve a feeling of the plastic light which I enjoy and the simplicity of the un-composed composition was very appealing to me. I learnt here to see beauty in all things, mundane as they seem.  Below: Composition practice. I liked the wobbly line on this practice as well the larger negative space on the left side of the composition

Fallen Leaves Study. For this the subject is 3 dried leaves which I found during my walk, all three in varying stages of decay. I used colored pencils and oil pastels. I left the majority of the page white as I wished to capture the intense light and the lovely colorful shadows that the leaves cast on the crisp white paper that they were perched on. I enjoyed the success that I achieved with the papery delicate feel of the leaves and it was only till I had layered the oil pastel on top that the drawing "popped". What i learnt here was not to be "precious" with your work. Detail 1. Detail 2.  And then I cropped it. I think that the composition is better here. There is less negative space and the longer format works better with the length of the leaves and the horizontal lines that they present. Some practice  - Lemons in conte crayon

The use of the Negative Space in art fascinates me - I think specifically of Paul Gaugin who used it very effectively in his paintings: In his Vision of the Sermon  the fabulous use of the bold, red, negative space speaks volumes about the atmosphere of the painting and draws our attention over the heads of the Breton maids and fixes it on the scene of Jacob wrestling with the angel. Here Gaugin uses the negative space as a focal point as well as a device which arouses our emotions gives voice to an unusual view of the imagined impact of a sermon on the Breton woman. Guagin, Paul. The Vision after the Sermon. (online) [available from: https://www.gauguingallery.com/biography-developing-as-gauguin.aspx] Gaugin, Paul. P ortrait of Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers c1889. (online) [available from: https://www.gauguingallery.com/biography-developing-as-gauguin.aspx] In his Portrait of Van Gogh paiting sunflowers , Gaugin creates a wonderful tension between the artist and his canv

Again i had two attempts at these. I realised that if I had used smoother paper the result would probably have been better - but as I was using charcoal it seemed appropriate. Having to do the reflections made for some keen observation and careful translating of what is seen. I  felt both were successful  - the first just had two very similar shapes and made for an unattractive composition. The second attempt left me pleased with the fluid feeling of the composition. I felt that reflections merged the two objects. I am learning a new thing about drawing so as to connect things into unified wholeness and I am excited to really work  on this in future.