'Bodylines'

'In Rehearsal 3'

50cm x 40cm

charcoal on scored paper

This is one of the pieces I have hanging in a joint exhibition of work called 'Bodylines' currently showing at 'Gallery at St Martins' 37b Hungate, St Martin's Square (behind the Cheese Society), Lincoln. The exhibition is on for this week only and finishes on Sunday.  If you like figurative work you'll love this show!  So please come along and take a look if you are in the area! There are drinks and nibbles on offer this Saturday afternoon 8th March 1pm - 4pm.

Large mosaic piece finished!

30" x 21"

Scored and cut paper

Yay...the large mosaic piece that I've been working on is finished at last!!! It's been a fascinating process watching the drawing taking on a life of its own with patterns and rhythms emerging from the surface. I've been using varying sizes of tesserae throughout and it's this that has generated the patterns and rhythms and on this larger scale they become more noticeable. I feel the drawings are taking on added strength through fragmenting and rebuilding them. I've planned one more large piece and two more small and with my deadline approaching there's no time to lose! I'll keep you posted on my progress but in the meantime I'll be posting some more tablet drawings, so look out for those.

Lamp, Cat and Slippers

 Lamp 

                                              

These are some more drawings from my tablet. I've been trying out some of the different tools and experimenting with the colour wheels.  It's a whole new world!

Cat

Slippers

First drawings on my tablet

The large mosaic piece that I started about a week ago is still work in progress! In the meantime I've been exploring my new drawing app on my Nexus tablet. I've been using the tablet as a sketchbook and drawing what is around me. 

It's alot of fun but quite tricky as I don't have a stylus. I'm using only my finger to draw with which I like to do but the tricky bit is placing the mark in the correct place, no problem for the larger areas but difficult for finer detail. 

I'm a real novice at the moment and these drawings are my first attempts but I'm enjoying experimenting and discovering the possibilities of what might be achieved. 

l'll keep practising and post some more soon :)

                               

Nox

40cm x 30cm

charcoal on scored, creased and cut paper

I wasn't sure this drawing would be successful in mosaic form but I have to say I'm pleased with the outcome. I believe it has worked in a way that gives the piece an enigmatic quality...it gives the illusion that the subject has been carved into the surface of stone? There are potentially still three more strips for the right hand side of the drawing, if I decide to add them. I'll be starting a large piece on Thursday...!

Remains of a mosaic

30cm x 40cm

coloured charcoal on scored and cut paper

This piece is now finished. Whilst making it, the subject began to take on a different identity from my original plan for her (Nox, goddess of night). As I worked I came to relate the character to Dido from the story of 'Dido and Aeneas'. This tale can be found in Virgil's 'Aeneid'. Dido, Queen of Carthage, despairs over her love for the Trojan hero, Aeneas, after he abandons her. Not very cheery I know, but full of irresistible drama and passion! The drawing below is the one I have in mind to use for Nox. I'm not a hundred percent sure that this drawing will work as a mosaic piece as there's not alot of tonal contrast present, but at the same time it could be interesting because of that. So...there's only one way to find out...an that's to cut it up and see!! 

'Nox'

Prior to Christmas I was working on a commissioned portrait (double portrait I might add) which I agreed to take on at the last minute. As it was to be given as a Christmas present,  I am glad to tell you I managed to finish it just in time...phew!! I was happy with the result and hopefully the recipient was too :)
'Nox'  (Roman Goddess of Night) is my first work of the new year. I'm experimenting with smaller tesserae for this piece so it's taking more time to assemble. Therefore, progress is slower and therefore, it's demanding even more patience...very testing!! The drawing was made with coloured charcoal which I love. I discovered coloured charcoal two or three years ago and have been using it ever since. If you like earthy colours and you like working with charcoal, I would definitely recommend these.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, peaceful and bountiful 2014
And have a great weekend!