biro – Tea and Doodles

[post edit: my submitted work for this unit was lost in the post on return to me. I am already thinking of assessment submissions and am so sad that I do not have this unit to include.]

In my previous blog outlining my preparation for the first assignment, I brainstormed several objects around me that meant something in some way. Referring back to the mark-makimg exercises and the emotive response I needed to reflect on, I knew I needed to have a variety of reactions to the objects in order to deepen my drawing response. I also mentioned that the media I would choose for each object reflect the marks I want to make, I feel they matched the mood I would be trying to create in each part.

I see myself as a little nostalgic, happy to sit reminiscing about the smallest thing. I specifically started to look for objects that spark a memory with me.

The coloured vase takes me back to my childhood; I remember it sitting in the hallway of my grandparent’s house. It was a gift from my Great Grandad to my Great Nanny. It gives me a feeling of place, a grounding, a sense of belonging in a loving environment. Words I feel when I take myself back – happy, content, fun, cosy, interesting, creative, flowing. The gesture and marks need to be as flowing and free, and so brush and ink allowed me this movement.

I chose the Buddha statue as it evokes some mixed reactions. I am interested in the Buddhist philosophy and have enjoyed it teachings. This statue reminds me of this peace and structure. However, in a previous house, it had been blown down from the window sill by the blinds caught in the breeze. The stone statue landed on the floor where I usually laid my baby. She was in the cot at the time. There is a chip in it to constantly remind me but also to teach me a lesson! Straight, quick sharp marks with a black pen matched the emotion.

Simple and expressive contour lines for the photo frame helped to reflect a flowing and free time as I was finding my feet in life, shown by the photo taken the first year I met my husband 23 years ago.

The pointillism in the watch symbolises every movement in the time that I need to acknowledge (I said I reminisce!). Time is such a constraint that we have put on ourselves, that we don’t appear to be in that moment. The objects are on a baby blanket that I made whilst pregnant with my first child. I got so completely lost in making it and so here I was making the moment count. Charcoal allowed a soft, effect to accentuate the tones of the folds of fabric.

The gerbera was a flower in my wedding bouquet, soft, peaceful but carefree marks to match the memory of young love and laughter. I used a ballpoint pen which I now love. I wanted a contemporary and striking effect and the coolness and glow of the pen helped to gain this.

The assignment text seemed to suggest that I should use a variety of drawing tools and marks. As mentioned before in a previous blog, I thought I would use this obstacle and link the media. It didn’t have the softer effect I was imagining.

Looking back on this first attempt, I realise that a lot of my work needs to have meaning and symbolism. This is obviously no bad thing and is what the assignment text asked, but I would like to work with a spontaneous response to a subject and so maybe this will be possible in future exercises.

However I decided to have another go, making a simpler and quicker response to the objects. Firstly, fewer objects and secondly, using mostly one medium.

So much happier with this attempt, it is not so complex because of fewer objects and one medium. The marks may not be so apparent but the gesture and flow that I drew with reflected the feelings of the object.

Assignment 1 reflection using OCA assessment criteria for Drawing 1

Demonstration of technical and visual skills

I have definitely noticed an improvement in my observational skills over the last few years especially. As a primary school art teacher, I have go back to the basics with the children and find myself relearning along the way with them too. In drawing activities, I direct them to draw what they really see, and it’s not as easy as it sounds. I find myself often looking at objects wondering how to represent them best in drawing, what material or technique, where are the blocks of light and shadow.

I am getting braver in what material to use and in doing so I hope my perfectionism fades a bit. I would like to be more spontaneous and maybe with a less familiar tool, this would help me be more relaxed as I learn how to use it.

Through teaching the young children, I start to introduce composition to them in its simplest form. I try to apply this to my work but often I become too abstract and random and just try to get a feel for balance along the way. This doesn’t often make for balanced work but it does offer a more fluid spontaneous way of working…hmm, how to get both?!

I purposely planned the composition first of all in this assignment and noticed it didn’t really impede on the rest of my work flow. One bit of effort at the beginning can make for a more flowing drawing. I will make more of my composition planning in future.

Quality of outcome

I am pleased with the outcomes of both attempts, especially the second drawing as it is simpler. I feel I have managed to capture the light and shadow and also unified the picture to some degree despite using various drawing tools. However, I think I have tried too hard and it’s not ‘fluid’ enough; as I have mentioned before I would like to be more relaxed and spontaneous. I would like to do more with continuous and gestural line drawings. I am surprised about the effect of blue ballpoint pen and am glad I have another tool to my arsenal; I usually can’t stand it when the children write with it, but art is a different matter now!

Demonstration of creativity

I think I have demonstrated creativity in this assignment. I have interpreted the text my own way; I dealt with the original obstacle and thoughts on using more than one drawing medium, I have added personal meaning to the drawing and allowed my mark making to reflect this. I wonder if I could have actually practised my need for fluidity and produced another attempt in such a way. However, I think this owl have lost the original aim of the assignment in that mark-making in response to the text would not have been the focus.

Context reflection

No research was completed in this, it was more about me finding my feet in this module. I enjoyed researching Redon and in hindsight would have looked up and emulated some other artists but all I wanted to do was put my own pencil to paper at this stage. This is the first time I have completed my learning log online so I am still getting used to posting with some frequency. I have also got to get used to the 21st century social media problem of not getting any viewers or comments! I have to remember that is not why I am writing the blog 🙂

The exercise initially was hard, although maybe more for the fact that I thought it would be difficult to capture the sheen and reflections of a silver surface. I’ve been practicing this with different media just to have some playtime. I’ve never tried biro. This has a glow to it, I love it!

As my annotation shows, the proportion is out.

It is all too easy to focus on perfection sometimes and miss the aim of the exercise!

A brushed chrome seemed harder to replicate; a diffused reflection was difficult. Maybe in charcoal?

The ornament was easier initially as the reflective areas were more definitive against the contrast of the dark wood colour. However, lifting the conté to highlight the figure was not easy on such a small area – this would become easy when I work with a larger scale next for the actual exercise.

I’ve realised I need a much better quality sketchbook, this one is awful, the surface lifts and disintegrates as I wiped the conté dust with a chamois.

Tag: biro

Completed Assignment 1 & reflection

PART 1 P2: Exercise 4- Reflective light and shadows. Practice.