BACK TO THE PAST

Yesterday I took a trip out to the farming property of Cheshunt, a 140 klm round trip from my place. It was an overcast morning with showers hanging from the Great Western Tiers nearby. It was very quiet, extremely quiet.

I went out to photograph a number of subjects that I wanted to draw in coloured pencil and also to produce a folio of digital prints for a photographic group that I had recently joined. With me I took the mug that I had found earlier in the year and placed it in several locations that I photographed.

I have included some samples of the images I took. You will notice a common theme – bird poo! Yay!! Am I weird or am I weird?

How do you react to these images now that you know what they are? These are only in their basic stages and there’s a lot more to be done to each of them.

Drawing these in coloured pencil will be a real challenge. Recently I bought a box of 72 Derwent Coloursoft pencils and I think they will be ideally suited to this task, more-so than the Polychromos and Prismacolors I normally use.

I went back to explore the two rooms that I have drawn recently and found more graffiti on one of the doors.

A great number of the 126 photos I took have given me much optimism regarding future artworks.

Richard

ANOTHER ROOM

Another room in an old, disused farm building at Cheshunt in Northern Tasmania, has caught my eye.

Unlike the previous room (Silence at the Table), this one contains a great deal of warmth, with a strongly lit window being featured.

There are similarities though with the previous drawing – the tin mug is back, there is a graffitied door and there’s plenty of mystery and some unanswered questions.

I still have a long way to go. There will be a lot of layers of coloured pencil required. The door has lots of marks, scrapes and tonal variations.

I am enjoying the challenge that this drawing brings with it.

Richard

ANOTHER DOOR

Yesterday’s posted drawing has seen another commenced featuring a door in another room of the old, dusty farm building at Cheshunt, a lovely old farm in Northern Tasmania.

Peering past a partially open door, covered in graffiti both natural and man-made, there is a much different scene and mood than seen in yesterday’s post.

This will be a room of light, texture and dust. A window full of abstract shapes will take centre stage in what is a fairly empty space. The mug appears again, but this time it’s a co-star in a room featuring the illusion of three-dimensional form. As with the previous drawing, this is a “quiet” subject, but in this case there is a much warmer feeling.

I will be employing a far richer palette this time, lots of earthy and some flesh colours. Although in its infancy, this drawing (60 x 80 cm) has already given me much pleasure and optimism.

Updates will be posted later in the week.

Richard

SILENCE AT THE TABLE

Silence at the Table, coloured pencil on pastel board, 60 x 80 cm.

This drawing comes from the farming property Cheshunt, in Northern Tasmania.

I remember walking into an old, disused building on the property. It was quiet, very quiet. Dust was all around. A door was partly open, revealing a small room with a table upon which was a shaft of light from one of the many cracks in the wall. It was as if time had stood still.

On the table was an old, rusty mug. Who had left it there? When? Why? We will never know the answers to these questions.

Underneath the table sits a 20 litre can of fuel.

The door is covered in graffiti, both human and natural. It is a time capsule, an information board.

Conversations have long gone, but memories remain …

Richard

THE CAMERA: ALLY OR MILLSTONE? Part 3.

The Verdict

I think the camera is a wonderful tool that the artist can use in the development of his or her art. It opens up so many possibilities, only restricted by our imagination, self-confidence and our preparedness to challenge ourselves as often as possible.

There is a danger however, of the camera being the sole source of inspiration. This results in imitations of photos that are then presented as art. What does one learn by this practice? Where is one’s individuality, one’s style? Is this honest art, or art that is second hand?

I admire the camera for what it can do for me, as long as I tell it what to do. Sure, there are times when accidental photos occur and that’s great. We should recognise and celebrate those moments. But we can never improve on or replace the artist’s eye.

I am disappointed with the lack of regard for technique, especially in drawing that I see today in younger artists. Maybe it’s a sign of the times, maybe it’s just me remembering the extent of my art training.

As artists we have the opportunity and right to use whatever means we can to create our work. But it’s use creating the work, not the technology.

Today’s featured images are from a series I took at Launceston’s Cataract Gorge.

Tomorrow: My latest drawing is finished!

Richard

THE CAMERA: ALLY OR MILLSTONE? Part 2.

From an artist’s perspective, what are the advantages of using a (digital) camera?

1. A camera records a lot of information.
2. They are (relatively) easy to use.
3. The camera “sees ”more than the human eye.
4. They save artists a lot of time and are a great asset.
5. Cameras vary in size and application and are easily transported.
6. You can control your camera or you can employ its auto settings.
7. Digital cameras allow you to choose the right image almost instantly.
8. You can record images in all weather conditions, deliberately or accidentally.
9. You can print your own images in a variety of sizes.
10. Software such as Photoshop enables you to “play” with your images.
11. The digital camera has seen digital art arrive as a viable form of artistic expression.
12. Cameras are fun to use!

What are the disadvantages?

1. When photographing, it’s easy to take far too many photos that can be distracting especially when having to decide what it is you wish to paint.
2. Cameras have made us too reliant on them to do a lot of our research and thinking for us.
3. Cameras have made artists lazy.
4. Artists have lost a good deal of their drawing skills.
5. Working “live”, plein air is becoming a lost art.
6. Cameras can only see two-dimensionally which has seen the demise of the understanding and appreciation of three-dimensional drawing and painting.
7. Cameras cannot record the character of a subject unless in the hands of an expert photographer.
8. Photos are often traced, which to me is imitation. Is imitation really art, or craft?
9. The over-reliance on cameras has resulted in a lesser understanding and appreciation of the use of light and shadow in artwork.

I’m sure some artists never use a camera, while others do so whenever they can. It’s all about who you are, how you work and what you are trying to say.

Today’s images are from a series of photos I took at Beer Barrel Beach, on Tasmania’s Northeast coast earlier in the year. I have used some of these images in my coloured pencil work. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to stand on the beach and record the waves as they smashed into and over the rocks!

More tomorrow.

Richard

THE CAMERA: ALLY OR MILLSTONE? Part 1.

I am in the process of buying a new macro lens for my Canon Digital SLR. I want to be able to photograph smaller objects, objects in confined spaces and inside rooms. With my current setup I am unable to get all the information in one frame. I make do with what I’ve got and use my imagination to add any other relevant details to my artwork as needed.

I have several cameras and have been an avid photography enthusiast for decades. My primary use of my cameras is to record subjects for my artwork. I often set up objects in a still-life situation. Some of my ideas are gleamed from the many excursions I do into the Tasmanian landscape. Some of my drawings have come directly from my photos.

There is no doubting the value of the camera as far as artists are concerned. But is it also hindering our artistic development? Has it made us lazy? Does one really look at each frame before it is taken? Are we really recording what we are seeing or are we happy for the camera to see everything it can on our behalf?

Training for all artists is essential. Good teaching will instil good habits such as what to look for and what to look at and how to interpret characteristics such as mood, light and shadow, just to name a few. The “artist’s eye” is what makes artwork individual, personal and valued as art.

A camera in the hands of a competent artist is potentially a wonderful tool. It’s what the artist does with the camera that can make or break his or her response to a subject.

Many artists simply record a subject with their camera, have the image printed and then paint it. It’s as easy as that. But is this what art is really all about? Sounds like imitation to me. Is imitation really art? Where’s the individual response?

It’s what you do with your photos that counts. Using a series of images as reference material gives you a much greater chance of producing something special, not mundane. If you are working from a single photo, all you have to do is record what you see and it’s done. Admittedly we all see things differently and one could say that our responses will not imitate the photos we work from. But aren’t we trying to copy the photo? Everyone loves realism! The more we see, the more realism results. Where’s the true personal style of each artists in this method of producing art?

Today’s photos are a selection from a trip I took to Hobart last year. I wanted to recorded a series of hilltops. What is unusual is that at no time did I leave my car to take these photos.

More tomorrow.

Richard

ANOTHER SLICE …

Yesterday I put the finishing touches to a drawing that will be part of an exhibition in Hobart (Tasmania’s capital city) next month.

This is rather a large work at 120 x 40cm and will be quite (visually) striking once it’s framed. I have included a photo with my dog Benson, to give you an idea of the drawing’s size.

Pastel board really comes into its own when working on drawings of this size. I never need to clip or tape my work to a board. It’s easy to transport too, which is another bonus.

In this drawing I well and truly “cross the line” depicting a single slice of bread “as-is”. The slice of bread is now a genuine landscape object, complete with cliffs, rocks and even a landslide.

I shall be interested to see what my framer can do. I usually leave John to the task of displaying my work to its best advantage. He certainly knows his stuff!

Richard

IS GRAFFITI REALLY ART?

Some of the graffiti to be found on the door that is part of my latest drawing.

I remember walking through the Cataract Gorge in Launceston last year, and coming across an enormous rock which was covered in the most brilliant shadows that any artist could wish to see. To my horror, I then saw evidence of ‘mark making’ that at first I totally rejected and lamented on the vandalism that had taken place. Names were inscribed and comments made. Not a good thing to see in such pristine surroundings. But was it that bad?

I now see the possibilities of using that particular rock in a future artwork. The graffiti is a form of expression, and a valid one at that. It’s just that people often choose the wrong places to express their ideas, anger or frustration with the world.

The door I am currently working on is an excellent example regarding graffiti. The little I have shown today doesn’t give you its true meaning or why it was written on the door in the first place, but it does add to the mystery I spoke about yesterday.

I think  (nearly all) graffiti of all types is valid. I just have a problem at times with its location and content. Graffiti intent on vandalising something is wrong. Clever social commentary in appropriate places is a window to the thoughts of our society.

The graffiti on my door continues to grow; what will it reveal?

Richard

ADDING MOOD AND MYSTERY

My latest drawing has “grown” since my last post. There is still much to do and this is not just about adding the required detail. This is a “mood” drawing. The old, wooden door is partly open revealing a dark, mysterious room with an old mug on a table. A shaft of light hits a mug on an old table top. Another shaft of light reveals the floor and an object in front of the table. What is this object and what is it doing there?

The door will be the most interesting subject, but is it the focal point? I’m detailing the door last as there is much graffiti to add.

I am working mostly with Polychromos coloured pencils on pastel board. My palette is mainly warm greys with the lighter tone on the door courtesy of Prismacolor 10% Cool Grey. There are many layers employed due to the subtle nature of the shadow areas. I still have more to add to the back wall and the door.

The room itself is dark and very dusty. It seems that it has been left “as-is” many years ago. It is indeed a fascinating place and a brilliant subject for artists!

Richard