Author Archives: howtowriteaboutart

Morning Coffee

It’s amazing what you find in charity shops/thrift stores- beautiful vintage ceramics. Definitely for use, not display! These are from the 1930’s – they are crying out to be used! So I do, and they inspire me to draw. 🙂

Resistance

What happens when colour resists the surface because of another material? I thought I’d have a go and see! I got some bleach and dribbled it on the paper, then splodged some watercolour of varying consistencies over it, and this is the result. I like the random pattern it created – some flicks of colour,Continue reading “Resistance”

DIY art – in the pink

The title of a poem by David Whyte got me started: Everything is Waiting for You. So I looked around to see what was waiting around the house: emulsion paint from the decorating, filler used to fill in holes, plastic from grocery tubs, tissue paper from a purchase. And then I played! Added a touchContinue reading “DIY art – in the pink”

Live line sketching

What fun it is making some quick sketches in real time, and with subjects who keep moving! A Mum had taken her two little children to catch crabs at a quay side. I was high above, sipping coffee, and got out my sketch book! Looking for the main shape and drawing it quickly was required,Continue reading “Live line sketching”

Georgina’s landscapes

Georgina’s fascination with landscapes stemmed from a childhood immersed in the Dorset countryside, with its rolling hills, fields and woodlands. The sense of space, of land and sky, is something evident in her paintings, as is a sense of light which transforms the colour of things. The static forms of landscape are made dynamic byContinue reading “Georgina’s landscapes”

Lunchtime

The most basic element of art is line. Using a bold fibre-tipped ink pen I sketched a few items on the table in the cafe and applied ink wash later. I had in mind John Minton’s cook book illustrations in which he fills the whole space. Sketching in situ like this means you don’t setContinue reading “Lunchtime”

Unblocked

Ever had artistic block? Me too! So I went to a coffee shop- Thirsty Bird – got out my fibre tipped pen and drew big circles, around and again. Thought they looked like picture frames, so I drew inside them- a plant on a table next to me, a decorative birdcage hanging from the beams.Continue reading “Unblocked”

What a feast!

I came across a statue of a man,  head down,  eyes closed,  even though his hands were open in front of him.  I also saw a painting of him looking very stern,  and then I discovered that his life is celebrated on this very day: the feast of St Aldhelm, from Anglo-Saxon times. Actually aContinue reading “What a feast!”