Joining the dots and finding the edges

 My attempt  - Joining the Dots

 Turkey Tolson TJUPURRULA Straightening spears at Ilyingaungau

 

A weekend of drawing, painting and quilts. On Friday I got back a little earlier than expected from a meeting in Swindon  so managed to squeeze in an hour at the RA's 'Art of Australia' before heading to my class  at the National Gallery. As when  I visited the Australian print  exhibition at the British Museum, and thinking about my recent course with Dorothy Caldwell , it was the mark-making  that really struck me. More in another post once I've looked in more detail at the catalogue  and deciphered the notes in my sketchbook! What I did do while it was fresh in my mind is to have a go at the marks made by Turkey Tolson - alternate lines of yellow and red ochre which shimmered with energy.  Smearing dots of paint together while  seemed to work reasonably well - one to explore further.

At the National Gallery we were looking at  how artists defined the edges of their objects - with sharp defined lines or with soft loose brushwork and attempting to portray these qualities in pencil.

For someone who likes to work loosely, I actually enjoyed following the patterns and lines of 'Agony in the Garden' by Andrea Mantegna   more than trying to copy Rubens work. Maybe it's  the medium (still not sure what I think of pencil!), more probably because I was tired after a busy week but I definately ran out of steam and accuracy!  

After a long night's sleep , with  Ian at his parents, I spent all of Saturday and Sunday morning  stitching and painting samples and quilts  for Cwilt Cymru 'Connection' exhibition. Then to Henley on Thames in the afternoon to see the 'Water, Water' exhibition  and to stock up on threads at 'Lady Sew and Sew's' warehouse.