BM Drawing from the Collections: Power and Presence

 2nd session Drawing from the Collections  at  British Museum  was on Power and Presence,  trying to capture those qualities in this housepost from Papua New Guinea using  charcoal. Reminded me of the barkcloth spirit masks but then they're from the same part of the Pacific
After markmaking  we filled a sheet with side of charcoal stick then 'carved' into it with rubber and added the major forms.

 

 We then  built up the texture of the wood, adding and taking away ( above).  I should have left it at this point! I liked the liveliness of it, by the time  I'd worked into too much and added  white chalk and  marker pen it was ruined  ( though I like quieter  marks remaining on the arm and body below).

  I made a second attempt  below  but it doesn't have the vitality of the first's early stages

 Next week (  bus replacement services permitting) we will be in the African gallery looking at the pots . I know I work faster than many   so I must remind myself  not to keep drawing just  to fill in the time while waiting for the next step but stop  before ( or maybe start another drawing)

British Museum Drawing from the Collections

 I spent a most stimulating Sunday afternoon at the British Museum ' Drawing from the collections'

 We were drawing the Nereids of the  Nereid Monument in Room 17, the tutor Anna Saunders explaining a bit about their history and significance. I've actually been to the site in Turkey where they came from ( allegedly the Turkish Government asked they be returned  as they needed the Mediterranean behind them so the BM painted the walls blue...)   She then took  us through various exercises on capturing form and fluidity. We started with mark -making and then a couple of continuous line drawings ( which always to me are often livelier than finished work)

   We then looked at  trying to outline the underlying body structure  in the form of basic 'sausages'

 Then we started clothing her  with the folds of fabric

 Finally adding tone to emphasis the solidity

Anna was an excellent tutor,  with lots of samples at different stages , giving  encouragement and advice on an individual basis (eg identifying areas that weren't quite right and how to correct them) Looking forward to  Power and Presence in Papua New Guinea next Sunday!

 Although the museum was very busy, the  Members  Room was quieter than I've seen it and managed to get a seat for lunch overlooking the Great Court. Returned there with Janet Beck  ( from 'Drawing  Tuesdays') for coffee and cake afterwards, how civilised!

Meanwhile, following yet another configuration of my studio, I'm making good progress quilting my second Cwilt Cymru  'Cynefin' quilt, rewarding myself with lunch at Macknades  and an exhilarating bike ride in the sun. 



Seeing Double - Studio update

 On  Monday, took delivery of my second Sewezi table so that I can use both my Pfaff Grandquilter and Bernina activa 125 at the same time ( the Pfaff is particularly heavy to move around) I also had them both serviced, they're positively purring now.

 Apart from the 5 sets of plastic shelves for  fabrics, paints and equipment, on Sunday we put together a bookcase for my folders and sketchbooks ( just need to find them now among all the sealed book boxes...)

Now I need to find a source of the interlocking polystyrene insulation boards I like for design walls - I had to chuck my existing ones when we moved ( they already were so worn they had no corners!) Large flattened cardboard boxes aren't so effective once they've been used.
 My first Cwilt Cymru 'cynefin' quilt is finished bar the label, just 2 weeks to complete the second.

Purple Holes and New Shelving

 I've just uploaded an image of my  Journal Quilt for January ('purple holes') to the CQ Yahoo Group - I did most of the stitching on the train back from Weymouth and watching the final episode of 'War and Peace'

Over the weekend Ian and I dismantled the wardrobe that was in the alcove of my studio and I constructed another 2 sets of black plastic shelving ( now have 5) . Much better use of space ,I wonder how long it will take to fill them...
The wind is a bit alarming on the second floor! Not much sleep last night as we're not yet used to what the 'normal' sounds of our new house are.