Sonic Landscapes

 As part of  Alice Fox's 'Place- Making Winter'  course, for the last  6 months I've been recording/mapping  my  daily(ish) walks down  'Abbeyfields'  in Faversham  in different ways. 

So I was delighted to participate in  another project with Kimbal Bumstead as part of his residency at the  BasementArtsProject   this time making  audio recordings on my phone   in my 'Place'  and  then drawing from  the recording with my eyes closed, responding to the sounds and textures.  From the submissions made by the participants  he has created a   digital collage ' map'  and a 'sonic journey' to accompany it.    The result is interactive - you can move through  the 'landscape'   accompanied  by the soundtrack, highly recommended ! 

SONIC LANDSCAPES — Kimbal Quist Bumstead (kimbalbumstead.com)

Abbeyfields  1 

There was  a zoom meeting  with some of the participants talking about what they got out of it.  On many of my walks  I was aware of the  some of the  sounds (  a patch of brambles  with lots of sparrows I call the ' shouting bush ' ! )  but listening  to the recordings at  home  with headphones on  and replaying it again and again I was able to isolate and identify  far more. The crescendo  of a car or bike going past on the road; the rhythms of a dog barking ; distant clanking of boat masts, blurred conversations  and used different media and colours to try and  capture those qualities on paper. 

 A fascinating process which  I hope to repeat  which has added a new dimension and awareness to my walks .   Maybe have a go at blind stitching to the sounds  ( as on Dorothy Caldwell course) 

Abbeyfields 2

Abbeyfields 3 

Abbeyfields 4 

Kimbal's  'Sonic Landscape': screenshots of Digital Collage ( above)   and detail ( below)  

Drawing Tuesday in the Ironwork Galleries at the V&A

 

The Ironwork Galleries  at the V&A  are  full of wonderful things to draw: locks, grilles, candlesticks  and it's relatively quiet. Owning 3 pewter  vases which I've drawn  many times ( large and small scale), I was attracted to the  display cases which  housed a variety of characterful items.

I started off with a 'blind drawing' to capture quickly their quirky shapes then started  on robust ewer ( below) before giving up as the light was so poor. I then concentrated on this delightful coffee pot.  It looks  Art Nouveau rather then 1750! I love how the patterns on the lid merge with those on the body and the particular patina that you get with pewter.  



 

  Some more lovely shapes but too high up to draw without a getting a crick in your neck. Another advantage of these galleries - an eye level view of the Chihuly glass installation

Then to the members room for  lunch, coffee and custard tart ( and a look at everyone elses sketchbooks) 

 

Sketching European Armoury at the Wallace Collection

 Ian couldn't quite believe it when I said I was going  drawing armour at the Wallace Collection  on latest 'Sketching  Tuesday' with Margaret Cooter and co - he usually only gets me to go to military museums on special occasions - like his 50th birthday.    While all the ornate  furniture and old masters there don't appeal, it was a  quiet location for a museum in school holidays and  there was a lot to enjoy in the  incredible craftsmanship  of the rapiers ( and the interesting patterns of their shadows)

I started off with a blind drawing ( not looking at the paper ) , then  observing the negative shapes, before attempting to draw in greater detail in pen and graphite. It took a while to work out what was going on. As relief from all those curves, I tried to capture the qualities of the different blades ( though I think from reading the detailed book describing the case contents, they were for ceremonial rather than practical use). Some of the terminology was rather interesting too, 'quillons' was my new word of the day.