About Carole

Artist, writer, PhD researcher and organic gardener. Twitter @carolekirk

Egg Box

EggboxYou can probably tell I’ve been less than patient with this sketch!  It is also interesting how clearly I can see all the mistakes once I’ve scanned it in.  Why can’t I see them as clearly in my sketchbook I wonder?

We buy our free-range eggs from the farm in the village.  This involves standing in the farmhouse porch which has roses rambling round it and stone bench-seats either side, often with empty egg boxes left on them.  We rattle the knocker on the heavy oak door to summon our eggs.  After some brief chit-chat with the farmer’s wife, we wait quite a few minutes while she presumably goes and finds some from wherever the hens lay them.  You don’t get much fresher than that.

My favourite egg dish is probably a good old english fry-up with fried or poached eggs.

 

Paper Bag

Colour BagB&W Bag

Click to enlarge. 

Last week’s EDM challenge was to draw a paper bag.  Challenge was the right word!  I drew this in colour pencil.  When I scanned it, the scanner was still set to black and white.  I thought it looked much better in B&W, which is interesting.  I like the tonal values, but not the combination of the colours for some reason.  It’s interesting to see what you can learn by looking at a sketch in B&W.

 

Salute

A boy stands, the light glinting
on a trumpet
clutched in his hands.
Behind, Father holds
his son’s small shoulders.

A voice sounds their names, one by one
each age pondered over
a sad reminder
of the hopes of a village
gone.

The voice stops
and boy raises trumpet.
We wait.
Two notes tremble out, followed
thoughtfully by two more.

The notes hold us still in the frosty air,
and leave an echo
to bow our heads to.
We stand
in silence.

Broken only by rustling leaves
and the bustle of engines, and shouts –
Move back there!
We can’t go anywhere!
We stand firm and shut them out

While our memories tremble
on the trumpet’s echo
and drift around
like the leaves that fall
and lie on the ground.

3D Project

Pod

Well – I’ve honestly no idea what I’m doing with design sheets, but I’ve made three anyway.  I’ve not written anything on them as I don’t know what to write.  I’ll take them to college on Wednesday and hopefully get some feedback to help me figure out what I should be doing with them.  Here they are (click to enlarge), along with a photo of the piece I like best – a pod based on the chinese lantern.

Shellsheet

Seedsheet

Podsheet

Drawing Workshop

Child's clogOld leather football bootMedieval money bag

I went to a drawing workshop today run by a commercial illustrator within a museum.  His professional work tends to be incredibly detailed, photographic quality painting.  We had a selection of objects from the museum to draw – skulls, drawstring bags, pots, candlesticks etc.  He started by suggesting we do a drawing using only lines.  He forced us to look properly and get the proportions and angles right which was good discipline for me.  We then moved onto another object and started to add tone as well.  This soon became boring for me, as it required a lot of shading – putting down one layer and then building up the tones.  I just do not have the patience to enjoy this.  He came round and started to add darker shades to my drawing to show me how this helped define the shape of the object.  However, I abandoned it without finishing it in favour of moving on to another exercise (the only one of the group to do so).  This was to use colour paper and colour pencils, thus removing the need to shade the whole thing.  You just add highlights and low lights.  Much more my thing.  I think what this has taught me is:

a) I’m not going to be an illustrator as detail bores me and makes me fidgety;

b) I probably enjoy painting because I can slap colour on quickly – none of this rub-rub-rub with the pencil;

c) I never finish anything.  What’s ‘finished’ anyway?

I guess it’s all trial and error to find the type of art techniques and materials that fit my personality. 

Chinese Lantern

Chinese Lantern

I found this a while ago at Ryton Organic Gardens.  Something about it really appeals to me, and it has substantially influenced my 3D project (as you will see later).  My art tutor was telling me how these pods hold fleshy seeds inside them, and when they fall the pod structure is strong enough to prevent the seeds from rotting on the ground.  What a clever design.

Teasel and 3D progress

TeaselWe are starting to put the finishing touches to our 3D project.  For next week, we need to create three A2 size design sheets to show how our work has progressed.  I have spent most of this afternoon taking and printing out photos to include.   I’ve also photographed drawings from my sketchbook – why draw them again?  I’ll post the design sheets here when they are finished; but meanwhile here’s some teasel.

Apples

Apples

I have had *such* bother with these.  I tried watercolour, and simply refuse to post the results.  This drawing uses colour pencils, and required a lot of layering of colour.  This takes patience, which is not my forte.  Although having said that, I did quite enjoy sitting quietly and colouring in.  It takes me right back to childhood.  I remember when I had chicken pox, Mum bought me a colouring-in book which had beautiful colour pencil landscapes on one page, and the lines for me to colour in on the other.  I think I’ve still got it in the loft.

The apples are coxes bought from Banbury farmers’ market.  They are unbelievably sweet, and the taste reminds me of Halloween.  I lived in Scotland as a child, and we went trick-or-treating.  This involved each of us preparing some kind of ‘trick’ – maybe a joke or song.  We were then given apples as treats.

More adventures with clay …

  SeedpodConkershapesFortune Pebbles

This term in art class, we’ve moved on to 3D.  This is definitely not my forte, but it is fun to play.  These are some pieces I made from clay, inspired by the idea of seeds and pods.  I do love the way that clay objects show the marks of the artist who made them. 

Ryton in Autumn


IMG_0544

Originally uploaded by krikelorac.

I’m exhausted. We’ve been toddler visiting again. They are gorgeous, but totally draining. I have an enormous amount of respect for all parents past and present. I have no idea how you do it.

Anyway, the good thing about driving North is that we get to visit Ryton Organic Gardens on the way home for their double chocolate brownie and a good dose of fresh air and inspiring gardens. The best thing is the smells – of earth, leaves, herbs, and fruit. I shall miss it when we move. Anyone know of any organic gardens in West Yorkshire?