November 2020

I‘ve been experimenting with my own analog collage and some cyanotype/ sunprinting.  The sunprinting took a while to work out arranging layers and which objects gave the best effects.  I found a map Manhattan that I printed onto acetate, then used it as a background to a layered image of a feather and a sprig of dried flowers from my garden.

I’ve had a couple of AUB Print Room inductions during Progression week,  Intaglio and Screen printing

Foundation – Fine Art Workshop – paper sculpture with Luke Mintowtczyz I liked the freedom to express myself through the work I created in this session.  We began with making a small sculpture from modelling clay, with someone in mind that we are fond of.  Then to do a loose sketch of our small sculpture, with a pencil attached to a long willow stick. For some reason I was channelling Gerald Scarfe’s teacher from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”.  Not a likeness in any way of my small sculpture of with the clay! Next to create a paper sculpture, as large as we could.  I enjoyed this creative freedom,  using a large amount of folded concertina-style pleats, some tracing paper to add light and texture.  The result was abstract, and according to another student looked a bit like Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’.  Some artists I was recommended to investigate further: Naum Gabo, Rodchenko, Russian Constructivism … Popova and some other great collages from this time. They were abstract, bold and severe, reflecting art for the masses in a utilitarian and industrial style.

Zoom AUB Textiles/collage-making workshop

I experimented in “painting with scissors”,  mark making which referenced Laura Horn’s Collage Art, and Matisse’s repeat and layered patterns using negative space. (Yay, let loose with scissors!)

Online lecture this week from the Architecture Degree course:
 Si Newell  talking about Urban Sketches

He gave some good tips for sketching “plein air” and shared sketchbooks and stories from travels around the world. ( Beirut, Xavea, Southampton…)   Lots of interesting buildings and vistas. I asked the dumbest question of  “ Do you count the windows precisely in your buildings? I always struggle to get the right number when I sketch architecture…”    There was some undisguised eye rolling from a few of the BA Architecture students.

https://www.si-newell.com/blog

Some of the things I’ve been creating this month so far ….