Thursday, July 14, 2011

'Colours of Nature' Workshop at Percolator Gallery - 9th July


On Saturday, July 9th, this group came along for the second workshop at the gallery. Another wonderful group - we started with drawing to music ... bit not just any music... it requires something quite atmospheric, perhaps ambient or classical music works well... something distinctive but with varying moods and dynamics ideally.

Drawing with one's non-dominant hand is the task... and standing up works better. By the third piece of music we had moved around and paired people off to converse on paper. It night have been chilly but the mood was far from it.

getting used to drawing with the left hand and sharing the paper is quite a task...


music pulls one into a very particular space...and then when that space is shared
its a whole other thing!


an interesting ways to be with someone you've not met before....



working with a grid to explore colours that are usually ignored



this participant was a very fine drawer usually working in black and white exclsively ... so this was quite a departure!



once gain... exploring the unloved colours to see what could come of it!

In the afternoon we worked to prepare grounds that were quickly painted using a variety of processes and sticking heavily with colours outside each person's usual range. The idea was to completely avoid white... but to stay away from safe or known colours.

When those grounds were dry the class worked with the various natural objects at hand ... allowing some of the accidental effects of the paint surface to play apart in the drawings.


pomegranate as the starting point for this work ... really liked what was happening here with the colours.



the black seaweed skeleton on the left is actaully the real item ... we  were quite fascinated at how the composition in the background made such a fabulous base foe the drawing in white ink... had to leave the black seaweed juxtaposed like this for the photo. 



A wonderful background for these delicate leaves



what a pleasure to see these colours underlying the drawing of the pods.



something quite haunting about this one... love that the colours have shifted into another realm ...
 the nuances of colours in nature can invite us to think more about the particularity of things...



everyone was so busy in the afternoon... more and more work seeemed to be flowing from this table.






participants took such joy for their experiments with colours, the layering and transforming of ideas.



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a small macadamia seed in it half open pod ... this one went through various stages with it colour rendering
exciting to see it grow into something strong and rich with colours layered over one another.



interesting layers  and things happening in this one



the visual diary tracing the origins of the found natural objects. 



working with layering of white ink over thick oil pastel

 There was a lot of energy in this class ... considerable work started, ideas to take home and continue on with!



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Blogging for me is an extension of keeping a journal which I have done in various forms over the decades. The difference being this is not a closed book! I like that it offers an opportunity to explore that which concerns me as an artist and as an individual about living and participating in this vastly complex, unquestionably exciting yet unnerving time in human history. Through the blog I hope to increase the possibilties for cross-pollination which I believe can strengthen the sense of being part of something both personal and universal that is vital, expansive and refreshing.