Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Barbed

Barbed wire study
graphite

I'm still awaiting the fate of my laptop so I'm rather in limbo when it comes to reproducing images unless I could lug everything to work, scan it there then put it on a usb stick and bring it home again. Desperation may take over if the laptop's not back soon!

As usual, I have several things happening at once. I played a little with one of the koi in the greenhouse when I got home from work today. It was still fairly frozen so I didn't get good prints and will let the fish thaw completely before trying again. The one decent print I got is quite promising as the scale pattern is prominent, almost reminiscent of a pinecone. I also discovered that koi have very sharp spines in their dorsal fin...

I spent tonight fighting with the initial drawing of Cath Sheard's mother whose portrait I am doing. Cath, if you remember, won my birthday portrait. I've decided to complete it in watercolour and have laid down the first washes. Watercolour always leaves me holding my breath til it does what I want it to do. Cross your fingers, so far, so good.

Not having new work to show you, I've dug out a barbed wire study that was the start of a piece still to come into being. I don't often share rough studies as I figure not many want to see the dirty side of work. I want this drawing to be a large piece, a full sheet perhaps to provide impact and perhaps in charcoal. Drawing something fairly mundane in a close view turns it into something entirely different. The curves and shadows around the sharp edged wire create art, not barriers. It always amazes me.

6 comments:

Rose Welty said...

I love to see the "dirty side of work". I find it rather fascinating!

"Drawing something fairly mundane in a close view turns it into something entirely different." This kind of thing I also was find interesting...and really proves the point about shapes and values being the important stuff.

Jo Castillo said...

I'm with Rose, I like to see the nitty gritty, too. This piece of barbed wire is just lovely (never thought I would say that, I have been poked with it a few times). :)

Jeanette Jobson said...

Yes I guess there is some appeal is seeing what are almost 'thoughts' come out on paper and move to a finished piece.

I'm a detail freak at heart... :)

Its great to explore something ordinary isn't it Jo? You see things in it that you'd never have thought of before. Barbed wire now becomes a feat of engineering through a pencil.

Jennifer Rose said...

hopefully you didn't cut yourself badly on the dorsal fin (I should have mentioned that about the fins, neighbours had big koi that when they had to transfer to a different pond had to wear gloves in case they had to pick one up by hand)

I like seeing rough studies. Serves two purposes, one to show that other artists can have rough starts to their work too, and it gives me a better idea about how artists work from start to finish. :)

Anita said...

lovely drawing - symbollic of the way you feel about winter?

Jeanette Jobson said...

The spines took me by surprise Jennifer and came through the glove I was wearing. However, no damage done. I should have examined the beast more carefully first of all.

Anita, this could symbolize so many things right now, its scary! Winter is or was loosening its grip. Then there's tomorrow's forecast of a 'high' of -10C. Spring. Sigh.