On Friday, the last day of summer school, we were working in colour. We had an excellent model, Rachel, who was holding long poses. She was from Alaska, usual job was an actress, and we can look out for her in Call the Midwife this autumn, where she is playing a pregnant woman at one of the clinics.
In the morning we had one long pose, where I was positioned behind her, so drew her arms linked behind her head. I tried out my new Art Bars - water soluble crayons. Very vibrant colour. I was trying to draw with expressive colour. I had never tried this before, so it needs some refinement but is worth more practice. I limited myself to 3 colours, red, blue and yellow. It ended up very bold! Then I tried a sideways view of the model, outlining in 3 colours and washing in with water. More subtle.
Reflecting on Life Class, I think it was a week very well spent. I found Vavara Neiman to be an excellent tutor, able to adjust her style to varying levels of experience. Shirley, who has only had one weekend class in the last 30 years, got as much out of the summer school as I did, so I was very pleased. I completed 32 drawings (20% of what I need to do for my summer project) and it gave me time to reflect on some ideas about women's work. I need to spend more time drawing hands. Specifically women's hands occupied in women's work. It reinforced that my drawing style is better when I use textured tonal value and work fairly quickly and confidently. On the one hand, I need to draw actual hands, but on the other, maybe I could start by photographing hands doing women's work and spend some time looking at them thoroughly. I am seeing my friend Pat today, so maybe she will let me photograph her hands.
I have been looking at Laura Kemshall's blog, and found her account of her latest workshop very interesting. she ran a mixed media workshop, making papers, printing and collaging, finishing by photographing selected artworks for printing on fabric via digital printer. I would have very much liked to attend this workshop, but I was already booked to do Missenden summer school. But I am booked to do Maggie Tweed's mixed media concertina book workshop at Missenden later this month, and a linocut workshop at V&A early September. Now I have an embryo of an idea about women's work and hands, maybe I can work up some interesting artwork. No idea yet of how or what to apply it to, but that, fortunately, is of absolutely no concern. Getting the idea is good enough at this stage!
I am still fuelling the thought processes at present. I am off to hear Pennina Barnett speak tonight about Cloth and Memory, then Festival of Quilts with Esther on Thursday, and Drawing and Monoprints at City Lit on Sunday. In between times I am reading Elizabeth Wayland Barber's history of women and textiles "Women's Work". I am on a roll again. Life is good.
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