Sketchbook Explorations, Part 4

The opening exercises in Lesson 3 of Jane Davies' on-line workshop focus on shape and line together.

We began by applying water to paper, and then adding drops of ink to create random shapes. We could manipulate these shapes by tilting the paper, allowing the ink to run amok. We could lighten the results by applying a paper towel to areas where the ink had pooled, lifting some of the ink. I also spritzed water onto the paper, to encourage more randomness in the results.

Once these papers had dried, we added line, using a variety of materials (graphite pencil, charcoal, paint marker, conté crayon). Sometimes the line might outline the shape; at other times it might ignore the shape. It could be a languid line or one full of energy, scribbled or precise, confident or hesitant. The lines could be separate from each other, or echo each other, or intersect.

I think the whole exercise is about honing our observational skills (how does this line relate to this shape?) as well as encouraging a variety of line.

Our next assignment began by laying down a wash of colour to make some backgrounds.  (We had the option of using an unpainted background.) Then, we used paint to make a solid shape of any size. Next, we added a collage shape, and finally we added a third shape, using only its outline.

Some of the shapes could extend beyond the edge of the paper. Shapes could touch each other, or overlap each other, or remain separate.

We were to notice the edges of the shapes: were they soft, or brushy, or hard? Cut or torn?

Also to be noticed: rectilinear shapes vs. curving shapes...

... relative size of the shapes...

... alignment of shapes...

... busy areas vs. quieter areas...

... shapes inside shapes.

Again, these are exercises in observation, and noting all the ways of achieving variety. Even with the constraints, I'm beginning to think about composition. What do I find interesting? Why?

Continuing along with the line/shape dynamic, we made mini-compositions that conformed to our own parameters. For example, I chose to work with two shapes and one line.

It's not always clear to me whether a line functions as a line or as the outline of a shape.

Next, we were to return to some timed contour drawing that we had made in a previous exercise, and add "something" to them. Shown below are the original 60-second drawings, and the "something extra" added to them.

The teapot was painted white and a multi-coloured wash
was added to the background. (Paper wrinkled.)

Collage and watercolour were added.

This drawing has the same subject as
the one above, but was done with conté crayon,
and was left "unimproved."

The still-life sketch above was transformed

with the addition of oil pastel.

Collage and paint were added to the sketch.

Watercolour was added.

The final exercise of this Lesson 3 was to use black paint to draw the negative space in a still-life arrangement. In other words, don't outline your subject, but just go in there with your brush and paint what you discern to be the spaces between the shapes.

I like the fresh effect I can get by doing a 60-second drawing. There is often a charming, naive, and lively quality to a timed drawing.

Malcolm Gladwell's podcast series

A friend recently steered me to "Revisionist History", a podcast series from Malcolm Gladwell. As I am a fan of Gladwell's books, I was interested to access his thought-provoking ideas in another format.

I was especially intrigued by Episode 1 of Season 5, titled "Dragon Psychology 101", in which Gladwell examines the whole rationale of art museums. He makes the point that so often museums are judged on the size of their collections, and their directors are judged by how much the collection expands during their tenures.

Gladwell questions whether the high cost of maintaining and storing millions of artifacts is justified, especially if the collections are so vast that most of the holdings will never see the light of day. Perhaps government money and charitable giving would be better directed elsewhere?

Episode 2 of Season 5, "Hedwig's Lost Van Gogh", explores the dilemma of museum collections further, with a focus on deaccession and restitution. Much food for thought here.

Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism @ MMFA

The Port of Marseille, Albert Marquet, 1916, oil on canvas

More than 500 paintings, drawings, prints and posters have been assembled for this summer's blockbuster show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Amazingly, the works belong to a single private collector, who remains anonymous.

The Flowering Tree, Achille Laugé, 1893, oil on canvas

I was thrilled to visit the show on its opening day, but I plan to return soon, taking the opportunity to listen to the detailed audioguide, available free on the museum's app.

View of London, Maximilien Luce, 1893, oil on canvas

Many of the artists represented will be familiar to the casual visitor (Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Lautrec, Morisot) but other names will be new to many of us. The informative text posted alongside the works outlines some of the artistic and social issues faced by the artists of the time.

Saint-Tropez, Fontaine des Lices, Paul Signac, 1895, oil on canvas

The exhibition continues until November 15, 2020. To manage the number of people in the gallery, visitors are required to book timed tickets, either on-line or by phone.

Cruiser Decked with Flags in Antwerp, Othon Friesz, 1906, oil on canvas

Preview of upcoming auction at Heffel

Once again, Heffel will hold a live auction of fine art at its Toronto location. The Post-War and Contemporary Art will be auctioned on July 15, 2020, at 5 pm, and the Canadian, Impressionist and Modern Art will be auctioned later that day, at 7 pm.

Most of the items to be auctioned were on display at the Montreal branch of Heffel for the past three days, and I was lucky enough to catch the event. The preview has not been well-publicized, as the venue is not suitable for large crowds during this pandemic.

The Heffel Gallery in Montreal is located in a fine old mansion on Sherbrooke Street. Below are some interior shots of the preview. Sadly, they fail to capture the dazzling quality of the works on view, or the grandeur of the setting. Artists include Christopher Pratt, Alex Colville, Jean Paul Lemieux, Joan Mitchell, Emily Carr and Jean Paul Riopelle. Also represented are most members of the Group of Seven.

.

The Heffel website includes photos of all the works to be auctioned. By clicking on any image, you can access a close-up, as well as biographical information about the artist, the provenance of the painting, and the price it is expected to sell for at the auction. 

Sketchbook Explorations, Part 3

I continue to follow the activities in the downloaded course I have purchased from Jane Davies, which I first posted about here. Lesson 2 of the program has us working with circles.

The first activity is to make circles in as many ways as possible. We are not to consider "composition", just go for variety: using as many techniques as possible to make circles and ovals. I chose to limit myself to black and white.

Here are some of the techniques I used:

• stamping with rubber stamps
• stamping with bottom of paint bottle
• collage with painted deli paper
• fat marker, donuts
• thin and medium markers, pebbles
• graphite crayon, scribbled and smudged
• watercolour crayon, wetted
• stencilling pattern 
• smudged charcoal
• circles with interrupted line
• smudging into circle using a stencil
• smudging outside mask
• circle cut from rectilinear paper, collaged
• circles scribbled with marker

Here are some of the aspects I observed:

• solid circles vs. donuts vs. outlined circles
• circles extending beyond edge of paper
• circles-in-circles
• circles touching circles
• overlapping circles
• circles in a grid
• circles in a line
• variety of size

Following up in this next part of Lesson 2, we are asked to fill a page with circles, then go back in with a second medium to augment the first layer.

The solid circles, in a grid layout, were made with
paint markers, then decorated with silver paint.

These circles touch each other. They were made
with a white china marker, and then a dilute wash
of acrylic paint was applied. Collaged deli paper
fills in some of the larger shapes.

More circles that touch each other.They were made
with water-soluble crayon, wetted, and then
 scribbled circles were added with a white paint marker.

Overlapping circles were made with acrylic paint.
Then a black marker filled in lines in the background,
including the circular holes.

The last part of the lesson was to use circles to suggest something spare and airy...

then something claustrophobic...

then something that combined open and airy with claustrophobic....

Finally, the assignment asked us to use circles to create a sense of direction...

then a sense of rhythm...

then a sense of "narrative".

For sure, we are being put through our paces. I'm happy to be following this course with two friends, so we can share ideas and observations.