I feel becalmed – no pressing deadlines, most illustration commissions done and dusted, no linocuts in progress . . . I am even between galleries (I can tell you more about that later this week).
I need to do something about this and get the wind back in my sails!
Yesterday, while I was saving the roses from the gale, I found myself attracted to the seed heads in the garden borders – so I picked those too.
Back in the studio I got the tools ready – drawing pens (I still have a stash of these leftover from a massive illustration project a few years ago) and watercolour paints. No pencils. No rubbers. I needed to make myself look hard and make marks – there will be no such thing as wrong marks.
I taped a large sheet of lovely sturdy Fabriano paper onto the studio wall – I used to use this paper for life-drawing sketches in acrylic paint, it has a textured but not very absorbant surface.
I found that I was drawing the seed heads at very slightly larger than life size. I held each stem in my hand and drew quickly observing the strange shapes . . . and very slowly I began to enjoy just looking and drawing.
I added colour to the leaves and decided to leave the seed heads uncoloured – I can feel that I've started to move in a new direction (not sure where yet!) but it's good to be drawing again.
Celia
x
Love the large size! The flowers are stunning and have such personality against the neutral white of the paper.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! I love botanical drawings!
ReplyDeleteI love seed heads too, but so far am not brave enough to tackle them with my new watercolours. Actually I'm not brave enough to tackle anything with them yet!
ReplyDeleteI love the large paper - the whole thing is stunning.
How lovely! You still have the knack. The paper reminds me of using Double Elephant when I was in art college. I must, absolutely must, start drawing and painting again.
ReplyDeleteOooh I love this! I have lots of white painted walls at home so if you run out of paper....
ReplyDeleteIt looks very exciting Celia.
ReplyDeletehow lovely! this would make, among other things, a wonderful wallpaper border.
ReplyDeleteCelia, it's pretty clear to this viewer that you are on to a new direction. I love the idea of keeping pencils and erasers out of reach, and just letting each mark you make have staying power, resonance.
ReplyDeleteFabriano paper! I always loved their Artistico paper for drawing, painting and ... if my memory holds, printmaking, too.
Please do show us more from this series of drawings. xo
Very pretty. Like Inkline Prints, I too love botanical drawings. I've recently taken up lino printing. I'm not a brilliant artist, but I'm really enjoying just creating pics. I love your prints, they are so striking.
ReplyDeleteDawn x
That is just too lovely for words. I love the subject matter. I love the scale. I love the white space of it... but most of all I love that you have the confidence in your own skills to pick the best quality paper and go for it. I envy that and love this work. Lesley
ReplyDeleteI like your new direction. Very very much.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous-nature is the best teacher and you are a very fine pupil.
ReplyDeletebeautiful, as ever, Celia!
ReplyDeleteSo, so beautiful. Keep on moving into that new direction...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful drawing and painting Celia, seed heads are a joy aren't they, so structural and sculptural. I wonder where this new piece will lead.................. Vanessa xxx
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