I’m teasing you here, showing you a bigger little bit of my collaboration with graffiti artist Unity. It will be revealed on Thursday at the opening of “International Women’s Day: Swansea Creatives” at Swansea’s Cinema & Co.
A Snippet Of Inspiration
Another snippet of my collaboration with the artist Unity….about the women who have inspired our art …. something that will be revealed on International Women’s Day ……. see below …..
Stretching My Creativity
It’s International Women’s Day in just under a week and I’m collaborating with the artist Unity on a new piece for the exhibition at Swansea’s Cinema & Co. The concept is based on those women who have influenced us creatively. The finished piece will be 1.5 x 1 metres and on canvas, which I’m not used to working on. I’ve been using conté crayons over the spray painted base laid down by Unity originally. We’re both pretty excited by our collaboration, it’s not something I normally do but it’s stretching my creativity and I think I’ll be up for more in future.
A sketch of a friend relaxing in a chair, using sanguine and white conté crayons and a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen, size M into my A4 hardbacked sketchbook that I had previously prepared with pieces of brown wrapping paper stuck in with Pritt gluestick. Relaxed pose, relaxed drawing.
A Delicate Tracery
I spent an hour or so making drawings of the same tree during my visit to Dinefwr Park last Sunday. I’ve never tried drawing a single tree before and certainly hadn’t done several studies. It was interesting moving around the tree and drawing from different angles and also varying my use of drawing media. In this, my final drawing, I used my home-made walnut ink and a brush to block in the tree that was lying prone on the ground. Then I drew the strong lusty new growth in sweeping upward strokes of white conté crayon. Finally, with a sanguine conté I made jagged marks in the walnut ink while it was still wet and then sketched a delicate tracery of shadows on the white tree trunks. I’ve never worked like this before, the experience has given me a creative boost.
I joined a group of creative women just last Sunday, a women’s circle brought together the artist Fern Smith, a recipient of a Creative Wales Award who has organised “Seven Sundays in Spring: All The Women I’ve Ever Met“. This, the second, was in the 18th century landscape of Dynefor Park in Llandeilo.
Reaching Lustily Skywards
I joined a group of creative women just last Sunday, a women’s circle brought together the artist Fern Smith, a recipient of a Creative Wales Award who has organised “Seven Sundays in Spring: All The Women I’ve Ever Met“. This, the second, was in the 18th century landscape of Dynefor Park in Llandeilo. We walked in silent contemplation in the medieval Deer Park which was idyllic in the cold but bright Spring sunshine. I spent quite a bit of time drawing one tree. It had fallen and lay prone on the ground covered in moss, just a fraction of its original root system still anchoring it into the ground. But out of the twisted body of the fallen tree sprang large, strong trunks reaching lustily skywards.
I had taken a pot of my home-made walnut ink and some brushes, it seemed appropriate to draw the tree with ink made from the fruit of a tree. The ink is lovely to use, like drawing with liquid silk. I drew in sweeping broad strokes, capturing the essence of the shapes before me, rather than the detail in them.
International Women’s Day: Swansea Artists
After the terrific exhibition on International Women’s Day last year, Swansea’s Cinema & Co is hosting another show by Swansea-based artists again this year, from March 8th to 20th. There is an opening event on Thursday March 8th from 18.00 – 20.30 with performances, films and a few extra surprises as well as the formal exhibition of 2D-ish art.
This year’s exhibiting artists are Aida Garton, Ally Jay Phillips, Alyson Williams, Amber Hiscott, Amelia Thomas (Unity), Amy Goldring, Angie Stevens, Ann Jordan, Ann Lucas, Carol Lawrence, Catrin Jones, Chris Bird-Jones, Claudia Mollzahn, Emma Cownie, Fran Williams, Hana Scoular, Kara Seaman, Kat Ridgeway, Kathryn Trussler, Kate Bell, Laura Niehorster, Leanne Vaughan Phillips, Louisa Helen Johnson, Lynne Bebb, Nazma Botanica, Natie M Davies, Patricia McKenna Jones, Rose Davies (Scribblah), Rosy Ind, Rhona Tooze, Sally Davies, Sally Price, Tina Wisby.
The celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a hundred years. Its roots were in the campaign to win votes for women and it was ratified by the United Nations in 1977 as a day for women’s equality and world peace.
Pyjamas And An Early Night
I was out and about in the countryside today, walking and drawing in the Deer Park near Dinefwr Castle in Llandeilo with a group of inspirational women. It was very bright and sunny but also bitterly cold – two pairs of fingerless gloves just to be able to hold the pens and conté crayons. Came home and changed straight into my pyjamas and I’ll be heading for an early night.
Collaboration In Progress
Something that’s gestating, something that’s a collaboration with the artist Unity, something that will be revealed on International Women’s Day ……..
Creativity, Comfort And Curveballs
And here’s the final drawing I did at the creative salon organised by the artist Fern Smith, a recipient of a Creative Wales Award . It was the first of “Seven Sundays in Spring: All The Women I’ve Ever Met“ , hosted by the glass artist Chris Bird-Jones.
I found it not only creative but also very comforting. Life has been throwing some nasty curveballs lately and I was very grateful for the chance to spend a day with such creative and supportive women. I knew about half of the women already and the rest I had never met. It was lovely being with an intergenerational group, from women in their 60s (maybe 70s?) all the way down to a baby girl of seven months. I drew into an A4 hardbacked sketchbook that had been prepared with ripped brown paper stuck in with Pritt Stick, drawing with white, black and sanguine conté crayon and Faber Castell Pitt drawing pens, sizes S and M.
If you want to find out more about “Seven Sundays In Spring“, here’s Fern’s blog about it.
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