We Are Open

We Are Open

I really enjoyed my time in the Preston Bus Station working with Derelict. I got a lot of drawings done and I’m looking at making another book from what was created during this mini residency. It was good to get out again and work with the public after so much disruption the last 18 months. I’m open to doing similar things again. It makes me want to run small classes from close to home, but it will have to be in the spring.

Inktober

Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. – Jake Parker So I decided yesterday that I would do Inktober again this year. Inktober is a challenge created by Jake Parker to try and improve drawing skills with a focus on doing an ink drawing every day in October. Last year I did a still life every day based with an improvised tool, including some dip pens I made out of clay that had varying success.  I really enjoyed making and finding different tools and…

Working Daily at Art

This is a partial follow up to 9 ways to use a sketchbook   My daily work at the moment takes many many forms, I draw, I paint and I write poetry. My wife calls me a workaholic, which is probably true but it helps keep me focused. Since May 2016 I have made an extra effort to make progress on my drawing and painting skills, so far that makes 469 continuous days. I started because I knew I either had to start working full-time at pottery and needed a hobby or I was going to get a job and…

Watch this Space…

So I was going through some pots in storage a few weeks ago and pulled out this lidded jar. It really caught my eye and I can’t stop looking at it, it is one of the last things I made before my youngest child was born. I have a feeling something similar to this will be on the cards again. They give a good variety of surfaces to carve, decorate and play with and I would like to get them into a saggar too, perhaps with a bit less decoration and let the saggar do all the work.

Tommy Kane – An Excuse to Draw

So recently I picked up Tommy Kane’s An Excuse to Draw, as a treat for myself as I reached 400 days in a row sketching, and painting.  I showed the start of the process on instagram but the randomness of my skill level changes daily and is still very frustrating. I probably wouldn’t have shared this book but there was something I discovered with the first few pages that really hit home with me.