Patrick

 Some time in the late 1970s I bought an African mask from a jumble sale at the Old Grammar School in Hales Street, Coventry. I paid 10p for it. I guess it dates from the 1960s. There's an attached label from the Zambian (?) tourist authorities explaining something of its manufacture. (I'll try to remember to post a picture here when I have it to hand.) I love that the craftsman's name is Patrick. There's something of the truth of colonialism in it. I can imagine the Irish missionaries, far, far frim home, preaching the love of God. Anyway. I digress. I've ever since called the mask "Patrick" in honour of its creator.

It's a lovely thing to draw. So being at a loose end today, I delved back into my old drawings and did this little print of Patrick. A postcard from the tourism of the past.

Naked woman in a red chair - Alternative colourway

 I decided to put the print forward for a forthcoming group exhibition. While writing up the blurb for the label I realised that a lot of what this one is about is simplification. A couple of angles to suggest perspective, a flat red shape for the chair.

So I decided ti simplify the colours as well. Keep the red chair and then use browns for the other two - making the over all effect reddish. I'd got some purple in a jar from a recent failed print, so I used that as the basis for the brown, with more or less extender for the two shades,

The over all effect is more subtle than the "full colour" version, but I think it's better.

Naked woman in a red chair

 It's taken me a while to post about this cuz it's bigger than A4 so didn't fit the scanner. I've also lost the battery charger for the camera. So I've had to resort to joining two scans together. You can see the join, but it's not too bad.

Because my studio is now in a public space I find myself having to pursue something by way of entertaining the people, if for no other reason. So this. I just worked up a drawing because it was there. It's quite good really. It forces me to try something and not agonize too much about it.

I think I might reprint this in a different colour way at some future point. I can see this one in shades of grey...

Life Model

 Not quite finished,yet. I need to work on the surface she is sitting on, but I thought I'd post at this stage anyway, I'll add the finished print at the bottom when it's done. Next weekend, probably.

Last night was a newly resurrected Life Drawing session at the local Art Gallery and Museum. It's been getting on for four years since the last time they did it. Since then it's been on hiatus due to lockdowns and reorganisations.

I hadn't realised how much I'd missed these. So here's a little celebration card based on one of last night's drawings.

In the end I decided not to add any background detail. So I just tidied it up and printed using dark blue ink,

Arty Alex

 

Another go at imagining Princess/Queen Alexandra as an artist. Wanted something simple that would work in any size. I like that she looks quite determined. She has what I consider the minimum signifiers of Alexandra: the long thin face; the hair piled up on top; the high neckline. It's enough, I think.

Rabbit Woman

 Needed something to greet the Year of the Rabbit. Year of the Tiger has been a bit... rough. So time for a change. Time to let the Rabbit Woman take over.

Rugby Artists and Makers "Full Spectrum" Exhibition

 This year's group exhibition begins next Tuesday 24th January - Floor One Gallery at RAGM. There's work from 44 artists this year, so it'll be a packed show.

I decided to go with the Pink Chrysanthemum print that didn't make it in Rugby Open. The exhibition runs concurrently with the last 2 weeks of the Open, so maybe the Chrysanth will bask in the reflected glory of the other two.