decorative arts - more tiles

The pomegranate has a wide number of symbolic meanings including prosperity, fertility, abundance and hope.

The pomegranate motifs also has a many meaning in different cultures and appears in many Christian religious paintings.

sketch club

Our model Kit is a tall lanky guy - though the men in my family are tall I am not used to seeing such a thin body and I had great difficulty drawing him - all the poses from where I was sitting seemed impossible and the last one was the worst but turned out by far the best drawing.  I had a view which contained challenges of hair, foreshortened arms and there were fingers! Being too lazy to move I worked on drawing and was really chuffed with my result.  PS - I used a pastel pencil

Cheers

progressing with pears

1. 

Played with charcoal and then added some pastel to ground it.

Masks

I would love to say this fellow was my own design - it is so lively and full of cheek.  I am sure that he is singing as he does not look at all scary.   I love the way the curved  central line alters the face and how I view it.

I have been reading books on Oceanic and African art: this is a wooden mask from the Kwilu region in the Congo.

In particular I have been looking at carved , painted and woven patterns for inspiration and noting them in my journal.  In my minds eye I can see stamped, appliquéd and embellished wall hangings.  It is yet to happen of course but I am enjoying playtime in my head space.

decorative arts

This a close up of some decorative tiles on a house in Croydon NSW.   There are a row of houses - each with a different set of tiles on them.  They are a delight to see and I am so glad that just about all the owners refrained from painting over or removing them.

   

The likes of ceramics, tiles, jewellery and embellished textiles have been consigned to the field of decorative art.   Wikipedia suggests that the terms decorative arts is traditionally a term for the design and manufacture of functional objects. It includes interior design, but not usually architecture. The decorative arts are often categorized in opposition to the "fine arts", namely, painting, drawing,photography, and large-scale sculpture, which generally have no function other than to be seen. Decorative arts, or furnishings, may be fixed (for example, wallpaper), or moveable (for example, carpets). Applied art includes the decorative arts but also graphic design and other categories, such as industrial design, which may overlap with decorative art. In general the term "decorative art" is not much used of contemporary work, which tends to be called design whereas in art history the terms minor arts or lesser arts have been used which explains the contempt often expressed by those focused on 'fine art'.  Here is the link to Wiki to read more.

In my mind an artist created these little gems.  I will post more photos over time.

practising drawing

I didn't make it to sketch club last night.  However I have been practising my drawing.  I was taken by a photo of an African boy with scars on his face and had a go at copying it using charcoal.

stitchers plus

My home group at the Embroiderers' Guild NSW  met on Saturday.  Much chat and show and tell took place.  Jenny has posted some of the 'show' on Stitchers Plus blog.   Charterhouse rules apply to the 'tell' bit.

sketch club

Renata - a ten minute sketch

weekend done and dusted

Had a busy weekend one way or another  - I sat on the Embroiderers' Guild NSW information booth/stall on Saturday and had  a good time gas bagging to one and all.  I didn't take any stitching with me and ended up buying a jumbo crochet bag kit and started it (with a bit of help from Catherine - ta).   It was a bit like wielding a crow bar  -  I am tempted to look about for a hook that is a better crafted - the one that came with the kit has no shape to it and the fabric strips were difficult ti ease off the hook as I tend to be a bit tight with my tension.\

And I have been drawing again and tried playing with a pattern from the pear  I spoke of earlier in the week - I will keep at it  -  never know what might come up.
And  of course I drew a bit more fruit ...

 And I worked on a piece for the MAPS exhibition  I will put a photo up when I am happy with it..

shadows

Had a pear on the table this morning and was captivated by the shadows cast by the overhead lights - think I need to darken th shadows a bit more but this will do for the time being  -  I could do another I guess and see how it goes.

The shadow lines  and patterns could be echoed very nicely in appliqué and  stitch  - I should try that too I guess :-)  I haven't posted much embroidery of late but have been working on a number of pieces for an exhibition which opens at the end of the month.  For more on this visit the MAPS link on the side bar.

painting

I went to a free introductory drawing and painting class with Art Est today and was challenged by apples and a limited palette of Blue and burst sienna.  Had a fun time.

more collage