I Walk the Line: New Australian Drawing

A favourite past-time of mine is to draw (copy) for memory.  Actually my on-site sketches started off more as diary entrees than finished works.  But apart from those I often copy inspiring images, especially at gallery's (which do not allow photographs).  

By copying you focus much more intently on the image, more so than just taking a photo or looking.  It's more of a searching.  I always feel like learning how to draw is similar to learning how to see.  

The same way an engineer or a photographer will be aware of different things: underlying structures, the amount and type of light etc, so too will you become more aware of how an image works and was made.  I guess everyone picks up on the different reasons and qualities inherent in things.  Even within the arts, someone might be more disposed to colour while another to structure.

For me drawing helps me understand both physical space as well as 2D composition.  By copying you can see the reasons behind the visual choices, you also start to see the image as a set of processes.  

For you photoshoppers out there its similar to considering how many layers an image has and what order they needed to be placed in.   

Anyway thats enough of me rambling, above are just some copies from the Drawing show at the MCA.

The show is on till the 24th of May, and is worth the visit.

I am in love with Laith McGregor.  Everyone needs to watch his video 'Maturing'.

Michael Esson's Mixed Metaphors

Michael Esson's work is mind blowing, 

Nothing can really be said except that he holds a class at my university where you draw dead people.

Unfortunately his show at Manly Art Gallery is over.

Above is but a sketch I made of one of his massive drawings, to see the real work is something completely different.

Most of his work is over a meter or two meters large, and there is a wonderful, unapologetic focus of drawn images. Of describing objects through purely dry mediums with various styles.

There are too many painters around, 

Hurray for people who draw!

Mooks Artspace: My pet

Came across Mooks Artspace monthly competition while checking out Monster Children:  An Australian gallery, publication and general community.

Similar to Illustration friday, with the exception of time, and a prize! (or possible prizes).  If you win and then win again and perhaps win some more out of a draw of winners.... you might get a free exhibition with Monster Children!

Well a girl can dream...

Still out of those winners who aren't multiple winners of winners you can still get some great things.

Check out Mooks Artspace here

Illustration Friday: impossibility

At first for this illustrations friday I was going to do something with Escher's impossible landscapes and shapes, my particular favourite is everyone bounding about in a spiderman fashion on 360 degree stairs.

But I decided that was a bit boring, and played around with finding your way around impossible spaces.  Someone mentioned GPS and I found my image.

Originally I was going to have someone holding a faulty map trying to get somewhere but I prefer the lack of negotiation you can get with a machine.  A map will never tell you where to go, it just shows you the roads and lets you mess up by yourself.  GPS, google maps and my friend hannah are didactic minions of hell! (I'm joking I love you google maps! ... oh and you too Hannah)

Machines will not take no for an answer, or 'wait I think there has been construction since you last updated because there is a park in the way of this road...how do I get to the place I want to go now?'

It is either "TURN LEFT AND WALK 50 FEET UNTIL REACH DESTINATION" or you turn the thing off.

So there is my impossible: impossible instructions.

I also added a 'start' similar to those you get in little puzzles, just to emphasize the drawing style of the buildings and the maze like quality of the city. 

(and record time! 4 hours!)

A cafe not like the others

I've been to cafe's and bookstores

and cafe bookstores, or bookstore cafes,

I've also been to cafe-flower stores

cafe art galleries, art gallery cafes

cafe bars and cafe stalls.

But until today I have never been in a bicycle shop cafe.

I have to admit I had a terrible chai and a strong coffee, 

but I got some of the best cafe eavesdropping I've had in a while.

Also good music, and my dad owns a bicycle store so I'm biased towards the environment.

Also random fact:

the barista of bar bici, and one of the bike mechanics went to COFA (art university in Sydney)...place I am studying at now.

Though back then it was called something different.

I've run into other ex-COFA's while on-site drawing.

The barista and general cafe-man Richard at Luxe Espresso (Bondi Junction cafe)

also studied there. 

Below is an image of Luxe, with terrible terrible photoshop colouring-I did it a year ago.

And below below that are some images of the mural I did at their cafe of their cafe.

     

Sorry no wide angle lens = no half-decent image of the mural.

It's a lovely cafe, with the best giant oatmeal cookies and cupcakes I have ever had,

Also while I was doing the mural, another ex-COFA:

the very modest co-founder of Dinosaur designs.

Was in having snacks with her daughter.

Ex-cofa's are everywhere! 

Though out of the statistics it looks like I should start learning how to make coffee...

birds

A lot of people have issues with pigeons, 

I personally find them very beautiful.  They are also very abundant and will usually hang around in one spot when not disturbed.  Perfect drawing subject.

I have also included a seagull, 

I hate seagulls

they are very aggressive unhappy birds.

But my friends at art school call me the seagull due to my devouring skills at gallery openings.

I can't help it,

I love cheese and dip.

So I'll just pretend that I have an affinity to the bird 

due to my namesake.   

Illustration Friday Poise

This week's Illustration friday: Poise,
much too tired to blog properly, once again sitting in University computer room on a friday night.
Wish this was Illustration thursday.

Nevertheless I will now pop down to the pub nearby and see if friends are still around: 12:44am
horrible horrible time...