As I begin to conclude my work and to reflect on the content and what I have learned, it is very clear that the research undertaken and my memories have both impacted on the drawings I have created. My tutor for Advanced Practice commented that there was a good narrative on the selection of work so far and the titles.
The next image is from the memory of watching a training video with a leading paediatrician. It is of a baby being fed food that is too hot. Some important issues stay in your mind and the baby kept pulling away from the spoons of hot food and you could see the steam. I tried to emulate this image and I decided to draw it in the indian red conte crayon. This is my third drawing using this colour and the other two worked well. If I can exhibit, the ones with some colour will be near the beginning of the walk through. I completed the drawing quickly so didn’t take any photos of work in progress. The image is below. I didn’t want to draw injuries of children and this image is of potential and unwitting harm to a child. I say unwitting as some parents are unaware that the food is too hot. Its part of learning to be a parent. This I guess is my most gruesome drawing. There is some fear in the child’s eyes, I have inserted a couple of tears and his mouth is downturned. His one hand is coming up in an attempt to stop the spoon. I’m not sure about this drawing and I didn’t use much wet brush. I do want to darken the background a little. The curator hasn’t seen this drawing so I may see what she advises.
My next image is of a relief sculpture. I was really inspired by the work of Kathe Kollwitz and a bronze sculpture. I include her image below.
I had in my mind the mother and child in a gaze and a mothers hand cupping the head of the child. I just love the strong narrative of the grief in this image and the beautifully formed hands. I decided on my sculpture being done in white air drying clay. I don’t know if this will work but I have to give it a try. Adding sculpture into the mix also adds variety for the viewer. It would be good if I could create either a smile from the mother. In contrast maybe she is holding a dead child’s head and she’s grief stricken. I’m unsure but the smile is more appealing. As I begin this project I work on trying to work the two faces separately into a wooden frame. I created a babies face based on my friends child as a baby. As it dried it shrank away from the frame so if I used a frame for display I would need to probably glue it. My preference would be for it to stand alone upright as the Kollwitz sculpture seems to do. The image below is very rough but it gave me a good feel for what the task ahead involves. The clay and it’s properties are still a bit of a mystery. It does seem to dry hard and is quite sturdy but I’m not sure how it will cope with being carved or with using a Dremel tool. If this sculpture doesn’t work it doesn’t matter as I have enough drawings.
The next image below shows my equipment poised at the ready.
I shall work outside as the weather is good. I unwrap each pack of clay and begin to kneed them all together. It’s quite tough doing this but it’s important to do this to eliminate any air and to avoid cracks. I work on the tray I used for the experimental head but I want this to stand if it will. The image below is as I leave it today. I need to adjust the hand and thumb as this isn’t right. The baby’s head is okay. Mothers whole face needs some attention both images have eyes shut at present. I let dry and will reflect on the way forward.
It’s taken several days to dry and for me to be able to prize off the base. It has dried quite hard and it is solid. There are one or two cracks but they are not major just surface ones. I did put out in the sun for a while so maybe this wasn’t good. Its quite ambitious to undertake this but I always like to rise to a challenge.
I let dry and then work on this a little more. It does actually stand vertically upright! It still needs a lot of work and I’ve made a start on the hand. The woman’s face also needs a lot of work. I like the concept so I will persevere.
I also work today on what might also be my final drawing. As I keep reflecting on the children and the coffin like flowers, I also like to think that they are free like birds flying. A murmuration of birds and I can’t hep but think of the story Jonathon Livingston Seagull. It is a fable. It’s about a gull who keeps trying to be the best bird in flight. Its a very symbolic book about how we all strive to achieve and encounter the ups and downs in life. I like to think of the children flying off together on mass and achieving great heights as Jonathon did.
I start to work on a canvas 24x36ins as this is the same size as some of the other works. I have a video about the murmuration of starlings on the Somerset Levels. I watched this and took a couple of stills from the video as my inspiration and reference. My images would look very different as they are in charcoal. A couple of the images are below
I haven’t cropped these but will use for reference. The one below shows some of the birds.
This image is quite dense with the birds but my drawing will be with a symbolic few.
My drawing begins and I take the first photo. My equipment is below.
This second photo shows the beginning of the drawing.
I keep working at this. I darken the undergrowth and start to build up the trees. I also include quite a few of the birds. I’m still using the techniques of smudging, rubbing in and out and using the different size sticks of charcoal. For the birds I use charcoal pencil for a sharper edge. Another thing I learn with this drawing is that you need to be mindful of the frame at the back of the canvas. As I drew onto the middle section the frame made an impression on my canvas. After managing to rub this out I packed the back of the canvas between the frame and the surface to avoid it doing this. All was not lost! This drawing isn’t complete but ifI can work it to a good standard I like the idea and what it also represents.
Endless Possibilities 