March 2018
The overall comments of my tutor is positive – he sees the work as “a successful body of work again – varied, systematic, well-observed studies” This obvious is great encouragement and I realise I have made some progress and learnt a lot during this drawing course. He commented on my research notes in so much that I could make the relation back to my own practice and learning. I added one of Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrom’s latest work as picture on this blog – I do find her work very creative and explorative – do need to learn from her!
On the projects of part four
I value that my tutor could see that I have taken somewhat of a liberty and kept testing my ideas – not being too precious about what I was drawing – going a bit beyond what it says in the course material? I did enjoy the process very much. I realise the potential to keep developing, extending these experiments. I do feel constraint with fact that life drawing classes are not the thing to be done here in Dubai. I am trying to find a group within a university set up, where I would hopefully be able to develop these skills further.
My tutor made me aware of one of the drawings – a loose one where I blurred the head and how this changed the composition and showed the contrasts of light and dark – he encouraged this aspect of my drawing. I also realise that I did not do very much line work during these exercises up to now. I have tried difficult angles and foreshortening and at least it did work out. I did most of my drawings on big cheap paper – mostly with charcoal sticks or pencils. I see this as learning and do not feel precious about the drawings.
Assignment
I am happy that my tutor could see the learning that occurred during my figure drawing classes I was lucky to attend – some before we left South Africa. I have come to realise that I like interesting angles, such as a view from beneath, or looking down – it must have something to do with my general inquisitiveness about things or that I am astigmatic?, – need to see from different angles – to get understanding. I liked doing a playful experimentation with the assignment – I had lots of drawing time and did not feel to precious about getting it right, but showing my process and learning during this part of the course. I seems this was a successful attempt.
I take the areas for development with me to the next assignment – I think I am beginning to understand the importance of extending experiments by using – scale, media, levels of finish, line, tone and duration of work. I liked this assignment.
The challenge would be to keep an open and enquiring approach for the last assignment. I am now preparing to do my personal project for assignment five. My tutor suggested with regards to experimenting to ‘hold onto how this feels’. I would like to ensure that I combine and use fluid gestural marks, as well as being able to accurately observe and use controlled marks and tones in my final project. I am contemplating to use photography and video in the drawing process. I hope to use the language of art as a powerful and transcendental tool in my planned ideas. I am very aware of the conflicted relationship we share with wildlife and nature in the World. Having an opportunity to use my environment became an idea, which I realise is very much part of my own voice.
I had opportunity to find inspiration in the Recent Dubai Art fair, as well as visiting the Sharjah Biennale. I feel my work-process is mostly intuitive and mixed media combined with drawing is a great opportunity to experiment. I think my practice will develop if I stay true to an enquiring approach.
My tutors advice during the course was to be experimental and bring my fresh approach into my work. I do think I should have made more studies of one subject during my work-process.