Be still: My terrified heart. And I will caress your pain. ~Sylvia Forest. Streets are all Empty.
I'll whisper to you of a truer love: You'll never be lonely or broken again. ~Sylvia Forest. Streets are all Empty.
Developing the ideas for a series of 7 drawings.
For the last few days, I've been working on the development of ideas for the Makers Place 'Series 7 Showcase' Challenge: 7 weeks to create a series of 7 works, based on one theme, with 5 editions of every work.
But thinking about it now, these ideas have been evolving for much much longer than a few days. More like the last eight years. And even before then. Maybe my whole lifetime.
Eight years ago I designed and created, produced and installed a sculpture for the International Environmental Exhibition: Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. Since then I've been ever so . s . l . o . w . l . y . working towards drawing and painting again: Developing concepts through my work with ephemeral art and flatlay arrangements ~ At the same time, studying the work of many different creatives at Tumblr and Instagram, Steemit and nTopaz, Minds and now Makers Place.
I felt that I wanted to wait until I was actually drawing again before beginning to show my artwork at nTopaz. And the time is now because just over the last few days, I've FINALLY started to draw again.
Beginning to draw all over again.
Just small little drawings that for me are my way of 'doodling' whilst allowing some of the elements that will be incorporated into my final drawing for the first piece of the 'Series 7 Showcase' to emerge.
I love the concept of producing a visually cohesive series of images for this particular Digital Art challenge at Makers Place and many of the themes suggested by the Collectors there really appealed to me. For instance:
• Floating • Tangled • Frozen Energy • Hidden Depths
However, my heart was set on 'Fragile Balance' which had been the theme initially suggested by Reinhard Schmid for the previous 555 challenge at Makers Place.
I've started the design for the first of the seven drawings for 'Series 7 Showcase.' When it's finished, which I'm hoping will be tomorrow, (but most likely will be the day after) I'll share it here, along with all the stages of its creation.
Thumbnail Doodles.
These drawings now are only 6 cms in width. You can see how tiny they are in comparison to the pencils.
They have been drawn on a light cream Mi-Teintes TEX slightly textured pastel paper with STABILO Carbothello pastel pencils.
Soft pastels and pastel pencils.
I'd been experimenting with Rembrandt soft pastels and realized that even though I love the impressions and suggestiveness, 'freedom' and expressiveness they allow in drawing, what I really love is a combination of broad and finely detailed imagery. And so I spent a small, and what to me was a fortune, buying a small range of the STABILO Carbothello pastel pencils.
They are an absolute joy to work with, although I have to be really careful sharpening them as the points break off so easily. Finer than soft pastels, they are still a lot softer and broader to use than coloured pencil and can now be used to build up the detail I'm looking for. I'm also experimenting with using coloured pencils with the pastel pencils to give a little more precision where needed.
My seven final drawings for Fragile Balance will explore the idea of opposites coming together and merging to bring about a harmonious balance ~ A balance that will always be so fragile.
And these tiny little drawings now represent some of the aspects that will be incorporated into the first drawing for this series: 'Fragile Balance No 1: Her Obelisque.
A heart that is holding infinite possibilities. A creative who is learning to trust the mystery of what will be. A spirit that is willing to fly into new creative realms and share the journey. ~Ally.
Drawing and Photography: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
