Pottery has dominated the last couple of weeks. I have been enjoying hand-building dishes and plates. My skills are slowly coming back and my confidence is growing, especially now I have completely sold out of all the the pots I’ve already made. I’m remembering to be patient and take my time to make higher quality items. I don’t think I will ever be a production potter, as I really like the decoration side, so most of what I’m doing is labour intensive and results in one off pieces . I’ve been fascinated by scgraffito for years, it’s a technique I used in leaded glass and in small way the fused glass , so taking it into pottery seems a natural step. These pieces are painted while still wet. Some of the colour is then removed around the pattern to leave just the design in the colour. I’m just about to fire them so fingers crossed they survive.
I am excited to have ordered a personal stamp for my pots. I was given an Etsy voucher for my birthday so I’m having a makers stamp made. I’ve decide that I will use my own name instead of being Mrs wellydog so I have just ordered a stamp with my initials on. I’m not quite sure why , but it seems like a big step to make my art under my own name for a change.
We managed to get away on a holiday. It was an amazing trip. We booked it on a whim a year ago and gave little thought to the timing , as it seemed so far away. It probably wasn’t the best time to go just as the season stated to kick off. We had Carol in for a few days and it was relatively quiet , so probably not as bad as we initially thought .Our trip meant we visited both Florence and Barcelona , all I can say is Wow ! Wow! Wow! These are two cities I have always wanted to visit and they totally didn’t disappoint. Beautiful Florence, at every turn there were amazing sculptures and I was delighted by all the fabulous colours on Ponte Vechhico. I also spotted what we jokingly referred to as ‘Van Gogh’s chair’. It was seemingly abandoned in a Florence street. I of course had to sketch it and it’s my favourite sketch of the holiday. And then there was Barcelona and Gaudi. OMG I was blown away. We did a tour which included Park Güell , then the amazing town house Casa Milà . But the last sight was the most amazing the fabulous Sagrada Familia. It’s hard to describe it, but inside left me very emotional, the colours and light through the windows was stunning. I have put some photos in a slideshow below, should you be interested.
On the subject of sketching, I didn’t really click until talking to friend that not everyone is sure about sketching and what to take while away from home. Its great to sketch, en plein air, but sketching, certainly for me, is not just about drawing in situ. This sketch of David for instance was done, from a photo, in the bar after we had visited. Its a way for me to make my own sketch if I don’t have time at the actual place. It a way of ironing out details, removing clutter and noting important information as reference for later, especially when it’s fresh in my mind. I would rather do a painting later from the sketch, than from a photo. It gives it more of my own personal touch. So ideally it’s best to do it in the moment, but do still consider sketching later in the holiday, from your photos.
As for materials, these are what I take my trusty sketch book, this lovely one was a gift. In my trusty drawstring bag, I have a couple of pencils, a rubber, pencil sharpener , two different size water brushes. One medium and one fine, and my favourite medium of the moment. Caran d’ache, neo colour II, water soluble pastels. I don’t need a palette as I use the top of the tin. So it’s easy really and fun without lugging loads of bits around.
I’ve been wondering about whether to do an ‘Art of Sketching’ class or holiday. Talking to a few people, I think it may be something people would enjoy to learn. Food for thought, as I leave you on this gloriously sunny evening. Enjoy the sunshine while it’s here
Until next time
Janice
