Awareness of the everyday: EDM challenge 1

I have just discovered a group called Everyday Matters (EDM) whose  main focus is to draw a particular object or type of object from your "everyday" life. It started in 2004, from Danny Gregory's weblog, and his book Everyday Matters. Like USk they set a weekly challenge, which is perfect for times like this when it's to cold to draw outside, as many of the current USk themes are, at least for me. Currently they are up to challenge 259, but I thought I would start at EDM 1 - Draw a shoe. Strictly speaking these are ankle boots, but close enough as it's winter.

By coincidence, today Miguel Rosendo USk (check out his drawings here) wrote that we need to be "sensitive to people and places which are in front of us and that sometimes we just don´t appreciate enough! To me, sketching is a way of doing this". I think drawing everyday objects is a good way to start.

If you want to challenge yourself, click the link for the complete EDM challenge list. or the USk theme list

PS I was sat next to the radiator, ignoring my computer to draw this :D

Procrastination

After procrastinating by reading and viewing art blogs I finally sat down to sketch this succulent in the flat. I've found it's easy to be lazy and to sit at the computer as it's set up next to a radiator. If I draw, I have to move away from it. brrr. I normally find drawing relaxing and it can normally take me away from problems with the concentration & enjoyment of creating something. However, the situation at work made it too difficult for me to concentrate on the plant, and I gave up very quickly.

Frustrated with myself, I sat down to blog the "sketch" and looked at the view from the radiator out of the window. I picked up my sketchbook again...

but as the crane was moving a lot I feel I failed to capture the foreshortening well. The sketch seems very grey and flat. The only part I really like is the stripy curtains. Ho hum. Tomorrow's another day, another opportunity to draw.

Cobbled streets

...make it difficult to sketch on buses. However, today I was brave enough to take my gloves off, albeit briefly, and did a sketch on my way to work lunchtime.

Then again on the way back, concentrating on people's hats, as everyone is wrapped up tightly against the cold.

Due to the cobbles I tried to make the strongest lines when at the bus stops, but was not always successful.

A winter industrial view.

 

My new apartment in Turin has a view of the mountains, over the rooftops of several factories. In my view, I actually have two cranes, which are on the other side of the river, alongside a gas container. On the mountain tops are power and satellite pylons. What a difference from my mountain view in Muscat. At least today the sun was out, although it's not in my picture. 

Inspired by Jana

Inspired by Jana's fabulous watercolours of organic carrots (check them out here), when I was at the market yesterday I hunted for some to paint myself. I couldn't find any organic ones, nor any with their tops still on, so I bought the ones that looked home grown. I especially like the one in front which has a dent in its side. As with the ink drawing I did earlier today, I discovered that my sketch book has a low water-threshold and the surface has damaged. Oh well, third time lucky?

IF - Focus

 

For this week's Illustration Friday's theme of focus, I should have focused more on my initial drawing as the top part is wrong. Like a good craftsman, I shall also blame my tools for the poor quality of my first contribution of 2010 to Illustration Friday: I do not have my usual paper here in Italy and this one soaked up the ink too much. 

I am posting the illustration to remind myself that the initial drawing is all important, along with the right paper, but also I need to focus and practice pen & ink, which is my favourite medium to draw in.

Indoor Sketching

After Oman, Europe is COLD and sketching outside is impossible, at least for me. Combined with settling into a new city, in a new country, and a new job all at the same time, I have plenty of excuses not to draw, but I will!

During my first full week, I sketched the view from my temporary accommodation (I moved out today). This was the first time I had used a brush pen to add colour.

Whilst last Sunday I went to the Galleria Civica D'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAM), where I sketched of an aluminium sculpture by the artist Marisa Merz. The New Year's resolution to concentrate on my preferred medium of pen & ink is, I think, off to a fairly good to start .

  Now, I am looking for some inspiration  for this week's IF theme, which is clumsy, and for which I have no ideas at all.

IF - Confined /First drawings from Turin

This is a sketch I did in the Pasticceria Tamborini in Turin.

I thought the cashier looked very confined behind her till.

 

I am currently lodging with a very nice Italian lady, Didi. I sketched her cat whilst having breakfast yesterday. I think you can tell I'm not a cat lover as it's not too good.

 The plant is in the kitchen and I drew it for USK theme of Urban Flora. I decided to use colour only on the plant in order to highlight it.

Art-based resolutions

I'm starting off the year quite well despite the difficult weather conditions by drawing mum & Nelson inside on the 2nd & 3rd. Then on the 4th I attended another life drawing class. I was not to happy with the results, my proportions kept going wrong, so switched to my favourite pen and gave up on the pencil to produce the piece above. I walked around the model trying different viewpoints and details, and ended up fairly happy with the results.

Reading Cathy of asketchintime I thought I would steal some of her ideas for art-based resolutions. Checkout her blog for some great illustrations.

"Manage my time better - far too much time is spent on the internet, which is perfectly entralling but doesn't get any painting or sketching done". I think that's a great place to start, although I will still blog my results, but maybe not spend so much time on Facebook, and reading various blogs. 
 
"Do what I love, love what I do ...- I’m not about to throw out all other mediums, but I would like to focus on getting better at... ". in my case I'm going to concentrate on my pen & ink. I've had lots of fun since September, when I started this blog, painting, drawing in pencil etc., but I want to develop and complete more ink drawings.

"I am also so enjoying sketching, the quick, immediate and spontaneous act which I’d never really considered an art form in its own right until I was exposed to wonderful work on Urban Sketchers". Me too, and I resolve to do lots more this year.

I left the UK on the 7th, so my future posts will be from Italy, I hope you like them and I look forward to reading your comments.

HAPPY 2010, MAY IT BRING YOU PEACE & HAPPINESS.

Sketching indoors throughout the festive period

My scanner & I have been reunited so here are most of my sketches from the Christmas holiday period. Due to the cold I've drawn the view through the window...

Some sketches of the family indoors...

and me watching tv.

Drawn on trains...

From a waiting room...

Also, in Sadler's Wells theatre whilst waiting for the ballet to start.

All in all, I am happy that I have not neglected my sketching too much during this time. I have just bought a new sketch book so roll on 2010 and continued creativity.