Two Hand Reel

 

sketch "Two Hand Reel"
© Teresa Newham 2012

By now the days are lengthening fast and the increased amount of daylight urges me towards watercolour.  But this year I've had a particular dilemma - apart from my little Easter card, I haven't painted in watercolour since last July.  And what to paint?  Lack of practice means loss of technique, which leads to loss of confidence.  Then I remembered a sketch made in Ireland two years ago - and some photos - all involving figures which I'd intended to use to develop paintings of people.  I dug them out, and went in search of the piece of cardboard I pin my "inspirations" to.  During the house move this had been shoved in with a pad of tinted watercolour paper bought when I attended a life drawing in colour short course at Central St Martins, and never used.  The same short course which had prompted me to make that sketch and take those photos . . . !

source material & colour try-out
© Teresa Newham 2012

 I was clearly on the right track.  Aware that I'd not used this paper before, I chose some colours I thought might be appropriate and tried them out on a sample of oatmeal paper, using a photo taken at the same set dancing session as a general guide to the colour (the girls in the sketch are in the background of the photo).   Then I soaked the watercolour paper and taped it to a board to stretch and dry it.  This was really going back to Central St Martins basics, and felt extremely satisfying! 

Two Hand Reel - the finished painting
© Teresa Newham 2012

To get the figures right, I enlarged the sketch on my printer and traced it onto the paper, realising as I did so that I would have to introduce more figures to put the original two in context.  Rather than having the dancers suspended in mid air, I tried to give a sense of the floor of the community centre in Portmagee, and the bunting hanging from the ceiling.  And because it is only a study, I managed to lay the entire thing down in one session!

Two Hand Reel - cropped
© Teresa Newham 2012

However, it wasn't until I took some photos of the finished article for this blog, that I realised the top and the bottom of the picture aren't necessary.  Cropped tight it looks completely different - and cropped tighter even more so.  Guess I'll have to think about that one!
 

a reflection for Easter

Jesus said to her "Mary."
John 20:16
original watercolour © Teresa Newham 2012

For this year's Easter card I turned to John's Gospel. It takes a different approach to the other three Gospels - they tell Jesus' story  as it happened, stressing various elements for their particular audiences: followers of Jesus amongst the Jews (Matthew), the Romans (Mark) and the Gentiles (Luke). John was writing in the contemplative tradition - his Gospel was known in the ancient church as the "spiritual" Gospel, and is full of rich imagery.  John also - albeit discreetly - tells us that he is an eyewitness to the events of Christ's life, passion and resurrection.  He has enough standing within the Jewish community of Jerusalem to be allowed to witness Jesus' trial;  from the Cross Jesus charges John with the responsibility of taking care of His Mother (by implication extending God's family beyond natural blood ties to encompass us all).

The other Gospels tell us that on the first Easter Sunday some women came to Jesus' tomb.  John chooses to focus on Mary Magdalene.  Arriving at the tomb, she sees that the stone placed there to protect it has been rolled back, and hurries to tell Peter and John.  For those of us brought up on the story of Jesus, it's easy to forget how they must have felt at this point - we know what is going to happen.  But Mary and the disciples have had their world shattered. Jesus himself - whom they had seen do such loving and wonderful things, and who had given them such hope - humiliated and put to death for political ends.  Their own lives in danger.  What does Mary's news mean?  at this point, do they recall Jesus's words at the Last Supper: "A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me"  (John 16:16)?

Peter and John running to the sepulchre on the morning of the Resurrection
Eugène Bernand 1898 - original at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

This beautiful painting by Eugène Bernand perfectly depicts their situation.  They don't know what's happening.  John (traditionally beardless) is clearly praying as he runs. Can it be true?  Peter's sense of urgency is palpable.  John outruns Peter and arrives first at the tomb, but in deference to Peter's authority waits for him to go in first (allegorically Peter represents faith and John understanding; morally they represent the  active and contemplative missions of the church).  Jesus' body is gone. The grave-cloths are still there, so the tomb has not been burgled; grave-robbers would have taken the cloths and left the body.  What is happening? what should they do?  John tells us that the disciples went back to their homes.

Mary, however, stays behind, weeping.  Her love for Jesus leaves her rooted to the spot where she last saw His body;  she sees two angels sitting where the body had been but doesn't understand the implication of their question: "why are you weeping?" because Mary does not yet realise that there is no need to weep.  When Jesus appears to her she thinks He's the gardener and begs Him to let her have the body, convinced that she will be able to take it away and deal with it herself.  And then . . .

. . .  Jesus calls her by name, as He does each one of us.

Mary responds by crying out "Rabboni!" (Teacher) - this is how she has addressed Him in the past.  He replies "Do not hold [on to your old idea of] me" - because he is no longer as he was before - and sends her to tell the disciples that He is ascending to His Father in heaven.  So, according to  John, the first person to see the risen Christ is Mary Magdalene - a woman, and moreover, a woman with a past.  And when she returns to Jerusalem again, she is the first person to deliver the Good News, when she tells the disciples "I have seen the Lord".  By now, she knows who He is.

Easter blessings to you all!

hanging at the Hoo

the Walled Garden project at Luton Hoo
© Teresa Newham 2012

Last weekend was the third annual Open Art Exhibition at the Luton Hoo Walled Garden.  The renovation of this garden is an on-going project, and it was good to see how much work has been done since last year.

the Open Art Exhibition at Luton Hoo Walled Garden
© Teresa Newham 2012

As usual, the exhibition was held in the Conservatory,  and included exhibits from local schools on the subject of  "The Secret Garden", as well as entries from all over the UK to the Open Exhibition itself, which had the theme of landscapes.

"Poppy Fields" was displayed with other exhibits of a similar colour
© Teresa Newham 2012

I had entered two of my watercolours: Poppy Fields and Lavender Fields, an older work which is still one of my favourites.  Given the amount of interest and the number of entries, I was extremely pleased that they were both hung.   The whole event had been extremely well curated, with works of similar colours grouped together into a pleasing whole.  It's a while since I visited an exhibition and this one was particularly enjoyable!

Lavender Fields
© Teresa Newham 2012

NB many thanks to the organisers who allowed me to take some general photos for this blog.

Work in Progress 3

The final element of my ongoing linocut project is now complete.  For many reasons, it was the trickiest image to realise; that of the Shepherd.  Not only did I have to attempt to depict Our Lord;  I had to draw a sheep and a lamb.  I copied a suitable lamb from the internet but struggled with the sheep, until I remembered a photo I took several years ago in Kerry: 

from Valentia to the Skelligs
© Teresa Newham 2012

So my favourite sheep made it into the image; and, having discarded as a cop-out the idea of denoting the presence of the Shepherd by a hand, or a foot,  I did what so many artists do, and plagiarised something else - in this case, the Paternoster statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink.

tracing the image
© Teresa Newham 2012

As you can see from the above photo, I changed my mind about the design halfway through, deciding to omit an unnecessary horizon and swap some of the black and white elements around.  Plus it was vital not to repeat the mistake I made with the previous image in this project - it had to come out the right way round.  So I was understandably nervous by the time I took the first print:

first print of The Shepherd
© Teresa Newham 2012

The half-dozen prints I made of this image required a bit of touching up; but are none the worse for that. The next step will be to display all four images together . . . !

linocut prints: The Shepherd
© Teresa Newham 2012

larking around with Photoshop

I'm slowly getting to grips with some of the aspects of Photoshop Elements.  It's embarrassing, really - I had full Photoshop training a few years ago but because I don't use it that much in my job, I've forgotten most of it and only retained the bits I need.  So I've started slowly with Elements, learning how to select items using the various tools. 

There was one photo in particular which I was extremely keen to get to grips with. It was taken at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton last summer while PBGS were rehearsing their G&S Sketch Show ahead of the performance in the Paxton Theatre. Tension was mounting, and the chairman, producer and stage manager started larking around to break things up a bit:

larking around at Buxton
© Teresa Newham 2011

As a photo it simply didn't work - it was taken on zoom from the darkened auditorium toward the lighted stage, it was fuzzy, hopeless.  But they were making great shapes and I was really keen to make something of that.  Originally I'd tried to do a silhouetted version in Picasa:

larking around in Picasa
© Teresa Newham 2011

But I was sure that I could do a lot more with it in Elements!  for one thing, I could see on the original photo that our chairman was making some great jazz hands, which were partially obscured by the chap behind - one of the theatre production team - lovely guy but he wasn't really necessary to the picture.  So I decided to have a go at removing him and extracting those hands in the process.  It took a while, and every selection tool that Elements possesses - plus the eraser - but in the end:

Buxton silhouette
© Teresa Newham 2012

So there you have it - three of PBGS's leading lights in silhouette, but to my mind instantly recognisable to those who know and love them.  I reckon this image has still got some way to go - so next I'm going to explore how to put some kind of background on it.  Watch this space . . . !!

Work in Progress 2

Vine lino block and original sketch
© Teresa Newham 2012

I finally found time to produce the third of the four linocuts I started back at Open Studios in September.  This one is the vine, as in "I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5).  Sharp-eyed readers will immediately spot the schoolgirl error I made when cutting the block - the design is the same way round as the original sketch!  Faced with doing all that work again (those grapes took ages), I took a look at the sketch in a mirror and decided it would work just as well in reverse.  So I was holding my breath even more than usual when I pulled the first print:

first vine print
© Teresa Newham 2012

When I saw the result, I was delighted.  Because of the way I intend to display the four prints, I think this one will work even better the 'wrong' way round!  I went on to make six prints in total:

six vine prints
© Teresa Newham 2012

Having completed the third print I'm now keen to get on with the fourth and final one, of which more another time . .  .!

Just after seven

The mild winter has brought blossom to the trees in central London.  Snowdrops are appearing in the garden, a reminder that we will have the joy this year of discovering exactly what our garden contains.  Ironically we are having a cold snap just as the days are starting to lengthen noticeably - and yesterday morning the birdsong at dawn moved me to write a poem for the first time in ages:

© Teresa Newham 2012

Today a thrush was singing to the dawn
just after seven.  A clear and frosty morning
as though an unseen Hand had spread a sparkling veil across the land.
I wondered: did he sing for joy
or simply to keep warm?
or was he singing to the trees -
calling the sap to rise, the Spring to struggle from its knees?
Today a thrush was singing to the dawn
just after seven.  A clear and frosty morning.
A glimpse of Heaven.

New Year, new studio

school tables provide a working surface
© Teresa Newham 2012

Finally, my studio in the new house (not so new now, of course!) is pretty much up and running.  Like everything in life, it's a work in progress, but the basics are there.  I ordered two school tables back in the Autumn and waited patiently for the call to say when they would be delivered.  As things turned out, we came home from work one evening to find them neatly stacked on the porch across our front door.  Ah well . . . at least I didn't have to take time off work to wait in for them!!

artworks on the walls!
© Teresa Newham 2012

You can just see the linocut I'm currently doing at the bottom left of the photo above.  It's the third one of the set of four I've been working on since last summer.  Which, coincidentally, is the last time I picked up a paintbrush . . . roll on Spring and the lighter days!   There are two doors (to the kitchen and the garden) and three windows/window openings to the studio, so ironically not a lot of wall space.  But there's room to hang a few artworks and there is scope for more.

dining room and kitchen beyond
© Teresa Newham 2012

It's a pleasant space to work in, with a stone floor, so any spillages won't matter.  I first discovered the joy of a spill-proof floor when I attended short courses at Central St Martins - particularly when applying very wet watercolour washes that you want to run into one another.  And being next to the kitchen is handy not just for keeping water jars replenished when painting, but also for clearing up after printmaking . . . 

jolly storage
© Teresa Newham 2012

The room also has some useful built-in cupboards painted primrose yellow (see above) with room for books and paints on top (and our toolbox).  I haven't been able to resist 'borrowing' some items from elsewhere in the house either:  the wicker drawers were originally for the bathroom, and the hamper now houses my greetings cards instead of some old documents.

I feel so grateful to have access to a space like this, and I'm keen to put it to good use.  Must get down to some art-making!!

gifts and gorillapods

Christmas stuff
© Teresa Newham 2011

Christmas, so long anticipated, is over;  and we've been using this period between Christmas and New Year to rest a bit and recharge our batteries.  Thanks to my family's enthusiastic use of my Amazon Wishlist, I've a ton of books to read:  the first one I opened was the amazing Linda McCartney - a Life in Photographs.  It's easy to forget that Linda Eastman was a respected photographer before she married Paul McCartney.  The first part of the book contains many fascinating images of famous rock stars of the '60s and '70s;  the second part is mainly the McCartney children and their father.  But they are no mere snapshots - Linda McCartney had an eye, and it shows.

gorillapod noir
© Teresa Newham 2011

The second photography-related gift I received was my crazy and clever Gorillapod.   Every budding photographer should have one!  I'm still to explore the full potential of this little bendy wonder but I'm in love with it already.  You can use it as an ordinary tripod, or to balance your camera on an uneven surface, or hang it off anything it will attach itself to, in order to get that elusive shot.   Or just put it somewhere you can't get to yourself, as in the photo below:

pots and brushes
© Teresa Newham 2011

I've also been given Photoshop Elements, and a dummies' guide to it:  so that sorts out my photography project for 2012 (and possibly beyond, depending how complicated it is to get to grips with).  And various art-related books: watercolour, printmaking, collage.  The possibilities are endless.

Finally, I'd like to wish readers of this blog a blessed and inspired 2012.  Happy New Year!

a Christmas message



Holy Family

limited edition linocut

© Teresa Newham 2011

Christmas is nearly upon us.  It's a time of preparation  -  of presents, food and decorations, certainly, but for Christians it's also the season of Advent - a time of preparation for our minds and hearts.  We are called upon to be ready: not simply to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but ready for him to be born again within us.  That can be quite a challenge at this time of year!  And in that spirit, let me wish everyone who reads this blog - whatever your beliefs - blessings and peace this Christmas.