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What if we moved to space?

18/6/2018

Week 2 of the DLab Erasmus project focused on design thinking and their

"pedagogical approach was based on an interpretation of ‘design thinking’ (Kimbell, 2015), an approach that begins with empathising, and puts an emphasis on defining a key question and then framing a problem. This is more akin to problem finding rather than problem solving. This model was relevant, as we wanted to highlight creativity alongside the criticality of the scientific process."

What caught my attention was the unit on designing a new planet and started by looking at how our interaction with Earth has led to pollution, the extinction of bees, insects and other animals, plus created radiation etc. This is a matter close to my heart, and back in Doha I sneaked Al Gore's amazing film An Inconvenient Truth into teaching trainees at Qatar Petroleum. If we do the same on our new planet as we do to Earth, we have the potential to make a new planet uninhabitable too.

However, we do need to survive and this trailer gives a clue to what we would need to do to survive - if I still taught TESOL this would be a great way to link language and science teaching.

I have used this design thinking process in the past, but currently cannot see how I could use this with adult art students. I may revisit this when I am teacher training in autumn. Or do you have some ideas for me?

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What if I could change size?

16/6/2018

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Last year I completed a DLaB Erasmus course called Technology Outdoors, which aimed, amongst other things, to promote digital learning across the boundaries of physical spaces, across curriculum subjects and across languages and cultures, to facilitate collaborative learning across national boundaries. This year's course is STEM to STEAM, which is adding the arts to science, technology, engineering and maths building on the technology outdoors by promoting real world exploration and creative problem solving through physical and digital making.

I've just completed week one and explored the concept of art helping us to visualise scientific data - looking at the hidden world. On a wonderful, but time consuming wander through amazing photograohic magnifications, I stumbled across the former biologist Robert Rock Belliveau, who on retiring started taking amazing magnified photos of fruit and vegetables. There's a great article here.

Throughout June, I have also been participating in a challenge to create a daily direct watercolour, that is a painting without any under drawing. More info here. Combining that with this course, I created this direct watercolour painting from a magnified image of a corn husk with silk from an image by Robert Rock Belliveau. (sorry the photo has lost some of the vividness of the original)

I can see this sort of activity as a great jumping off point into further art and/or science.

If you are interested last year's DLab posts are here:

Technology Outdoors: Creating Trails
Technology Outdoors: Art in the Environment
Technology Outdoors: Wild Writing
Technology Outdoors: Science Outdoors

Now it's time to start week two on design thinking.

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Loosestrife

30/5/2018

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Click images to enlarge.

Page in progress

I've planted a wildflower patch in the garden, as I shared in my post here, but this yellow wildflower has selfseeded (thank you birds) in the grasses.

I believe it is a Loosestrife, which is the common name for the genus Lysimachia.

It has been a grey day, as the sun came out late evening, I did this little watercolour in my nature journal. I will add to the page when the flowers come out.

For this nature journal, I am using a Seawhite of Brighton A5 travel journal. This image was created with Sennelier watercolours.

The finished page... for now.

What have you drawn or painted recently? Why not tell me in a comment?

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A Cabbage White & Weevils

30/4/2018

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The next day, it was sunny and warm, so I caught the cabbage white butterfly, which had spent the night in my kitchen, and released it onto the forget-me-nots in my front garden. In my new nature journal, I recorded this in watercolour and coloured pencils.

©Sue Pownall

Today, I was out in the rain to biologically treat my containers against vine weevils, so I put it in my nature journal.

Do you nature journal? Leave a link in a comment and I'll check it out.

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Nature Journal - a new diversion

24/4/2018

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For Earthday2018, an urbansketcher friend posted an invitation, a nature challenge #sowinghopefornature, which included starting a nature journal. (Read the post here). I've been having a muse-free year and think this is the incentive I need - I'm even blogging again.

First, I got out a new Seawhite of Brighton A5 Artists Travel Journal Sketchbook and attacked it with a stencil that was left over from a workshop, thereby commiting myself to the task.

Then, my furry assistant and I headed into the garden - it was a glorious sunny day - and started my first spread and, as last year, I celebrated Earthday with a watercolour. On 8th April, I sowed a corner of my garden with wildflower seeds, cornfield annuals, plus a plug of Digitalis and one of Knautia Arvensis. They were last year's seeds, but they are starting to grow 🌱 In front, is a willow fence is to stop my lovely assistant digging them up. Below are photos of this first spread.

With text added to the spread. (Click to see the image larger)

I had several ideas for a second spread, yay I have a muse, but when driving to visit my mum there was a hitchhiker, a cabbage white butterfly, on my dashboard and then windscreen. (I pulled over, parking, and turning the engine off three times to take photos and to try to let it out). Therefore, my second spread had to be of the hitchhiker.

I don't like handlettering, so am going through a trial and error period whilst I find a style that's both fast and neat. Here's the hitchhiker...

and a bad photo of the spread.

Today, I managed to get the butterfly out of my car, fed it a little sugar water, and it is currently on my begonia in the kitchen as it's too cold to put it outside.

Unfortunately, due to my teaching commitments, I didn't have the time to add anything to the journal, I will do soon, but am not putting any pressure on myself to do X per day, week, or month. Please check back here soon.

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...and the winner is...

4/9/2017

@DegasWorld picks the winner

Aided by my furry assistant, the name out of the hat (aka paper bag) was
Tina Koyama.

Tina please could you message me with your postal address please. Your prize of Spectrum Noir pens will be coming your way soon.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

******

If you want to know more about Spectrum Noir, they are a Crafter's Companion brand and the two website addresses are as follows:

www.spectrumnoir.com and www.craftercompanion.co.uk

Spectrum Noir Giveaway

19/8/2017

Over the last month, I have been testing Spectrum Noir Art Liners. Although I normally use black pens, it was interesting to have a range of colours, brown and grey pens.

I have never really got on with brushpens, as each of these sets contained 1 or more along with a set of coloured brush pens, I started with them. I took a purple and green to the Wimbledon finals. Having tried to sketch at tennis tournaments before, I knew I spend all the time watching and not sketching. I was fortunate to get a front row seat at court 12 for the invitation men's double final. I sketched Dutch pair Eltingh and Haarhuis between games, then used the brush pens to add the pop of colour. I was impressed with the brush pens, unlike others that I have used the brush wasn't too long, so they were easy to control and gave a smooth line of colour.

Eltingh & Haarhuis in the invitation men's double final, which they won.

Next, I arranged to meet some friends to Drink and Draw at a local pub. It was a lovely evening and I took the whole set of coloured fineliners in anticipation of lots to sketch. As we sat outside, I tried to capture the shadows cutting across a cornfield. The sketch is not the most successful, but full marks to the smooth flow and consistancy of the pens.

I sketched and drew with the pens over the next few days, but the next major challenge was the IAAF World Athletics in London. There was so much going on that it was really difficult to sketch, but I managed this one between events. The photo left shows me sketching in my seat and I found the pens, both artliners and brushes, great for quick sketching.

High jump in the Olympic Stadium, London.

Finally, I used the black pens, including the brush pen, whilst doing some studies for a commission.

Did you know you could commission me to draw or paint your garden? Message me for more details if you are interested.

I have continued to use the various pens past the month's test period. Spectrum Noir have won me over to using brush pens and the artliners are now part of my regular sketching kit.

Now to the exciting part...
Would you like to win all the pens in the photo at the top of this post?
You could own:

SN Artliner - Bright (8pc)
SN Artliner - Bright - Brush (8pc)
SN Artliner - Black (6pc)
SN Artliner - Neutral (6pc)
SN artliner - Hand Lettering DVD

This bundle is worth £74.95!

Just comment on this post stating the drawing you like the most on this site
(not one in this post please).

The lucky winner will be randomly drawn on Sunday 3rd September.

*****
If you want to know more about Spectrum Noir, they are a Crafter's Companion brand and the two website addresses are as follows:

www.spectrumnoir.com and www.craftercompanion.co.uk

2016 review

16/1/2017

2016 in review from Sue Pownall

Capability Brown tercentury map for NT Stowe.

17/11/2016

Thanks to a very talented product photographer, Becky Palmer, here are my illustrations as used by National Trust Stowe this year.

Rehearsals of Roman River Music

17/7/2016

Sketching in Mistley church. Photo by Victoria Steinitz.

Recently, I was very flattered to be invited to sketch at the Roman River Music concerts, of which the main festival is in the autumn (Details here). A limited number of Colchester Sketchers were invited to join me at a couple of rehersals connected to the Summer Festival.

Last Friday, we went to St Mary's & St Michael's church in Mistley where the talented musicians Elena Urioste violin, Timothy Ridout viola, Orlando Jopling cello, and Tom Poster piano were rehearsing for their concert that evening.

Arriving before the musicians, I took advantage of the time and sketched one of the church's beautiful stained glass windows.

Then tried to capture the musicians as they rehearsed... but I have to confess to keep stopping to listen to the music. The sketches are in pencil or watercolour. Here are my results:

The following day's rehearsals were in St Mary's, Wivenhoe and the musicians seemed to have such fun. They were all superb and were Juliette Bausor flute,
Daniel Bates oboe, Katherine Spencer clarinet, Stuart King bass clarinet, Peter Whelan bassoon, and Pip Eastop horn. Again I sketched in pencil or watercolour:

I can't wait to sketch more!

What have you been sketching?

<<Previous

What if we moved to space?

What if I could change size?

Loosestrife

A Cabbage White & Weevils

Nature Journal - a new diversion

...and the winner is...

Spectrum Noir Giveaway

2016 review

Capability Brown tercentury map for NT Stowe.

Rehearsals of Roman River Music

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