Sue Pownall: Artist & illustrator
  • Home
  • SHOP
  • Gardens
  • On land & sea
  • Buildings
  • Swan Project
  • Pet Portraits
  • #UKlockdown
  • Illustrations
  • The decay series
  • Workshops & talks
  • Exhibitions & events
  • Festival Faces
  • Artist profile
  • Newsletter
  • Blog: Art of a Nomad

What if we could see colours differently?

10/7/2018

 
Picture
Negative macro collage. ©Sue Pownall 2018
The last part of this year's DLaB asked the question What if we could see colours differently?" and shared this video (below) of Neil Harbisson's Ted Talk, which I found fascinating. Harbisson does not see any colours: his vision is in greyscale.
PictureKandinsky: Impression III – Konzert (1911)
Exploring a connection between colours and sounds, I found this BBC article on synaesthesia, a union of the senses, i-see-songs-in-colour   According to the article, there are up to 70 different types of synaesthesia from tasting the time to smelling a symphony, although the most common involve colour. I hadn't realised that Wassily Kandinsky's abstract paintings were his experience of seeing music. This article includes links to the concert Kandinsky heard: music-art-schoenberg-kandinsky. I am not convinced that this piece is about seeing the music rather it seems an emotional response to the concert.

Going a stage further, another question posed in this unit was How do blind people perceive art? and linked to activities to explore this as well as the tech apps etc that are now around to aid a visually-impaired person. I explored further and found a great article on visual impairment and sight is this one, What do blind people see, that linked interviews with photographs of the interviewees and then an artist created images inspired by them. However, what really interested me was the specific question annd I found this on the BBC website bbc.com/culture with a film on Lisa Squirrel, who is visually impaired yet still has a passion for visual art.

Questions for self reflection:
  • What experiences do you already have?
  • In what areas would like to stretch yourself?
  • What new skills do you need to learn?

In many ways, I have already started to gain new knowledge if not new skills through my research following this unit. I would like to stretch myself further in creating opportunities for students to have these links between the senses, connecting sounds and colours for example, and not just have the traditional emotive responses to art and by extention producing art.

As a realist who draws in great detail, I interested in exploring how to make my art more acceptable to those who are visually impaired. It is already in grey scale for those who can see tones, but do I need to scale up, add an oral description... hmmm

Last year, I created a colour collage, it's here: White. This year, I chose to do another one. As it hasn't rained for weeks and the prevailing colour is yellow, that was my choice for it. Furthermore, I added week one's what-if-i-could-change-size and took macro photos.

Picture
Yellow. ©Sue Pownall 2018
Firstly, I converted the collage to grey scale, as Harbisson would see it.
Picture
Greyscale. ©Sue Pownall 2018
Finally, I created a negative of the collage - at the top of this post.

That brings me to the end of another thought provoking course.
Picture

Loosestrife

30/5/2018

 
©Sue Pownall
Click images to enlarge.
PicturePage 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.


Picture
The finished page... for now.

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

A Cabbage White & Weevils

30/4/2018

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

Jo dibuixo i tu?

23/4/2016

 
Picture
Plaça dels Àngels.
PictureRafa serves. ©Sue Pownall 2016
I have just spent the last few days in Barcelona.  On Wednesday, I flew over having left my assistant to stay with her dogsitter. After checking into my hotel, I headed straight to MACBA and spent and hour on the above sketch.

After the rain stopped, I spent Thursday at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell – Trofeo Conde de Godo. I saw Rafa win amongst other matches, but didn't sketch anything.  

Friday morning, I headed out for breakfast and had to paint the girl at a nearby table. (below) I went straight in with paint as I didn't know how long she would be there. I had just snapped her surreptitiously, should have moved the menu, when she left.

Picture
From there, I visited the Fundació Antoni Tàpies and saw some interesting artwork and prints before heading to Passeig de Gracia. Being the day before Sant Jordi (Saint Georges), who is the patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudi's Casa Batlló had been covered in roses. It looked beautiful and still being early there were not too many people, so I sat on the street corner to sketch it.
Picture
Gaudi's Casa Battló covered in roses.
Picture
In the afternoon, I went to see some more art at the CaixaForum, which had an exhibition Impressionists and Moderns: Masterworks from The Phillips Collection.

Then went for a walk up to Barcelona's botanical garden. I sat and did a small watercolour, which I really enjoyed painting, surrounded by vegetation, bird song (including green parrots), and little else.

Afterwards, I had a wander around took lots of photos of the beautiful plants and flowers.


Picture
A glade in Jardí Botànic de Barcelona.
Yesterday was my last day and I spent it catching up with some friends. I still managed an incomplete sketch whilst waiting to meet a close friend for brunch. I wanted to capture some of the San Jordi celebrations, as I did last year (Sant Jordi 2015) but tables and more were still being set up, so started above them... and ran out of time.
Picture
Picture
Finally, a photo of Saint Georges dragon near Barcelona university.

*Jo dibuixo i tu? is Catalán for I draw, do you?

An arty time.

17/4/2016

 
Picture
Channelling Monet. Colour planned on site but added later.
PictureSketched inside the exhibition.
 On Wednesday, I headed to town with the first stop at the Royal Academy to see the Painting the Garden: Monet to Matisse exhibition. It was the most inspiring exhibition I have seen in a long time and I just want to draw and paint gardens.

Next stop was at my favourite London gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, where I went from inspiring paintings to amazing photography in the Vogue 100: A hundred years of style.


Arriving early to meet friends and fellow artists, Jean Edwards & Minnie, I took inspiration from the Monet exhibition and sketched the pub focusing on the garden. (above).

After dinner, it was off to the Tower of London. Arriving early I used the 15 minute wait to sketch the Shard. (below)

Picture
We were at the Tower of London for a fabulous evening at #DrawnattheTower with Art Macabre: Ravens and Morbid Corvids. I started off drawing the RavenMaster, who was a fount of knowledge on everything corvid down to the naming of the birds: he was holding Gripp. After a couple of sketches of Gripp, I moved on to the pairs of ravens in their cages. They are only caged at night and roam freely around the Tower during the day. The ravens were very challenging to sketch and moved a lot, my results were not helped by my butterfly brain wating to take photos and chat to the Raven Master: love interesting people. I think my last sketch, drawn on black paper, is the most successful and I have hung it up in the studio. Judge for yourself as here they all are:
After all that artistic input, I've been very busy drawing and planning prints since coming home. I especially want to get on with my Bourne Mill gardening project. What have you been working on?

***************************************************
Have you signed up for my quarterly newsletter?
The spring edition is ready to be sent.
 Subscribe here thanks.

Sketchmeet at the garden centre

10/4/2016

 
Picture
Poplar Nurseries, Marks Tey. ©Sue Pownall 2016
Yesterday, I arranged a sketchmeet for the Colchester Sketchers at a local garden centre. It was an inspiring afternoon albeit very chilly.
*****
Have you signed up for my quarterly newsletter?
The spring edition is almost ready to be sent.
Subscribe here

Hello Spring!

20/3/2016

 
Picture
The gates are open for 2016 at the National Trust's Bourne Mill. ©SuePownall
PictureSitting in the gateway
Today is the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere, and spring is one of my favourite seasons. I also like autumn ... and summer ... oh and winter if I'm inside and warm and it's snowing outside.

On Wednesday, I was sketching outside in order to record the 2016 opening of the National Trust property, Bourne Mill. I'm working with the property this year, so rather than sketch the building, other than the outline, I chose to focus on the open gates.

I used a Monologue sketchbook and as the photo (left) shows, I Inked on site. However, I added the watercolour added at home due to icy wind.

Picture
St. Patrick's Day. ©SuePownall
PictureSt Patrick's Day sketching with my assistant.
On Thursday, Saint Patrick's Day provided the opportunity to get some green paint out as I sketched with some friends in a local pub.

The above sketch was completed on site, Winsor & Newton watercolour with Staedtlar pen in A5 Daler sketchbook.

More green featured this morning, which is why I'm blogging this evening, as I experimented monoprinting using a Gelli plate. Some of these prints I am thinking of working up, maybe with stencils, or watercolour, or.... not sure. Some as collage backgrounds, maybe. Whilst one will become an Easter card to send to my mum.

Now, I'm looking forward to lots of garden drawing, flower sketching, and more spring printing.

Picture
Spring monoprint experiments. ©SuePownall
What about you? Is spring your favourite season? What are you working on?

Down in the Allotment

15/6/2015

 
Picture
PictureSketching flag iris.
Last Friday, 5th June, I attended a workshop on monoprinting with stencils. The photo above shows the stages of my print starting with sketching in an allotment to adding the cutout pieces as collage.

The workshop was run by Essex artist and printmaker Karenza Jackson (
www.karenzajackson.com) and I would recommend attending a course with her. With just 5 of us attending we all got lots of attention and help.

Starting in an allotment we spent some time sketching. I started with lupins and moved on to sketch the scarecrow, onions, nettle patch and more. I would have been quite happy to stay there all day, so may plan a return trip. Back inside it was those first lupins that I decide to make a stencil of as well as some poppies. I enjoyed the whole process of monoprinting with stencils and found it quite liberating. Now, I need to get back to etching.

Have you tried monoprinting? Why not tell me about it in a comment below and you are welcome to link to your own prints too.

Focusing on something different.

16/3/2015

 
Picture
Over the course of 2 cups of tea, I completed this sketch of my friend's greenhouse, finishing just in time for breakfast. (sorry the scan has lost some of the watercolour details and turned it pink too).
PictureMy assistant is feeling sorry for herself.


It's been a busy couple of weeks.
I had a weekend away and my
poor assistant has been in Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, Cambridge for surgery on her elbows. She now needs lots of love and cuddles to help her recover.

I have mainly been creative in a photographic way, apart from a couple of sketches. The above one was drawn at my friend's house in Cheltenham. We have had surprisingly clear blue skies, which has made the UK spring look prettier. Here's a few examples... and a fire as the nights are still cold.

What have you done this week?

AEDM week 2 and the end.

16/11/2014

5 Comments

 
Picture
9th November
I was doing quite well with AEDM, but have now stopped. Luckily, I have an art teaching contract to prepare for, which has moved its start date early January to 10 days away eek 

Here are my week 2 results.
Picture
9th again (missed 8th)
A second submission for the 9th - Degas eating a bone. Coloured pencil in moleskin sketchbook.
Picture
A tired girl for the 10th. Super5 pen in moleskin
Picture
Photo taken at sunrise 11th November.
Martinmas Day (11th November) The Feast of St Martin, Martinmas was a time for celebrations with great feasts and hiring fairs, at which farm labourers would seek new posts. Since 1918 the 11th has been commemorated as Armistice Day, and all remnants of the old Martinmas celebrations have disappeared.
Picture
12th. Ink in A6 Laloran sketchbook
I had to take my mum to the hygienist on the 12th and I sketched this whilst I waited. I have to say it's not somewhere I ever expected to sketch in and was disappointed when they finished as I hadn't got the details in I wanted to.

Finally,
I drew my sketching kit for Liz Steel's course, SketchingNow Foundations Online Course. That's all my aedm for 2014. I hope you liked these week 2 results.
Picture
Super5 pen in A4 Daler sketchbook.
5 Comments
<<Previous

    About me

    I am a nomadic artist travelling the world for inspiration. Here, I publish my sketchbook work alongside my new finished pieces.

    All posted artwork/images and text are ©Sue Pownall. All rights reserved.

    Email for permission if you want to use them using the contact form.

    It is ok to quote images or text on your non-commercial blog or website as long as you give a credit and link back. It is not okay to pin images.


    Copyright © 2009-2019
    Sue Pownall

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Tags

    All
    Abstract
    Acrylic
    #aedm
    Animal
    Art
    Artist
    Art Teacher
    Art Tutor
    #atp
    Barcelona
    BigDraw
    Boat
    Boats
    Bourne Mill
    Brazil
    Building
    Cadbury
    Café
    Calligraphy
    Canada
    Canson
    Catalan
    Charcoal
    Charity
    Children
    Chimney
    Chinese New Year
    Christmas
    Class
    Coffee Shop Project
    Colchester
    ColchesterSketchers
    Coloured Pencil
    Competition
    Countryside
    Course
    Coventry
    Cow
    #creamtea
    Cuckoo Farm Studios
    Daler
    Dance
    Decay Series
    Degas
    Degasworld
    Demo
    Devon
    Digital
    #dlaberasmus
    Dog
    Drawing
    #drawingAugust
    Drinkdraw
    Easter
    Edim
    Elephant
    Environment
    EssexBookFestival
    Essex&SuffolkSketchers
    Etching
    Everyday Matters Edm
    Exhibition
    Experiment
    Farming
    Festivalfaces
    Flowers
    Furry Assistant
    Garden
    Garden Sketch
    Gaudi
    Gelliplate
    Giclée Prints
    Giveaway
    Hydrotheraphy
    #IAAFWorlds
    Illustration
    Illustration Friday
    Infographic
    Ink
    Inktense
    #inktober
    InkyFingers
    Italy
    Laloran
    Landscape
    Lifeclass
    London
    Machinery
    Magnify
    Maldon
    Manchester
    Mersea Island
    Mill
    MixedMedia
    Moleskin
    Monologue
    Monoprinting
    Music
    Musicians
    National Trust
    Nature
    Nature Journal
    Nature Photography
    Oman
    Painting
    Paris
    Pen And Ink
    Pencil
    Pen & Watercolour
    People
    Pet
    Photography
    Pool
    Portrait
    Printing
    Pub
    Qatar
    #recordingCoventry
    Review
    Review & Resolutions
    Rio
    Robin
    RolandGarros
    RomanRiverMusic
    Rugby
    Ruin
    SanJordi
    #sbsexpressing
    Science
    Sea
    Seawhite Of Brighton
    Secondary School
    Selfie
    Sennelier
    Senses
    Silvertown
    #silvertownldn
    Singers
    Sketchbook
    #sketchboookskool
    Sketchcrawl
    Sketches
    Sketching
    Slideshare
    #solitarywanders
    Spain
    Spectrum Noir
    Spring
    StaedtlerPigmentLiner
    STEAM
    STEM
    Stencil
    St Patrick's Day
    Super5
    #TavistockEdge
    #TBT
    Teaching
    Tennis
    Theatre
    Tiptree
    Trainee Teacher
    Tree
    Tutor
    Uae
    UK
    Unicef
    Urbansketch
    Urbansketcheronholiday
    Urbansketchers
    Urban Sketchers
    #uskbcn2013
    #uskparaty2014
    #USkWorldCup
    Watercolour
    Wildflower
    Wimbledon
    Winsor&Newton
    Winter
    Wivenhoe
    Wood
    Workshop

    Archives

    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.