More home-made brush holders

The first brush holder is made with quilting, and a hair tie and button for the clasp.

The second contains a plastic sheet and space for a portable pallete for plein-air painting.

Home-made apron

Made by my Sister-in-law on a vintage Singer treadle machine and lovingly hand-sewn name letters. Includes pockets and ajustable buckle.

Drawing upside down

I took an exercise from Betty Edwards book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”. These exercises are to help people improve their drawing skills. By drawing an image upside down we can develop perceptual skills to see things as they really are. In this exercise I found I had to look at shapes as I really saw them, and I was less able to impose thoughts or perceptions on the image I was copying. Overall I found this a really useful exercise that I will use again.

The image I chose to copy from was the head of Fra Angelico taken from a larger painting called the “The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament” by Raphael, located in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. 

The image on the left is the original painting of Fra Angelico by Raphael. The image on the right is my sketchbook drawing (drawn upside down).

Finished drawing. My sketchbook turned the right way up.

Portraits of the living and the dead – using cold wax technique

I decided to explore methods and materials of painting used in ancient Egyptian mummy portraits. I did this because of their influence in icons later, for example the idealised faces, large eyes and robes. The ancient Egyptians were preoccupied with what happened when you die and mummification was an important ritual in the journey into the afterlife. This in turn influenced Roman sculpture where busts became more human and alive.

Also ancient Greek stories are occupied with how a hero goes on a journey to the underworld and is spiritually changed by his experience that leads him to change and lead a better life in this world.

Interestingly the ingredients used in mummy portraits are the same as those used to in mummification i.e. bees wax, honey, water and oil. I melted these ingredients into a small jar and used it as a binding medium to paint with. I used only 4 pigments; yellow ochre, red ochre, black and white to keep a simple pallet.  

Painting easter eggs using wax resist dyeing technique

Easter egg painting is a great craft activity that all the community can participate in.

Here I took some wax pellets and put them on a large tablespoon suspended over a candle flame to melt. I brushed on the liquid wax on the eggs (which I had washed and cleaned out earlier) with small patterns and designs taken from a book on folk art. I also used a small canting tool for drawing patterns on the eggs in wax. When I was happy with my design I dipped the eggs in some natural dye and allowed to soak for a few minutes. When ready I allowed them to dry and then gently removed the wax to reveal the negative print of the pattern.

This was a very enjoyable craft that enabled me to meditate on the season of Easter, new birth and resurrection.