Life Drawing

I am attending art school after 40 years, its brilliant fun, and I had forgotten how to execute a life drawing, but incredibly, some of the old skills are re-emerging very tentatively. I thought I might share my progress. 
So, in November my friend introduced me to a brilliant Life Drawing 'drop in' session in Stroud. The  very first thing that I observed was how gentle and supportive the host and the group members are. The second observation was how high the standard of the art work was. Yikes!.
It was therefore with some trepidation, 40 years after attending Art College, that I returned to put my pencil to paper in November 2013. Even more disconcerting was that the model was a male. Not my favourite subject to draw, but he wasn't bone thin and had some soft contours which enabled me to dispense with my lack of comfort and get involved with the shapes his poses created.
My second session, in January was more adventurous, I decided to home in on specifics, the multi - pose sessions are not long enough for me to work on a whole subject, and I am very much wanting to  develop some skills with a pencil.

I found the sessions incredibly theraputic, I stood at my easel, drawing, for three hours or there abouts and attempted four poses. Once involved in the drawing shapes I lose all thought about anything else. Some how when drawing, I go to a different place and the world just disappears, so now I realise why the old masters painted life - in order to get away from the realities of life, neat trick!! So life drawing ought to be called 'Escapism'. There we are, with the stroke of a pen(cil) a new movement is created!

Janey Hood, Art

Sadly I did not escape for long, the household chores were still waiting for me when I got home....

So, today, I have been giving some consideration to chiaroscuro. The literal translation of chiaroscuro is light, dark.

I decide to examine whether chiaroscuro is as relevant in current times as it was with the old masters.

Purists might decide that this classical term has no place in modern media, especially cinematography, photography, theatre or heaven help us, interior or architectural design, additionally these applications may be complicated  by the traditional separation of the background, from the object that is the intended subject of chiaroscuro.

However, I propose that the term be allowed to be broadened and brought into the twenty first century, and what a beautiful word it is, it has to be THE word of the day.
Rolling off the tongue 'Ch - ia - ro- scuro'  is an evocative word, bringing to mind works by the old Dutch Masters, their art and painting skills, using light from unseen sources, throwing into centre stage unsuspecting shady figures, often telling a twilight story.

I have a few favourites on my list of artists who commanded the art of chiaroscuro, Rembrandt is, with his 'Flayed Ox' and 'Money Changers'  my particular favourite. For me, his very best is his 'Storm on the lake of Galilee (below).'

Wiki Commons

It is virtually impossible for me to look at this picture without feeling I am experiencing the tremendous power of the sea that Rembrandt  has superbly thrown in to relief by exquisite use of light focused upon the waves. Light from an unseen source. Within the framework of  the subject Rembrandt has created a crucifix of almost ominous darkness as the mast and at ninety degree odds is the relative calm of the serene traveller in the shadowy depths of the vessel.

This is an iconic example of chiaroscuro at its very best.

But what about modern times? Well, if I look to observe my surroundings I can see that design has incorporated chiaroscuro into pretty much everything. More obvious areas are the arts and theatre, where stage and film set lighting is always and deliberately used to dramatic effect.
More unlikely are often unexpected sources, one, for example, might be the band Queen and how they used chiaroscuro to great effect in the dramatic opening of their video to the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

The least likely place where an acknowledgement of chiaroscuro might be being used is in the lighting of buildings, both the exteriors and interiors. Hotels often use dramatic lighting to create atmospheric light and dark areas, especially around the reception foyer.
I once visited  a friend's beautiful kitchen in which the lighting was very dramatic, creating pools of light on the work surfaces and preparation areas whilst casting the lesser used areas into shadow.
Our local church is beautifully spot lit at night from un-seen light sources in the ground, the spot lights pick out highlights of the architecture whilst thrusting unlit areas into deep, deep, mysterious, sometimes scary shadows.
A spa I enjoy going to occasionally, not only bathes the participants in warm mineral water but also in pools of soft and yet dramatic lighting.
We even create chiaroscuro when we light candles in our own homes as a centre piece on our dining tables.
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As an artistic discipline, chiaroscuro ought to remain firmly in the hands and on the canvasses of the masters who create those great works of art. As an admirer of all things as potential art forms, it is difficult to distinguish between the canvas that the painter uses and the metaphorical canvas created by my table lamp and fruit bowl, which is basking in the lamp light and casting dark shadows, right beside me as I write.


http://janeyhood.hubpages.com/hub/Chiaroscuro

'Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.'-  Groucho Marx

Never a truer word was spoken when it comes to the life and times of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. I have recently spent a bit of time reading about this incredible Victorian Scottish designer, artist and colourist.
Mackintosh was one of the 'Glasgow Four' also known as 'The Spooks' due to their elongated ghost like figure paintings.  He was a contemporary of the Colourists and his name became an integral force in the Glasgow Art movement and Art Nouveau.

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Margaret macDonald

He started life as an architect and artist studying Japanese and continental art but the real work began after he met his bride to be Margaret MacDonald. Margaret was with Mackintosh at the Glasgow School of Art, and was introduced to Mackintosh as their work was complimentary, she too became one of the 'Glasgow Four' and 'The Spooks'. 

Source Wiki Commons
Mary MacDonald 

Her style was Celtic, romantic and very stylised, elongated female forms rendered to simple flowing romantic lines, his work was stylised, romantic but architectural. Once introduced they became a formidable team, introducing contemporary clean lines and fluid life style ideas into existing billowing, flouncy Victorian interior decor.

Their ideas were not popular with everyone, especially in Britain, the stuff shirts were not ready for the simplicity of the Mackintosh-MacDonald innovations. The continent however was a different story, here their ideas were embraced and their exhibitions were pretty successful.

Source Wiki Commons
Margaret Macdonald

Margaret was lauded by Mackintosh, he was generous with his praise of her work and the influences on him, indeed saying it was her talents that were the greater than his own and yet her name hardly features today. The name Mackintosh and style have become synonymous and iconic even a modern day 'brand', still enduring in the 21st century, whereas her name is little known.

Such is the lot of most women in the history of art.

Source Wiki Commons
Mary MacDonald

MacDonald's influence on Mackintosh, although huge was not enough to prevent them from dying penniless. Today their inheritors are enjoying is a different story, original pieces exchange hands for many hundreds of thousands of dollars, and every minimalist home can trace its design history back to this couple.

It is even reported that the influence on the artworks of Gustav Klimpt (another man) can be attributed MacDonald after he attended an exhibition in Vienna where he admired her work.

Where would many these great historical figures of men be without women? Consigned to the annals of history maybe?


http://janeyhood.hubpages.com/hub/Charles-Rennie-Macintosh

This is my first post as a blogger. Just a test really to see how it all works.

Its pretty difficult jumping in with two feet, writing a mishmash of unconsidered thoughts and pressing that button, sending the product into a an electronic void, but here goes. There is a first time for everything.

By way of a brief introduction I am a wife, mother, amateur artist and an in training Central Metabolic Control System Therapist - the training for which will probably continue for the rest of my days! I do write some articles on a couple of other sites, however I wouldn't consider or suggest for a moment that I am a writer.

The other day someone asked me it I were to write a book what would it be about, I found that question incredibly difficult to answer. They say there is a novel inside all of us, the question made me realise I didn't even have an opening page title.

That's a little how I feel about setting out to write a blog.:-)