Still Life with Grapes and Pears. Scratchboard, 10 x 8 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
Remember this one? See, this is what happens when I set something aside for a “couple days”! I can see a couple touch-up areas on the background, but otherwise I’m calling this guy finished.
Funny thing about this board: it’s the one I’d started in (yikes!) January when I first started feeling off about my work. Over the past few days of finishing it, and surfin’ the ‘net looking for ideas about how to handle my End of Winter Slump, I think I’ve come up with a plan on how to learn/work my way out of it. On March 31, the day after the RFA group show is over, I’ll let you know all about it.
Until then, I’ll return tomorrow with another ”Tutorial Tuesday” and we’ll have a look at varied hatching - well, it better be varied hatching because that’s what I did the sample of over the weekend!
Still Life with Grapes and Pears, Work in progress. Scratchboard, 10 x 8 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my art-making process. Along with the resolution I made to draw more, I came to the conclusion that I really need to look more closely at my favourite medium: scratchboard. I think I’ve fallen into something of a rut as far as method, colour decisions, even reference materials are concerned. While not one of my formal resolutions - I think this is going to need a more “organic” process, where I’m allowed to make mistakes in secret - I’ve decided to explore scratchboard as a medium. I’m going to look at what other artists have done with scratchboard: tools, technique, subjects, styles, and how this might influence the work I do. Whenever I come across something I can share here, I will. Who knows where it will lead? All I can say for sure right now is: I’m looking forward to this!
Today (well, in Canada at least) is National Aboriginal Day, a day for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people to celebrate and share their cultural heritage. And how did I mark the occasion? Well, I did bake some bannock last night and had some leftover this morning with jam… does that count?
This morning, walking with Mack (my Golden Retriever), I saw some graffiti spray painted on a garage door, “I’m a creative Cree native!” it read. While I can’t approve the support this artist chose for her/his work, it sure reads a lot easier than if I’d have painted it: “I’m a creative person of mixed Métis and Hungarian heritage!” Just doesn’t have the same ring…
Meet for Coffee. Scratchboard, 5 x 7 in, 2007.
I fell in love with scratchboard during a workshop in 1999. The instructor was the late Bill Haussecker http://www.billhaussecker.com/ and halfway through the workshop I felt like I had come home. I was working on a rabbit, and I loved the way the scratchboard was so well-suited to depicting the fur and how the subject seemed to emerge from the darkness as I worked.
Since then, I’ve become more skilled and my subjects more varied, but I still love watching how the scratches model light, shadow and form.
