Art Course
I'm just managing to keep on top of everything with the on-line collage course I've signed up for. It's a free course from the futurelearn website. This disadvantage of choising the 'free' option is that aaccess will cease at the end of the fourth week, unless I choose to pay a course fee.
This course us about creating your own collage papers, as well as, of maybe instead of chopping bits out of magazines etc. Today's task was about graduating tone.
When I was making these grids I could feel the connections between how I go about playing the piano or harpsichord or organ expressively and how I try to turn marks with pencil, roller-ball pen and crayon on paper into expressive marks. I haven't exactly managed to form my thoughts into organised sentences yet... but I know what I'm trying to formulate.
It's to do with repeated notes/marks, and piling marks/notes on top of each other, and how heavily you press/play, and that kind of thing...
I substituted a child's black crayon for ink, after knocking over the bottle the other day!
Weather
After such an unpromising start to the day, the afternoon was beautiful. It was like a trailer for the real spring to come. Vicky came to do the garden and has left it looking cared for and refreshed, ready for the change in seasons to come.
Slugs and snails
I was delighted to read an article suggesting that there will be fewer slugs and snails around this year, because of all the cold weather... After losing the battles, and my broad beans, to the beasts last year, I shall try again this time with renewed enthusiasm.
Music
Although this is called 'Notturno', it's always sounded more of a day-time piece to me. It's by Edvard Greig; I used to play the original piano version and never realised he had orchestrated it.
I'm glad you had such pleasant weather. I'm hoping that the prediction of less snails and slugs this summer comes to pass. I detest those pests.
ReplyDeleteNo frost this morning, that is a hopeful start
DeleteI've done a lot of courses with Futurelean but haven't seen that one. What is it called, please?
ReplyDeleteIt's something like collage for illustrators
DeleteFuturelearn is a great resource
DeleteHave you done the Book of Kells course? It's absolutely fabulous and even includes a bit of art work.
DeleteYes, I did! That, and the 'how to write poetry' course were sanity savers in lockdown - the best of the several I've tried so far.
DeleteAre you listening to Max Richter on composer of the week, Radio 3 at 4pm this week. I had a lightbulb moment when he talked about playing with music in his head as a small child, much like he would play with building blocks or cars and although the cars and blocks were no more the playing with music remained.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you are right about the molluscs. I planted 16 broad bean plants out in the veg plot on Saturday and so far so good. My biggest threat to their survival in these early days is mice who will burrow down to eat the beans before they have fully rooted into the soil. I adore broad beans and have already sown another tray of 16 beans.
Watched the sun rise this morning while the kettle was boiling. I stood at the open stable door and welcomed spring with Radio 3 playing in the background. Today’s schedule is based around the four seasons celebrating 300 years since Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was first performed. Breakfast with Pertroc Trelawney is Spring and tonight he’s working a double shift as he will be at the ROH presenting a live screening of Romeo and Juliet (with Dame Darcy) which I will be watching at the Leconfield hall in Petworth with my gang of opera and ballet loving friends. Four of us are going to Glyndebourne this summer - a first for me.
Last night I watched an excellent programme about waves which to me encompass rhythm, the pull of the moon, the change in the season.
Digging deep here as I care for my husband. Your daily posts are always a tonic Kirsten - thank you. Sarah in Sussex
Live screening sounds heaven, with glyndebourne paradise to look forward to later in the year! I'll track back via bbcsounds for Max richter.
DeleteWhat fascinated me is the emotional content (for me) of the mark making exercises, particularly moving pen/pencil/crayons fast and slow, or varying speed and pressure as I makes lines, dashes or scribbles. Experiencing that alone has been worth doing the course on its own, even if I don't manage to complete it!
When you are stuck by circumstances in a narrow and confined world, you have to seek your expanses and outlets where you can find them, and them make the most of them.
DeleteAs a cared for person (although not yet as reliant on my husband as I will inevitably become) my sympathies are entirely with the carer. My husband has had to take on the closing down of his opportinities, as well as the additional load of running the household. I get the sympathy, after all, I've got a blooming great oxygen tube across my face, but he needs the attention at least as much as me. I don't expect to have my mental capacity affected, so I feel my best contribution is to remain positive and grateful for everything.
Have you come across Jeremy Denk 'Every Good Boy Does Fine'? If you send me your address as a comment (I won't publish it) I'll post you my spare copy. He is very interesting on music from the musician performer viewpoint. Check out the online reviews.
DeleteI always loved watching really young children (2 years and upwards) mark making on large sheets of paper with black crayons in nursery, their faces had such joy and concentration. One of my all time favourite pieces of music is Schubert's Notturno Piano Trio, it fills me with such emotion, can make me cry. The Grieg is more day time to me too but wonderful, thank you for the marvellous music each day. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteChildren are such innocents... it was astonishing for me to consider that the first time they were presented with a paint brush and paper they would have no idea that the paint would magically transfer to the paper! As for my neighbour's 18month year old when I gave him a piece of pavement chalk... (and his world and his little face turned blue 'no, not in your mouth darling' too late...
ReplyDeleteThis is so lovely, the Grieg! I enjoyed your texture exercises!x
ReplyDelete