Category: Free Inquiry (page 1 of 2)

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December 1, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 10

All done, and considering my little studio room is still out of operation, I went for simple this week. I watched a great video for my link-to-practice inquiry about embracing limitations, and how that can get people thinking creatively. I think limiting my drawing really benefits me on occasions, as I can relax a bit and focus on line making over quality of colour, for example. I drew the New Zealand Robin with a ball point pen, inspired by Neva Hosking’s artwork. I have been following her for 8 or so years now, and find her work very inspired by life and so detailed. She often works with ball point pen. The bird eats small bugs found among leaves, and usually is found in the forest. It is also known to distract prey from its young by performing and dancing around.

I think students should get some opportunities to work with permanent mediums, even if it is just a ball point pen. I don’t think you need anything fancy to get started, and while most of my art supplies are not inexpensive, pen is definitely accessible. I also love the idea of permanence, and I think having to move on and move around mistakes can be really beneficial. It can be a bit paralyzing sitting down to make artwork when you have too much as far as supplies go, like Phil says in the video. Sometimes it is best to start small and see where it takes you. Neva has made an entire career (a successful one) out of pencil and pen drawings on often times scrap paper. I think that should inspire students to just start!

I am giving this one to my new neighbour downstairs who happens to be my boyfriend’s brother.

December 1, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 9

My favourite bird, the European Robin! I decided I couldn’t possibly paint it again, but wanted to represent it somehow. I always get my needle felting out around the holidays for little ornaments as it feels like a cozy thing to work on. I had all the colours I needed to work on it, and it always takes less time than I think I need. Both male and females have similar colouring, featuring the bold orangey throat and belly. While they look very sweet, they can be very aggressive and territorial. They live predominantly in gardens, eating mainly insects. They are also very skilled at hiding nests, especially when nesting around humans.

Needle Felting

Needle felting is super fun to do with kids, even if it is much more abstract than a bird. The only issues that arise are poking yourself and having the needle break if they aren’t using them correctly. I have a lovely stash of roving from Knotty by Nature, which is an amazing local textile store that is also keen to give helpful advice. One thing I notice kids struggle with is pulling the roving apart, usually choosing to try tearing it when it easily comes away by pulling lightly more vertically. One thing I’d love to try, is using squares of felt for mouse ears, or tiny sewn clothing, as well as beads for eyes instead of roving. As long as students are adequately poking, the end result is often really great, and I have made many totoros and mushrooms with the kids at work. I find felting a pretty low mess situation, and other than the roving the supplies are very affordable as all you really need is a needle and thick foam block .

I’m going to give this one as a little Christmas present, likely to my grandma as she likes little pieces like this (especially birds).

November 26, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 8

Here is the iPad painting done in the app Brushes Redux, the app David Hockney uses for his many digital paintings. I wanted to try something unfamiliar, as Procreate is something I know much more in depth. I am very inspired by David Hockney’s work, and favour his bright colours and flat application of paint. I also appreciate that he tried something new, despite his age, and it paid off as he created some very interesting and beautiful work. Here is a link to his digital work. I also want to note I was not able to use my studio room this week/lately as my partner is taking apart and building bikes in the space and things are not as they usually are. This application was much less intuitive than procreate, and I don’t believe it has been updated in some time (it was free though!). I did like the microsoft paint vibe it had, as that was something I considered when choosing what medium to use this week. I will note, the painting looks much more blurry after downloading it than it did in the app.

I painted the Rufous-crested Coquette this week, a small and distinct bird found in the Andes mountains in South America, although it is only seen very rarely. It is a quick hunter, catching large insects in flight, and also feasts on nectar. It is a type of hummingbird. I personally love drawing hummingbirds, and I like the more subdued colours of its body compared to some of our local hummingbirds like the Anna’s.

As there is no physical card this week, I sent the photo over email to Cal (who gave me the book) as I have not seen him lately in Cook Street Village.

November 5, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 7

European Pied Flycatcher

This guy is more my style, the last few weeks I have struggled a bit with the final outcome and they haven’t been what I consider to be my best work. I felt like I was back on track with this bird, a little puffy and round. The EPF calls deciduous woodland home, using moss, roots, and bark to create their nests. It can lay up to 11 eggs at once, which are pale blue in colour. They are also commonly found in old holes left my woodpeckers and other types of birds.

Copic Markers

Copic markers were extremely popular when I was in high school, and I often regret the hundreds of dollars I spent on them. Once in a while I bring them out, as I like how they blend and the brighter colours (not pictured here) can be pretty fun to add to the odd composition. I think markers are a good thing to know about, as they lend themselves to a lot of genres of art that are popular amongst kids (manga and comic books). They can be great for building knowledge around colour theory, and are quick to use over paint. I have seen similar brands at my link to practice, and it is clear they are well loved. I like that it is possible to buy replacement ink for them to minimize waste. Similarly to posca pens, it is crucial to ensure students use them respectfully as the tips can be broken pretty easily with extra pressure.

As for who gets this one, I want to send it to my teacher from high school who gave me all of her resources recently! So kind of her and I feel very thankful to have her in my corner.

October 31, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 6

This week I drew a Red-bellied Pitta, a bird found in Asia and some parts of Australia. There are many types of Pitta’s, and most of them have red bellies. They are rarely spotted, and often stick close to the forest floor in dense shrubbery on the hunt for beetles and other insects. They are fairly silent birds, only whistling during mating season. I find they look a bit cheeky.

I chose to use one of my more colourful mediums, the Caran d’Ache Neocolour crayons. These crayons are water soluble, making them suitable for a range of projects. I have used these with young children before, as the process of drawing and then blending with water is often satisfying and adheres to a more process based art making. I didn’t use any water on this piece, as I like the texture from the painting, and as I blended a lot using separate colours, I didn’t want it to become too muddy. This tool is very accessible for students, and the colours are so rich. I was able to buy a set second hand at thrift craft downtown, which is one of my favourite resources as I have been able to try many new things for much cheaper as I was not buying them new. As I became more familiar with the tool, I collected a few extra colours from Opus, they are available to buy individually. I’m glad I chose a brighter subject this week as I feel a bit sluggish at this point in the semester and can use all the help I can get when cheering myself up.

I’m planning on giving this one to my old boss that I have been missing lately, as she became a good friend while I worked for her. I learned a lot of creative problem solving from her and she was a reference for me to get into the program. I have to take a book back to her studio anyways so I thought I’d tuck a card in there too.

October 23, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 5

This week I painted a Rufous-tailed Jacamar, a bird I have never heard of before. It resides in wooded tropics, usually near clearings and creeks as it feeds on butterflies, dragonflies, and wasps with its long bill. They make a lovely shriek, and I really appreciate the bird call portion of many birding websites.

For the medium I chose holbein acrylic gouache. I did a big project with gouache in the summer with different subject matter, and I found this a bit more challenging working smaller and with something involving less foliage. I am feeling a bit burnt out in general with getting work done, and I think if I try something totally new next week I might have more success. The acrylic gouache is fun to collect, as it comes in many colours. I’d love to use a wet palette as I find the paint dries very quickly and I end up wasting a lot which is unfortunate. I also have had a bottle of medium to mix with it as the colours are so vivid and it stretches the paint further (nice as it is pretty expensive given the size of the tubes). Ideally, I enjoy using watercolour first and then overlaying the gouache afterwards as I find it a bit more vibrant and opaque. This isn’t something necessarily found in a classroom but I think it compares pretty closely to acrylic in general which is pretty standard.

I am bringing this to a party I am attending at my friend Kai’s house on Friday as he is a gracious host and we are all able to get up to some antics over there. We have traded some art over the years and I am thankful he is in my life. I may add a funny little text bubble on the front as well.

October 15, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 4

This week I chose the Graceful Prinia, a small warbler found in Africa and Asia. I picked a neutral coloured bird as I wanted to try out ink again, but found it to be a bit more challenging than I remember. I did a large piece of a bat a few years ago with ink but I may have used different brushes for that one. I did a lot of exploration with ink and brush with younger children a few months ago and it is so messy but worth it. The different brush techniques and characters they come up with are fantastic and it leads to some interesting problem solving given its permanence. One thing to note is cleaning the brushes has to be done thoroughly as the ink works its way into the bristle within the brush handle. Ink can be so dynamic and intense, which can lead to some confidently made art. You have to be able to roll with mistakes, as it is bound to happen in the form of a dip or smudge.

The Graceful Prinia lives in dense grassland and shrubbery, as it feeds on insects. They make beautifully woven nests that they can use long term due to having no need to migrate. They have a stable population, which is always a welcome fact. This card I am sending to my grandparents, as they often send me cards and my Grandma had surgery this past week. Both of them are very artistic people, and connecting to the gratitude portion of the wholehearted teacher session in 352, I would absolutely not be where I am without their encouragement in the arts and I am so thankful to have a family who supports what I am passionate about and did not think twice about wether art school was a smart choice or not. I think this week I’d like to continue working with ink, and it was also something brought up in my art instruction class – working with ink and unconventional tools for more exploration.

October 9, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 3

Week three features the Hermit Thrush. It is found all over North America, in Boreal forest and open woodland. What I didn’t know, was that it is a ground dweller, and constructs its nest on the ground. Both the male and female look similar, with dark olive-y brown and spotted underparts.

I decided this week I wanted to try working digitally, as I liked the idea of including a screen capture of how I paint. I can see I don’t stay and finish one spot at a time, but rather move around with similar colours which I believe creates unity in the piece. I find digital work both easier and more difficult, as you can use references more easily, but lose the pencil and paper feeling I love so much. I have a “paper” screen protector that I should likely replace at this point, as it has been well loved. Procreate is one of my favourite tools, as it is a one time purchase, unlike so many subscription based services (photoshop for example). I find it is much easier to use than adobe software in general, as I have a strong dislike of the pen tool in illustrator. There was a lot of talk in my fine arts program about the validity of digital art compared to traditional medias, and I don’t think it is any less valid, as long as it is shown in a professional way with considerations to tech or printing. Price of an ipad aside, I find this is becoming a more popular medium amongst teens and there have been more classes offered featuring digital arts in high schools. It can open a lot of doors for students, and if feasibly possible I find it is a fun tool to bring travelling instead of carrying paper/paints/pens around.

October 1, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 2

Back again this week with a pencil crayon drawing of two Warbling White-eyes, on the standard mixed media card.

Considering the fact I use pencil crayons rather often, I chose to make the composition slightly more difficult and used a reference with two birds. The birds in question are Warbling White-eyes, also known as Japanese White-eyes. I’ve enjoyed both weeks now listening to the bird call, and my cat seems to enjoy it too. It is native to Asia and travels in vocal flocks through forests, urban areas, and farmland. They are fairly common birds, not endangered in the slightest, and were introduced to control bug populations in Hawaii in the 1920s. They are omnivorous and love fruit, are very social, and can live to be 5 years old.

Prismacolours! My preferred type of pencil crayon. My favourite colour is green, and I love being able to find references and animals/birds where I get to employ the best Prismacolor of all time, lime peel. They blend beautifully, although I didn’t find myself blending at all, but layering colours instead. They can be applied very softly and I find them much easier to use than something like a crayola. I was happy to see that they have full packs of them to use at the school I have been at for my link to practice, as it is nice to have access to higher-quality supplies at the high school level. While these pencils aren’t necessarily cheap, I like that you can buy one at a time, as I go through them at different rates and you don’t have to sink too much into it initially while trying them out. Overall, I find their texture satisfying, and I love the ease of bringing pencil crayons out into the world with me. They often come camping or travelling as it isn’t such a messy endeavour.

This card is for my family friend Hallie, who has just started University in Vancouver at Emily Carr. I’d like to send her something as this is her first time living away from home and I am thinking of her often as I’m excited for her. I enjoyed receiving mail when I first moved out from her and her younger sister, and I’m sure it can’t hurt to send her some in return give or take seven years later.

Photo by Kawasaki Toshihiro on Unsplash

September 25, 2023 / 0 Comments

Free Inquiry – 1

Overview –

My Inquiry Project will focus on art, as each week I will explore a different medium while working with birds as subject matter. I was recently given a massive book on birds by an older gentleman who frequents my workplace. Over the years we have chatted quite a bit and given each other many artistic-related gifts. I will be using multi-media cards as my base for the artwork, as I will give them away as I go. I’d like to try watercolour and acrylic gouache, calligraphy pen, lino cut printing, oil paint, pastels, markers, neocolour crayons, and pencil crayons. If any other mediums catch my eye along the way I’d be happy to switch one out for something more complex or interesting. Along with the painting, I’ll upload some information on the bird I’ve chosen, and the medium selected – challenges or notes for future use. I’ve said on many occasions, although jokingly, that the best part of being an artist is making personal birthday/holiday cards for my loved ones. It’ll be nice to think of someone as I paint, and while I don’t have any reason to give anyone anything I’m sure it will be somewhat fun to receive.

Week One –

This week I worked in watercolour gouache, focusing on the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, found commonly in Southeast Asia but has been introduced in the USA and Europe. Its habitat is farmland and woodland, as it enjoys a scattered treeline. It reminds me of a brown chickadee, and it is roughly the same size, if not a bit bigger. They favour nesting in buildings, cliff faces, and holes in trees.

The watercolour gouache I used is the Winsor and Newton variety, which I struggled with slightly due to not having a full set (it is hard to get my hands on the individual tubes, Michaels stopped selling them). I do like getting by with less colour-wise sometimes, as it forces me to rely on mixing more efficiently than just using what is available. I’d love an olive green though and I think it would have helped quite a bit. I like these paints as they are a bit more opaque than regular watercolour, but layer similarly. Once dry, they become a bit chalky, and they worked well with the mixed media paper. The first card I made is for Cal, as he provided the inspiration for the project, and I am probably due to give him something in return. I imagine he would also like to hear about the project.

This was a fun bird to start with, I am more familiar with local birds and look forward to expanding my knowledge on more birds from other countries. While choosing this project, I wanted to ensure it was something I could comfortably complete each week and use for future reference. I’d like to use some of the materials I already own but invest in a few things I don’t.

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