Underwater scene

On vacation in Redang Island off the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia we enjoyed snorkeling in the clear waters. There were abundant fish life and in some places numerous reefs. My 7 year old is an accomplished swimmer and skin diver. Here is a painting I completed of her joyously exploring the ocean.


It took me 4 weeks to deal with all the jobs domestic and workplace after my holiday. Only now can I get back into painting and sculpting and all things creative.

Sketch club May

After a long hiatus I managed to make the sketch club at Art Est and found that all the participants have changed. I shouldn't be surprised I know. Our model was Elly a former dancer and an older woman. She was very graceful.


However the suburb suffered a blackout with the result that Elly was without her heaters and electric blanket and had to be clothed! I thought this an opportunity to draw a portrait.


Eventually the power came back on and she did the last pose nude. Sarah the convenor was evidently frustrated with her efforts as she considered a new hobby. Well none of us were particularly good mainly because we haven't been practicing.

Shock value in art

Recently while enjoying my Barbara Nadel detective novel(!), I was provoked to consider the shock value in art. Contemporary art and you may disagree, is distinguished from traditional art by its deliberate use as social comment. Not content with mere aesthetics, it tries to convey views on societal norms.

As an example, I once saw an ArtXpress entry on eating meat. The pig was eating a human surrounded by mounted human heads in the room. Shocking? Yes. Did I get the message? I certainly remembered it even if I didn't convert to vegetarianism. Was it beautiful? No and I don't think I want it on my wall!

Who remembers the Bill Henson controversy over his use of nude pubescent models? And Damian Hirst with his dead animals? I think the question that Barbara Nadel's book raised was how far is too far? Bill skirted with child pornography and Damian with death; both taboo subjects. In the book the artist murders his children and had them embalmed and dressed like shadow puppets for a show. All in the name of art!

Completed clay figurines

After what seems like an interminable wait, my clay figurines are ready and they look great! Pottery is slow work because things have to be bisque fired then underglazed and glazed before being fired again. Access to kilns not being necessarily easy to arrange and the need to group pots for an economical firing all add to the time. Add the suspense of not knowing whether a piece will survive the firing and the mystery of glazes (it's a bit of a hit and miss what will turn out).... and you understand the achievement.





The beauty of these figurines is that I finally get to model in 3D what I had previously tried to draw in 2D. It's actually very satisfying although quite a challenge. I have not had a life model just some photos or sketches that I extrapolated from.


My next challenge is to include arms and a head. I also took some raku clay home and am going to persuade my daughter to model for me (clothed of course)!