Jaz by Roger S
A Quiet Night at Redbrick Mill by Roger Simpson
One thing about redbrick mill apart from life drawing is that there's always a story to tell, like a couple months ago when we'd finished life drawing I strolled to the car park, got in my car, turned the engine on and a dirty great big white van was parked bang in front of me sideways on, I turned my lights on and I read in big black letters POLICE on the side of the van. Next thing I knew there's a copper banging on my window, what ya doing here, I said I'm waiting for a bus what do ya think I'm doing here (I didn't say that really) I opened my window and told him I've been life drawing, he says what! I said life drawing! he looked at me as though he didn't believe me so I showed him my painting, Wow do they really do that in their he said...yep, anyway he had a good look and said fair cop and off he went. Another time I was going up town street on my way home and I pulled up the car cos I thought I'd forgotten my beloved water bucket and suddenly a woman opened my car door and she was just about to sit in till I said what the hell ya doing, she said I thought you wanted business, I said not on your nellie now buzz off.... I thought about it afterwards....nah only joking, she was a belter an all!
After being forced by tom to write a blog I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to write so I'll just put down what I see and think. Our life drawing was in my opinion a quiet night, just something about it which told me its winter, I think it's in our subconscious that when its winter our mood changes into a quiet solitary almost solemn mood which I felt last night. I sat down next to a model I haven't seen before (don't think) his name was jaz if I heard him correctly, sometimes I have trouble hearing people (A bit deaf in one ear, a bit like jimmy Stewart in a wonderful life eh), anyway I thought he was a great model and was very still all night. I'm not that keen on drawing males I find them too straight looking, but I don't mind really its all good practice, I prefer voluptuous females where there's more to paint so it takes me longer which is good cos I'm too quick, I wish I could slow down! I could paint a lot faster if I wanted to but I try to pace myself which really effects my painting but what can I do.
As I talked to some of the wonderful artists at redbrick one or two of them were having trouble with their work which is nothing new to us all, we all have trouble at times and some weeks are better than others. What I say to this is if your drawing or painting looks right it is right! and if you worry in how to draw or paint a hand or some other feature then don't bother with it at all, leave it out completely, you might be surprised by the results! Tom has very graciously put me up as featured artist but I know tom... he cant foooool me, he's just teasing me to write this! he's a crafty artist. anyway there were one or two works I really liked last night, one was a vey good likeness of jaz by sue and I think sue can knock out figure paintings in her sleep and they all end up lovely pieces of art. Teresa's work I think is brilliant, she comes up with a different work each week with different techniques not like me doing watercolours all the time. I also liked tony's work this week, he seems to have a style all his own and its interesting to compare his pencil drawing style with steven's... both different. All in all a good quiet night and all the artists work was brilliant, some better than others but next week the others will be better....Faith is what we need...
Paintings and drawings by Ben, Cathy, David, Ian, Roger H, Sandra, Steven, Sue, Teresa, Tom, Tony and featured artist Roger S.
