Labour Day – passes in a quiet, unassuming , effortless way. Countless trips between kitchen and studio, noticing a few, brandy wine, tomatoes on the vine – not quite ready to eat (understatement) aggressively green for this time of year – well there’s time.
With my camera I take a few compulsive shots of a head I’m working on – 'note taking' I say to myself – before making changes. In the past I never could have done this - perhaps it was a blessing – now it’s become almost a habit. I wonder if this extra step has made me too self conscious. I suspect it has.
Beautiful and strong portrait! Ah, I think that "note taking" is a good way of offering a little distance to see the work in a new way. It's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to how this finishes.
I agree with Melinda. I think the notetaking improves the work. Which I've got to say at this stage is fantastic. I think I know that face.
ReplyDeleteI heard Ed Lawrence say to get a big bucket of water and mix in a little Epsom salts, water the tomatoes with that at night, and in the morning they'll be considerably more pink, or red.
Love,
Barbara
Marcia, there is a blip on Blogger which prevents me from leaving comments on some people's blogs (you are unfortunately one of them) so let's see if it is in a good mood today. I love sculpture and I love the Epstein kind of feel of this - sold and rugged but with finesse. I miss working with clay sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI would love to watch you develop these gorgeous heads.
ReplyDeleteI agree Melinda that the camera is a dandy tool – for memory and for sharing. In a way though, it’s deceptively easy – gives me a false sense of security, makes me a little uneasy. .One becomes dependent. I wish I were more in the habit of reaching for a pencil as a tool for note taking – slower but can be very effective. Although I will say that with the camera I’ve become much more aware of light and how it falls or doesn’t fall in the way I want it to on the clay. I think if the clay looks good in any light then I’m home free, but it generally doesn’t.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, what a wealth of information you are - I always thought Epsom salts were best used in taking baths – maybe I could put my unripened tomatoes in the bathtub and sprinkle Epsom salts on them, but actually they are beginning to redden with out intervention – good socialist tomatoes, collective bargaining – what am I talking about? It’s late. You always send me off on a tangent – the basis of a friendship - I know you agree with Melinda – I agree with her too!
ReplyDeletelove, Marcia
Hi Sheila!
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know that you were familiar with the work of Jacob Epstein. He was and still is one of my heroes. So thank you for comparing and telling me that!!! If I'm reminiscent, it's not an accident.
As for the blip on blogger – well that’s pure caprice on their part I’d say - even if it is unintentional!
Thank you Doug! I would love to have you as an audience but I’m afraid you might grow impatient! But you are always welcome, nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteMarcia
Hi again, Melinda – I wanted to say that there’s more to the camera than meets the eye – no pun intended – and that I’m often a wretched photographer but also that an awkwardness with the pencil goes without saying but it’s a reminder to take nothing for granted – yes, no, maybe?
ReplyDeletexo,Marcia