stitching plus week 3 of Arty farty

We did screen printing this week, this is my stencil of a grenade; the pics I took of the print were accidently on video, so I will have to re-visit the scene of the crime.  I used black ink on a scarlet backgound and now I have to try and think of what contemporary comment to make when I am adding my next stencil. 

Any suggestions?

The grenade is my theme for a longer project about a "Found object" that reveals a narrative........I found a grenade in the lean-to when we first moved into this, grand dad's, house. He was in the trenches in WWI.  This one was empty, but we didn't find that out till the Army had come tramping down the Lane to inspect it. 

Sadly they still took it away.

It was satisfying to work at one project all day, but annoying that I failed to get a clear background print, when at home [without all the technical accoutrements] on my own small screen, it isn't usually a problem.

Life drawing was chiaroscuro  [spell checker ignored that, had to use the dictionary] covering paper in charcoal then drawing a portrait of another student by candle light,  by rubbing out or chalking highlights. Was quite fun, makes me less fussy, but got actually exciting when another student actually managed to set herself on fire from the candle.

Sudden shocked silence as flames rose, then clumsy attempts to pat her out and throw various belated glasses of water.  She has ruined trousers and a nasty blistering. 

The tutor was mortified, I was left wondering if she had made an accident report [head teachers never die it seems, they just drift into bureaucratic whimsy] but managed to shut up.

Rabab drew me at length and I did a quick sketch of her. Interesting results.

My other project is Sense of Place, based on an contemporary artists work.  Did I say this, I was pleased to see the number of women artists suggested and chose Marlene Dumas.  In 2005ish she was the highest paid female artist, before Louise Bourgoise took over. Who knew? She does some muscular painting, but I chose an earlier work of hers of a school photo, called The Teacher, for obvious reasons.

I am working on a photo of grand dad's school photo taken in 1903 at the village school, emotive, as most of the boys in it would have gone to WWI. so there are links between the 2 projects.

What I am learning I think is

a] to look at my own work for longer rather than staring at the source in a panic  and b]questioning why I am doing it, what am I saying, what is the relevance.  I think these are good things, tho whether they are worth the fees I have to pay is still moot.