Pot

Pot (2B mechanical pencil in A5 sketchbook)

There are times when inertia builds up so much that the only thing to do is to pick up a pencil and draw. Draw anything, whatever comes to hand. In this case it was a ceramic pot, so I guess it qualifies as EDM #43 - "Draw something china or ceramic".

Two Toothbrushes

Two Toothbrushes (2B mechanical pencil, A5 sketchbook)

Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head ....

and then I drew this. Something about it caught my eye and I just had to get it down on paper. This doesn't happen often, unfortunately, but I've been looking at the blogs of Michael Nobbs and Jay Mercado recently, and something of their enthusiasm for drawing must have rubbed off on me. Whatever the reason, it felt worth going with the flow.

And then into town. Into the drizzly-grey-raininess of Newcastle. Please someone tell me that this isn't going to be another of those awful summers! Don't let me find by the end of the year that summer was that nice week I had in the Dales in April.

It was all worth it anyway. I was there to lend my expert opinion on the purchase of an outfit for Pat's son's wedding in September (by which time, we hope, the summer really will be here). The expedition was a success and Pat will look fantastic in her emerald green. Now I have the far more arduous task of finding just the right tie....

Cup in a Modernist Stylee

Cup with African Dish (2B mechanical pencil, A5 sketchbook)

Why stop at one cup when you've got a whole cupboard full? I suppose I approached this in a rather playful fashion and the end result certainly shows something of the fact that I spent the morning leafing through the lovely illustrations in Mary Fedden: Enigmas and Variations.

I'm still in love with 20th Century Modernism, even though it seems to have been consigned to the dustbin of Art History. There seems to be so much more yet to be explored. What do you think? Is it time to move on and leave Cubism and its children to gather dust?

Shoe on a Rug

(2B mechanical pencil, pastel, A5 sketchbook)

Too many things to catch up on at home today, so I decided to forgo my second visit of the week to the Art Club. However, just to keep things rolling, I did this drawing of my old trainer on a striped rug. "Draw a shoe" is Challenge No.1 on the Everyday Matters list.

It occurs to me that I must have been wearing these trainers for close to 30 years and they're still the most comfortable shoes I possess.

Cup with Barbara Rae

(2B mechanical pencil, wax crayons, A5 sketchbook)

Still waiting for the Night Station to dry, so today I thought I might have look at the list of old Everyday Matters Challenges. I picked out No.4 - Draw your mug or cup. The cup I chose is an old kitchen cup, badly made, with no decoration, but I've always liked it for it's fragile irregularities. It's good for mixing up curry spices or preparing a marinade.

While looking for something to lay it on, I absentmindedly set it down on the excellent Barbara Rae monograph - and found my subject. I rather like the effect of pencil set against wax crayon and might use it again.