Cabinet of Curiosities

This month's theme over at The Sketchbook Challenge is 'Cabinet of Curiosities'.  I would so love to have one of these, I love the idea of lots of interesting things all collected together in many different drawers and boxes.  How this translates into a sketchbook page is another matter but Jane Davies suggests a 'cabinet of curiosities' as a format which I rather like.

The idea is to focus on variety, and it really gets you thinking!  I kept feeling myself reaching for a colour or shape I'd just used, even when it was one I don't normally go for - I guess my brain had been recently alerted to it and thought it was a good idea!

I found it really quite hard to choose things that were different.  I know what I tend to go for (blues and greens, text, circles) and had to try and make sure I didn't keep reaching for these.  I also found myself justifying myself when I did reach again for a blue (it's a different shade) or when making another circle (it's using different supplies!).

This 'task' was part of lesson 4 of 'Extreme Composition' and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I cut snippets from magazines, old books, envelopes and bits of painted paper, and used rub ons and made marks with paint, pastels and ink and placed them in a grid format.  I then added 'one mark' to each of them, in the form of collage, printing, paint and drawing.

It certainly got me using supplies I don't normally reach for but will be doing in the future!  Have a go, it's fun!

The Sketchbook Challenge

Woo hoo!  I finally did some drawing in my sketchbook!

I was very brave and took my sketchbook over to the Manchester Art Gallery.  I went to see the Mary Greg Collection which I'd read about on the internet and is housed in the 'Gallery of Art and Design', my favourite room of the whole gallery!!!

I sketched a cabinet I liked, followed by the image of a bird on a piece of fabric.

I love the shape of this bird, and the pattern of circles on his body.  My next stop is Platt Hall Costume Museum which has recently been renovated and has loads of fabric designs.

Mary Greg, the wife of Thomas Greg who owned Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, collected a variety of objects that most people considered 'everyday' such as spoons, keys, wooden animals...  which gives great insight into everyday life of the time, and means many of these objects are now quite rare.

I'm including these as part of my sketchbook exploration of the theme 'Highly Prized'.