dave's book has arrived and with a fascinating addition from Gesa

Dave's book has arrived and here is Gesa's very different and original contribution - focussing on the steps of the dance and the timing and direction. The tranquil blue is also a total contrast in mood to the vivid Latin American sexiness of Dave's dancers. A really interesting take on the idea and a real challenge to follow! I'm thinking ......

.... desperately!

what to add next?


We had an inspection at college this week, followed by family visit so not much art work has been happening this week but next week ..........


.

Atmospheric Landscapes

From dusky Canadian mountains, across English Bay, with a detour around the verdant hills and marshes north of Vancouver and on across the Atlantic to the soft, misty, purple (!) mountains framing Lough Swilly - the Lake of Shadows. An eight page travelogue combined into a wide panoramic vista of soft atmospheric landscape. Excellent and impressive work from both Brian and Lorraine. I love them both, but I may just be about to disturb the tranquility!

Vivien's work in Gesa's Moley

Here, at last, are images from Vivien's drawings in Gesa's Lines & Lineages moleskine. The small detail on the left shows how much details she put into it. My jaw dropped when I opened it, but what really struck me was the continuity from Gesa's to Vivien's work.

Back in the close

Studies for Lorraine's Moley

I thought I'd better make a start. So, I've been digging around my various Joan Eardley books, notes, etc. I found a few photos she and others had taken, and started to think about the Glasgow tenement close. Since it's early days, I won't worry too much about spoilers here... the format will be different, the medium too, and the actual assemblage also...

Brian's Moley travelling again

I'm taking Brian's moley to the Post office this morning, before I go into work.

David keep your eyes peeled for the postman.

Ok… that’s that one done

David's pages in Loraine's Moley

It took me a time to get round to pick this one up. But now it’s here. Ok… closeness in the undergrowth. Suppose that needed to go in here.

I think I’ll stick with my elective urban belongings, think of Joan Eardley and some other literal interpretations of close, THE close, the TENEMENT close.

But it looks as if I’ve quickly moved to being the slow one: too much work elsewhere at the moment. Now that I’ve managed to post the Dance moley off to Vivien, I will see to this one.

Where’s the newspaper, the pair of scissors, the oil pastels….?

Apologies

I am an idiot. And I need to slow down. Here's the story; Vivien's Landscape Moley arrived on my mat weeks ago, so I photographed it and posted a rave review. Then I went off to do other things, while pondering on what I was going to add to it.
Fast forward, and I'm working in Vivien's Moley. Day one goes okay but as day two dawns I'm not happy with what I've done in it. Oh well, put the kettle on and check the post. Wow, Gesa's Lines and Lineages Moley arrives on my mat. Wow, inspiration. I start drawing immediately in Gesa's Moley, and, her original work gives me the solution to the problems I was having in Viven's Moley. Hours later and I'm a very happy bunny. Day three, I take some panoramic photos for my own records, and post both of them off to Casey.
Fingers drumming on my computer table, post added to the group with an oblique photo of Viv's Moley as a teaser. How long til Casey gets them.......
Today dawns, I post on my own Blog about my Genesis Moley, and my blood literally ran cold. I've sent off Gesa's Moley to Casey, but I haven't blogged about getting it and what Vivien had drawn in it. I am an idiot.
So I've emailed Vivien to ask if she took any photos of her work in Gesa's Moley because none of mine do her work justice. Please don't sack me. I promise to lessen my caffeine intake and listen to soothing music.

Sneak Preview of Vivien's Landscape Moley

Here's a peek at Vivien's Moley which I'll be sending onto Casey when it's dry. I love it, I really do. I want it to come back to me, not to Vivien. And it's all thanks to Gesa, because Gesa's Lines Moley arrived in the post this morning and her collages solved a problem I was having with the Landscape one. Just in the nick of time. And it's a piece of the North East landscape that's close to my heart; a feature I've grown up with, visiting there with my parents, and later with my husband and now my own children.

Casey's Book Arrived!

Here are Casey's vivid, beautiful, first few pages of his "Freedom" Moley. These are not colors I usually use so I'm feeling challenged to continue his theme with these beautiful color sketches as my inspiration.

Moly McGurgan has landed!

Brian, what can I say? your sketchbook popped through my letterbox this morning, and what a delight to behold.

Your pastel paintings are just exquisite, I have so enjoyed looking at them today.

However, I'm now on the horns of a dilemma as to what I am going to do to S-T-R-E-T-C-H my creativity, to match up to what you have produced.

This may take a while...

Weekend admin

joys... :)

Guys - I've played a bit with the template: widened it, made the comments pop up rather than take over the whole page; and most importantly: added Image links to a label search on our Moleys. For this I have tidied up the labels - have a look; they basically now follow Casey's suggestion from before, e.g. 'Brian's Moley: Stretch'.
So, please: for the links to work: whenever you post someone's else moley, do apply the relevant label (and don't make up a new one ;))
So far, Brian, Casey and Steph are still missing - the first two because there aren't images yet; and with Steph's I was a bit hesitant to use Casey's partner's photo. Casey: do you maybe just want to send me another photo, post one that I could then use, or alternatively make the widget yourself? It's the same process that you've used on your own blogs. Similarly, if you want to replace the image to your moley, feel free to do so - it's rather straightforward.

Hope this is all ok, let me know if not.
Have a good weekend!

Genesis Begins!

With the receipt of Steph.'s Genesis Moley, we truly have another great beginning in the world of Moleskine Exchanging! I was surprised to see her intricate drawing, so well thought out to encourage progress on her theme. Notice the tricky way that the name "Yahweh" is read both right side up, or upside down. She reminds me that this is an ideogram.

Very impressive order-from-chaos content, too. Now it's on me to follow up with something equally thoughtful.

My "Freedom!" themed Moleskine went out to Lindsay today. The old highway that used to traverse the north central USA, Highway 2, runs from about 8 miles south of me, all the way to Chicago. I visualize it getting to Lindsay straightaway!

Photo: Lorie Klahn

I now got one too...

David's Moley and Entry

... in the post, yesterday, arrived David's. The one where the theme gives me slight apprehension: people, not only people, but DANCING people.

And, look: what magnificient Tango his couples are doing. Oh dear... where to go - eh, sorry - dance from here?

Well... I'll be circling around it for a wee while. David, you just take your time with Lorraine's Garden - and I'm with you on the different uses of sketchbooks, and somehow, secretely, relieved, that your turn's before mine :P, I can then just follow on nicely with more sketchiness.

Steph on Themes

I don't know about you, but I'm loosing track again of who's chosen what theme. So, I've added the themes to the list on the top right of the blog. But I don't think it looks right up there. So, if any of you can see where it would be more fitting and knows how to change the blog layout, then feel free to make whatever changes you like.

Casey's emailed me to say my Moley has arrived, so I'm very excited to see what he writes and what images he posts from it.

Absolutely Wonderful!

What a wonderful piece of work Lorraine. Your garden of delights arrived safely this afternoon and I was taken aback by it's exquisite beauty and the care you have taken to produce it. With poignant quotes within the painting and on the inside at the back I will let others find these added delights for themselves.
Unfortunately it also scares the life out of me! How can I possibly follow this? for you and I seem to be at different ends of artistic expression. I use my sketchbooks (messily) to explore and develop ideas and material for larger paintings which in turn will be carried out in a bold and expressionistic manner while this little painting of yours is already finished to a very high standard. Now I am challenged to find a greater degree of finesse that normally eludes me so that I don't make a mess of your sketchbook. I promise you I will take the greatest care with your book and do my utmost not to fail you!

Well done Lorraine!

It looks better this way up!

No Hamish, I didn't mean that close!

Well my first drawing is finished, I'm reasonably pleased with it.

My preferred medium is watercolour, but that doesn't work on the moly pages so I've been using watercolour pencils which seem to work well. After Hamish has passed judgement on my drawing, it will be in the post to David, first thing in the morning. I can't wait to see the next sketchbook.