Why I Draw

..and please check out: 

 

     

http://www.charliejamesart.com

Porcelain "Trophies"

I highly recommend a visit to Tom and Dulcie's gallery and framing and restoration workshop. The current exhibition "Trophies" is quite something too.

© 2016 Fairhurst Gallery, Websdales Court, Bedford Street, Norwich, NR2 1AR  |  01603 614214  |  fairhurstgallery@gmail.com

"Tucked away in the Norwich Lanes, once a 17th century skittle alley and formerly the Cat Trap jazz club, the Fairhurst is a unique and charming gallery space, hosting regular exhibitions.
The Fairhurst gallery champions contemporary fine art, bringing variety and brilliance to the city of Norwich. With a view to developing the careers of new professional artists and helping established practitioners reach new audiences, The Fairhurst repeatedly show inspirational work of the highest standards."

http://gallery.fairhurstgallery.co.uk/current-exhibition/trophies

James Webster
24th June – 3rd September 2016

"Trophies" is a series of anatomically correct porcelain sculptures of animal skulls with their vertebrae resting on a concrete and metal plinth.

Inspired by his childhood and an obsession for collecting bones and skulls found in the countryside or in the slaughter house of the surrounding farms, James Webster pushed himself to portray his subjects as accurately as possible. 

He chose to work with porcelain, a noble and fragile material, to accentuate the preciousness of nature’s balance. Fascinated by Egyptian Art, James imagines all the animals he sculpts in the position of the Great Sphinx of Giza and he works by a series of seven pieces referring to the number of guardians in an ancient temple.
 
To realise Trophies, James observes real animal skulls and reproduces them in terracotta, adding 20% to their natural size. This model is then chopped into different parts following the natural partition of the skull and a mould of each part is created.

Helped by his mother Kit, James prepares the porcelain and pours it into the moulds. When the porcelain drys he puzzles the skull back together and adds the last details with the help of his tools and his fingers. He then puts the sculpture in the kiln. The first firing creates the “biscuit” of the porcelain, the sculpture reduces by 20% and comes back to the size of it’s subject. He glazes the teeth and colours the details by oxidising the porcelain with melted iron. The firing can last up to six days depending the size of the animal.

The Secret Life of the Pencil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeI36d9a89o&list=PLuZx5ATU6mW7L8qjWAW-YrT6HPGvayh7e&index=11

Take an 8 minute break and watch this. Alex Hammond has a slightly awkward delivery, but makes the "point" very well…

Ralph STEADman

  ..powerful drawing...? 

Drawing:

...don't ask why... 

it's

http://sonyclassics.com/fornogoodreason/#

Enjoy. 

Phew! - back again...

So sorry to leave you for so long.
Crazy busy time, both at home and globally!
A mighty couple of months have passed since last I communicated.  

There have been many goings-on. Some: zippiddy-doo-dah-zippiddy-day! Some: please-tell-me-what-the-hell-just happened?

Will be back soon with more creative ticklings and other random jollities.  

In the meantime check out this for a bit of fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q   and   http://houseofmirthphotos.blogspot.co.uk/