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Spoons

September 27, 2009 Artist Responses 3 Comments
Poured spoon, layered inks, charcoal pencil

Poured spoon, layered inks, charcoal pencil

I keep coming back to Mary’s spoons.  I have been drawing them in different ways, observing forms, details, characteristics and noticing things as a consequence.  The fig-shaped bowls of the Apostle spoons, different shaped finials and spoon ends, stamped initials, twisted stems, worn edges, shadows left in boxes.  Difficult to capture the essence of these through drawing!

Observation drawings of trefid spoons

Observation drawings of trefid spoons

Apostle spoons and first ink pourings

Apostle spoons and first ink pourings

Sketchbook drawings exploring spoon and spoon box

Sketchbook drawings exploring spoon and spoon box

The worn spoon edges were particularly tricky.  Pencil just wasn’t quite right so I began to explore other media.  The edge looked like the edge that is made by a liquid – full of tension yet fragile and vulnerable (have a good look at a puddle or a drip of tea!).  How to represent that in a drawing?  I liked the notion of drawing with a liquid.  I have always enjoyed the marks created as a liquid dries.  I began to make puddles of ink, tipping these away to form the shaft of the spoon, discovering that the density and movement of the colour could be controlled through careful angling and supporting when drying.  Layering thin stains of colour created further subtleties and nuances and working over the pourings when dry provided additional detail.  I am beginning to see ways in which these qualities might be translated into clay through slips and glaze, pouring and layering, marking and stamping.  Making the drawings, drives the testing, the testing feeds the making….   Sharon

Spoon pourings, layered ink, resist, charcoal pencil

Spoon pourings, layered ink, resist, charcoal pencil

Currently there are "3 comments" on this Article:

  1. Lucy says:

    Beautiful drawings, they look like they’re still in motion!

  2. hazel says:

    These look beautiful Sharon.

  3. Michael says:

    Lovely drawings!

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