Facing the void

Prabal, as I never saw before

Last week, a session that moved me so much!

The theme was emptiness.
I have a book I received in another era, the book of Dao,
A book in Hebrew that is beautifully translated from English that is translated from Chinese.

And I translated verse 11 to english as a theme for Last Sunday:

Emptiness

Thirty spokes unite

at a wheel's center  (in hebrew - also, it's bellybutton :)

Except the spokes -

emptiness

is most of it

The clay pot -

its main use is its space

Therefore

nothingness has a role,

the emptiness has form

A house

is squares of air.

A door between two rooms

just connects the air,

A window connects a square space

with the big void

outside

Sometimes

the is

is

just

an excuse

and a wrapping,

and the nothingness

is

the real

treasure.

-------------

So we tried drawing around the subjects, their outside, what holds them.

All works were incredible, and the body of them all moved me, it is like we drew the emptiness that fills the whole museum.

There were statues drawn without the main character, drawing of the molecules filling the space that has an absent artist, carving the space out of a harp, around a banister, and carving a hugging couple out of its marble, but I have no photos of this (yet!, anyone who was there, pleeze send me some!), 

I DO have two sets that are totally magnificent!

Marie's work:

The one above almost made me cry, the three missing vases with the three empty spaces behind them, the striking sunshine, with the perspective acting as sun rays, the arbitrary break of the red lines that indicate the void and pulls your attention to the middle one, and the small vase near it.

Carving space with words, lines and colors, another tryptic.  

Look at the clash of spaces, how they share the same paper without invading each other.

Pots, people, statues, all are surrounded in the same way. (equal in the eyes of god? naaa, I get carried away! or do I?)

Once a good friend of mine told me she adores the mix of words and images, look here. 

And this one brings so much emotion! 

I could talk a lot about the different textures that make this one, the absence of line defining the two spaces, about the slanted window, the lower line that cuts the window out like a pair of scissors that you used for a bit too much and may be sorry for...

But I won't, just look at it.

--------

And now, for the work of François, the emotional pallet turns to pure joy.

Just look here:

And the last one, a drawing of a dark painting behind a marble statue

And one thing I like in the above photo is the direction of the black which is the inverse of the direction of the carving on the top of the page. see it?

Oh, And I just found another one, a work by Nina, who sat the whole session and drew the molecules around an Isle and an umbrella...

I am grateful.

Evolution

Since I've started the drawing lessons, not too long ago, my drawings have already evolved a lot, though I have no idea where they are leading me to. But it's very much exciting. Dov's exercices allow me to put far less presure on myself and just focus on having fun and experiment like I used to do.

These series were done at la Bellevilloise with some DJ music that tended to enhance the whole creative experience. Very fun indeed, and I got to meet Florina ! ;)

My friend Samia...

This session was thanks to Prabal in a gallery where Indian artists exhibited. We eventually started to draw each others. Hey Prabal ! Hey Dov !

And Catherine, very nice-talented-inspiring woman.

Mathieu and Dov, creating together with some m&m's and wet tissues at the Jardin du Luxembourg in a small cozy cafe along with some nice guitar playing from Marouane. Memorable times.


Hooot teeeeaaaa.

Paris Free Drawing does have long lasting effects: you'll quickly find yourself drawing, before you even notice it.

 Can't wait for the sessions to come, as everyone seems to push their boundaries further each time !

Looking Outside Pan (and Picassa games)

A great session on Sunday, and I received a drawing by Francois.

Though I encourage all group members to publish on their own, this time I couldn't help it :)

He studies the sculpture of Pan

And I suggested he draws all around it. and his drawing was great!

I'd like to use it to demonstrate how you can easily enhance your publishing and continue playing with the result at home, underlining different elements of what you drew.

Below is the photo of the drawing he took, and a few versions I allowed myself to do with Picassa.

 

The first one is beautiful,

Lines are dramatised

Some Hue changes

And than I really got crazy...

What do you think?

Dov.

Sunday papers at the Luxembourg garden

Dov and Marouane having fun with guitar :)

was one of the best moment of this rainy day !

Dan and Carita drawing Dov and me ;)

Marouane and Florina in a funny discussion, this picture was drawn by Dov & me :x

Mathieu

P.S. (by Dov)

While playing with the post of Francois, I added a retouched version of the first drawing here...

Things inspired by the Paris Free Drawing Group

These are the people of La Chappelle metro stop rushing by at tea-time on a Monday, bustling past, waiting or scooting past on the train. I drew outlines very quick in pink and then added detail in light green from memory as they buzzed off elsewhere, I then added contrast with darker green and blue. I especially enjoy the two angry faced men who caught me sketching them.

I sketched on top of sketches around Montmartre then worked at home with the outlines I liked and made the forms more angular and added a load of colour. Didn't like beardy face in the bottom right at first, but now he's a favourite. I've become less fond of the saxophonists who I redid a couple of times in different levels of detail.

Here are some trees of alfortville done with the try-not-to-look-at-what-you're-drawing technique, I felt very meditative right up until every time I cheated and looked down, then found my self trying to perfect things.

Would love to see some other work shared here from all the members, I've really enjoyed the techniques which were suggested at the meetings and would love to see some more of what's been created.