Thursday 24 June 2010

The Green Jandal ! !

At Wednesday's life drawing class our model was Jason who has amazing tattoos and was sporting a short bristly haircut, was a little shy and kept a Japanese robe close.
Stewart wanted our model to be clutching something, a rope or staff, and be in manly guy-stuff poses (read: agressive and armed with a gun)
I found in amongst the props in the Waihi College drama room where we hold our classes an umbrella and, so equipped, Jason struck a pose and the Green Jandal was born when I immediately drew, above, the cover for a graphic novel about the adventures of a wandering Japanese bhuddist warrior-priest.
And didn't everyone in the class wordlessly follow suit!
Life class Graphic Novel Studios was created with our first action hero drawings....

Robyn

Anne

John

Sunday 20 June 2010

Life Drawing Class 16 June 2010

Above is one of Sandra's large, fast drawings. At a recent local exhibition Sandra sold two of her lovely figure drawings on collage paper -- and guess who to? Another artist!
As far as I can tell artists in this country are the greatest collectors of art. It's always nice to meet someone here who grew up in Europe, people from there appreciate art more than the average New Zealander.

Keri Ann is a beginner at the life drawing class and above she has drawn our model large, free and fast which is exactly what I want of her at this early stage

Above is one of Graeme's drawings. We are working in the dark with one light on the model in order to model the figure with white highlights only. Graeme goes his own way with a silhouette approach. We all liked this one.

Saturday 5 June 2010

Etching Presses and Vintage Cars

Etching Press Sale Enquiries: johnnymulvay@vodafone.co.nz



The small etching press sold last week and now I have to quickly prepare another one for use in my Thursday print making class at Waihi College.


I used to have a passion for 1930's American cars and when my fully restored '36 Ford V8 pickup was wrecked in a hideous, fatal, multi car pile up one dark night my life changed.

After licking my wounds I sold the wreck of the old V8 for three and a half grand and used the money to go to Art School.
Been driving small Toyota wagons ever since.
Still love cleaning up and restoring old heavy metal technology though and combined with my love of print making I have a cottage industry supplying etching presses to other artists, presses made from Great Grandma's old laundry mangle.
Print makers are interesting people and it's a nice world within the world to be in.


Wednesday 2 June 2010

A stray at life drawing class

A lady walked into our life drawing class last night looking for Heidi McCullough's painting class held on Thursday evenings in one of the Art rooms at Waihi College.
She had driven down from Whangamata and I had to tell her that this was the life drawing class I teach in the Drama room at Waihi College on Wednesday evenings.
The Art room you want is just next door there, I told her, and it's tomorrow. . . but while you are here why not stay? You've driven all this way, have a go at life drawing.
So she did, and she tried willow charcoal on large paper and then I gave her some chalk pastel to play with and above is her first trial of this medium.
It's all good fun and I hope we see Karen at life drawing again sometime.
Below one of my efforts from that class, pastel and pencil on canvas.