iI have been fortunate in being able to teach a class at The National Gallery that began with a look at the current exhibition of Joan Eardley's work and then continued with practical sessions inspired by her approach. Eardley divided her short but successful career between Townhead, Glasgow where she depicted the children and the streets of this soon-to-be-demolished community and the seascapes of Catterline on the East Coast. Her work has tremendous appeal partly because, whilst she strove to abstract her subjects, the images always remained accessible and through a process of building colourful layers and fluid lines she conveyed a tremendous passion and love for her subjects. Her work is also an excellent starting point for teaching people how to abstract or simplify - how to see the essential shapes and lines of their subject and how to work with layers in order to convey the depth and complexity of the real world. Having toured the exhibition and discussed Eardley's process of drawing rapidly in pastel and charcoal before building up her oil paintings in lively spontaneous layers, my students were then able to work with a model dressed a little like one of Eardley's Glasgow School of Art peers from the 1950s. Students were guided in tearing paper shapes for collaging a simplified arrangement of the colours and forms in front of them, before drawing into this base with charcoal and pastel in order to refine the image. The results developed spectacularly from something elementary - like 'Primary 1 glueings', as someone said - to images of astounding depth and complexity; a process that surprised the artists as much as those who viewed the work.
So, what is so great about mixed media? Its the process of discovery that it offers - an opportunity to work with instinct and intuition and an approach that encourages us to be creative and inventive with the materials we use.
Inspired by these experiences with Joan Eardley's exhibition and the subsequent practical sessions at the gallery, I am running an intensive one day workshop on Saturday 28th March at WASPS studios, Dalry entitled 'Life Drawing in Mixed Media: Anatomy & Colour'. Visit www.damiancallan.com to book a place.
So, what is so great about mixed media? Its the process of discovery that it offers - an opportunity to work with instinct and intuition and an approach that encourages us to be creative and inventive with the materials we use.
Inspired by these experiences with Joan Eardley's exhibition and the subsequent practical sessions at the gallery, I am running an intensive one day workshop on Saturday 28th March at WASPS studios, Dalry entitled 'Life Drawing in Mixed Media: Anatomy & Colour'. Visit www.damiancallan.com to book a place.
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