Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Life Drawing 14 May 2008




Here are three of tonight's drawings. The drawing on black sugar paper is done with a variety of media - compressed charcoal, conte, Neocolors, and sticks that look like conte but I think might be a dryish type of oil pastel. The drawing in the centre is on a nice buff cartridge paper with a French conte pencil, and compressed charcoals. The top drawing is done with willow charcoal - haven't used that in ages.

Our drawing class is funded in the community education classes at a local high school by the ministry of education - our town is only about 4000 people so the number of classes are a limited, and there is apparently a requirement we have 8-10 people and it looks like we might not make that. In which case the class will not continue. That is a real disappointment. Given the size of the town I would have hoped there would be some leeway to support classes like this. The fact that funding isn't consistent has got a lot to with numbers I'm sure. We had good numbers to start with, the room was full. If the class hadn't been cancelled and then started up late and at short notice I think we would have done better with numbers.

And how many tutors are there around who are prepared to bring a trailer full of easels, boards and provide clips, materials and other resources, ring around organising models and fit in with the whims of community education funding?

Waihi has a history of being a town of artists and craftspeople - a life drawing class should be well attended. Perhaps it's something to do with the demographics of the town. Are people prudish? Too cosy at home to venture out at night? Shy? Maybe people don't draw any more? Maybe. I hear the photography class is oversubscribed.

Oh well...

2 comments:

denise said...

More lovely work Sandra - all quite stunning, though so different. Sorry to hear the class might cancel. Hope they manage to drum up some interest to get it continued.

Anonymous said...

What a frustration that must be. Hope it all works out Sandra. Interesting drawings as always.