As with most of Northern Europe, yesterday was a pretty, snowy day here. It kind of forced me into the office to do a spot of long overdue tidying up.
My very old portfolio was lying on the floor from a recent change around and it was heavy, 'lumpy' and disorganised so I thought it would be fun to take everything out and have a gander at some old pieces. In fact, some of this work goes back to 5th form of secondary school (1987) - so almost vintage now!!
I decided to photograph some works from university (just for info I studied at UMIST a BSc. degree in textile design and design management where expressive, free style work was actively encouraged). Based on the fact we spent over 50% of our time in lectures about wet processing, textile science and all sorts of technical stuff, it was a welcome part of the course): more importantly, it was a life prior to commercial textile design so here is a little post with some images ...really because yesterday I realised with the advent of all things digital I have forgotten how much fun working with wet media, charcoal is and moreover, how liberatingly messy it can be!
Anyway, I thought it would be nice to start my exposé with the some life drawing images. This was compulsory for us at the time:a friend of mine and I loved it so much that we used to head off to night class- at M.A.S.A -in some grotty, old mill after class - a 6 floors up, no lift kind of thing! From memory it was £2.50 per session (6-9pm) so a choice between eating or drawing for us poor students in those days!
The class was a myriad of talented arty folks and the tutor was indeed the same guy who came to out college to teach us the art of drawing nudes. (Funnily enough, he popped up a few years later as the sales agent for Yellow Label Design selling artwork to me when I was own label design manager at CVHF).
Here are some mixed media pieces from various projects:
Below are some of many pieces from my "Decay and the sarcophagus" project c1993
Portfolio wise; I haven't kept all work. Sadly, most of my beloved college sketchbooks were destroyed by black mould caused by poor ventilation under the stairs in my old home. To have to throw those out was pretty devastating as they were the start points for some many projects.
Although, I still work with watercolour and inks as start points, I have been well and truly sucked into the digital world: using both AI and PS for work but after my little reminisce, I am now thinking it may be time to reconnect once more with the black Quink ink, bleach, tracing paper, food dye along with a bit of candle wax, pastel and oil pastel thrown in to the mix!
the only question is...can you still buy black Quink ink!!??
My very old portfolio was lying on the floor from a recent change around and it was heavy, 'lumpy' and disorganised so I thought it would be fun to take everything out and have a gander at some old pieces. In fact, some of this work goes back to 5th form of secondary school (1987) - so almost vintage now!!
I decided to photograph some works from university (just for info I studied at UMIST a BSc. degree in textile design and design management where expressive, free style work was actively encouraged). Based on the fact we spent over 50% of our time in lectures about wet processing, textile science and all sorts of technical stuff, it was a welcome part of the course): more importantly, it was a life prior to commercial textile design so here is a little post with some images ...really because yesterday I realised with the advent of all things digital I have forgotten how much fun working with wet media, charcoal is and moreover, how liberatingly messy it can be!
Anyway, I thought it would be nice to start my exposé with the some life drawing images. This was compulsory for us at the time:a friend of mine and I loved it so much that we used to head off to night class- at M.A.S.A -in some grotty, old mill after class - a 6 floors up, no lift kind of thing! From memory it was £2.50 per session (6-9pm) so a choice between eating or drawing for us poor students in those days!
The class was a myriad of talented arty folks and the tutor was indeed the same guy who came to out college to teach us the art of drawing nudes. (Funnily enough, he popped up a few years later as the sales agent for Yellow Label Design selling artwork to me when I was own label design manager at CVHF).
 30 min study -male nude 1 in charcoal by Gill Eggleston c1993 |
30 min study- male nude 2 in charcoal by Gill Eggleston c1993
30 min study- male nude 3 in charcoal by Gill Eggleston c1993
Chalk/charcoal Male nude 1 by Gill Eggleston c1993
Here are some mixed media pieces from various projects:
mixed media piece - Ocean project c1992
mixed media piece - Ocean project c1992
mixed media piece 1 - Objects of desire project c1990
mixed media piece 2 - Objects of desire project c1990
Below are some of many pieces from my "Decay and the sarcophagus" project c1993
screen print and transfer ink piece by Gill Eggleston c1993
mixed media piece by Gill Eggleston c1993
Although, I still work with watercolour and inks as start points, I have been well and truly sucked into the digital world: using both AI and PS for work but after my little reminisce, I am now thinking it may be time to reconnect once more with the black Quink ink, bleach, tracing paper, food dye along with a bit of candle wax, pastel and oil pastel thrown in to the mix!
the only question is...can you still buy black Quink ink!!??
11 comments:
What a lovely post Gill. I too have been looking through old college portfolios and sketchbooks. My particular love was dyeing, but I have yet to find a way of capturing the subtlety of it in a digital format.
There is a lot to be said for getting your hands mucky and working manually again. Enjoy it.
Thanks for the comment Annette - always worth revisiting your old works for a bit of redirection and inspiration - especially in the days of being carefree!
Have loved looking at your old work and reading about your student days. I used to love painting with inks and bleach! It's funny, I bought some quink ink not so long ago for that very reason!
Oh good it is still available then. Works brilliantly with domestic bleach! :)
Impressive old works, Gill. The nudes are magnific. So expressive, full of tension in those muscles, so gorgeously captured. How to find a balance between the artfull of those works and the resourceful world of image processing and vector world? If anyone can do both in an expressive way, I am sure it will be you! Go ahead, Gill.
love that bottom one. looks like a Paul Klee! Have just gone back to life drawing. It's fun.
ps you can still buy Quink ink.
Doesn't half eat your brushes though! :-)
Ah ha...you have identified my art hero there! And thanks for the heads on Quink ink... Not sure I can get it here though.
Very impressive work, Gill. LOve your nudes! great to go back to your old work sometimes, I also do it sometime... I'm currently in a group for model drawing once a month and I like it so much!!!
You are one very talented lady, I remember my days of at Uni drawing life models. I reckon we were at Uni around the same time I went from 1993 to 96. Your work as some one else has mentioned is very much like Klee. I don't think I could do charcoal drawing again but you nnever know one day I might give it a go again. You should try to use some of these pieces to create designs. It's great reminiscing as well :)
Pre commercialisation haha! I've not long finished university and im already missing my creative freedom. Was thinking of chucking all my old sketchbooks, theyre not as nice as yours, but maybe i'll keep them after reading this!
www.elizabethrach.blogspot.co.uk
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