Saturday 29 December 2018

Reveal for the Art Elements themed challenge of 'white'.

At the beginning of December Claire from the Art Elements team announced that the themed challenge would be 'white'.  To read that blog post click HERE

To me white is not a colour, maybe that is the 'colourist' or 'artist' in me but I have always understood white to be a 'non colour' like black because it isn't present on the spectrum and can only be mixed by the eye mixing light wavelengths - I do love the theory of colour but that is not the topic for this blog challenge.

wooden painted pebble, white acrylic ink

   I love colour.  Big, bold, vibrant colour.  I love contrasting colours or clashing colours.  I love black too because it is slimming! but white in our house and in my life is a no no....I have dogs and cats!  whether that alone makes me avoid white I don't know but because I rarely use it in my art I decided rather than use 'white' for creating I would not use colour.   


I concentrated my doodle sessions with just the white of the paper, but I couldn't avoid using black fine liner pens to define for me the white areas.  I did try using just a pencil but for me the contrast wasn't enough.  So really my challenge is more 'monochrome than white'. 


I started doodling 'dolls'.  I had this idea in my head that I could create a doll like figure in just white.  I did think I would use fabric for this but then decided I wanted to use paper.  Just white paper.  The 'doll' above was originally going to be cut out and have some other outfits to clothe her like the dolls from my childhood that you used to get in magazines - the more I read about paper dolls the more fascinated I have become with them and their history is as old as mankind itself, well maybe not mankind exactly but certainly since paper has been used by scribes.


This little chap and the mouse below were just doodles in my sketchbook.  I did enjoy creating 'just white' doodles although I will admit to be itching to colour them in!


Which brings me to my 'finished' piece.. well actually it isn't finished because I wanted to create more of a world for her but life and Christmas got in the way....


My little fairy mouse, Esme,  from an Art Elements previous challenge  
 has grown on me and I doodle her quite often.  I have got rather attached to Esme as a character, so I decided to create her as an articulated paper doll.  The photo above is the original sketch working out where the pins would go and then separating the 'pieces' to cut out.  Both papers are white and fascinate me that 'white' comes in many 'colours'.



I didn't have any white split pins so I decided to use beads and thread which works really well.  I did attempt to create a tiny articulated doll with beads as the movable parts... it was fiddly!!  


Below is a project I started and probably won't finish because it just didn't hold my attention.  The idea was that I would gather together all sorts of bits of 'white' materials.  So the base is a white felt over laid with white linen.   White ribbon was attached and I glued on a white glass cabochon I fused way back when and I wanted to include paper as a material so I cut out a doodle I had of a dogs head and stitched it on with white embroidery thread.  The idea was to surround the glass cab with white beads and embellishments but I became disillusioned with the lack of colour although all the white materials intrigued me with their different hues and tones.


Below is all the guests and Art Elements team members that have taken part in this challenge, I will be very curious to see what everyone has created.  
Guest Artists

Art Elements Team

31 comments:

  1. I'm glad I am not the only one who struggles with white! ;-)
    I love the little mouse on the pebble, and to make Esme into a doll like that, is a great idea, wonderful job!

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    1. White is so hard! thank you for loving Esme :D

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  2. I love your white doodles, especially articulated Esme :)

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  3. Your drawings are fabulous, but yes, the articulated Esme is wonderful!

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  4. Your uncolored doodles look great! And your idea of articulated dolls is wonderful. I love how the Esme doll turned out!

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    1. Thank you Anita :D I do love paper dolls!

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  5. It takes a lot of restraint to let outline sketches remain "white" and Esme is spectacularly whimsical as usual.

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    1. I was itching to 'colour them in'! White is so beguiling!

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  6. I really love your drawings, turning them in to dolls is brilliant! Love your fibre piece too... it's a shame it did't hold your attention, it's looking wonderful so far!

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  7. Despite your lack of interest in white, you totally made some fun pieces. Esme is adorable!! And the movable doll of her is great! I would have never come up with an idea like that. I love this challenge because it lets me see how other artists interpret the same theme in so many different ways. Your contributions are the perfect example of that!

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    1. Thank you CraftyHope, I am the same I am intrigued with how everyone interprets the theme ;)

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  8. I love your doodles - but I love the paper doll Esme. Mom and I both had paper dolls when we were kids and we loved them. I love the moving parts and the idea of using beads and thread to move the arms and legs.

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    1. There is something quite refreshing about paper dolls, the colouring them in and 'fixing them' together whether you use split pins or thread... I have been reading the history of them and am totally smitten ;) thank you for the loving Esme :D

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  9. I do love seeing your doodles and sketches. Creating Esme as an articulated paper doll is perfect. And I love her little kitty doll. I adored paper dolls when I was younger and had oodles of them. I also loved making new 'clothes' for them. I think maybe you should try to create another piece like the last fabric/paper piece you abandoned. Just use color so that it holds your interest. I love seeing you mix up media.

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  10. Ummm maybe I can add some black to bring out the white... I was trying to be a purist with just white... maybe I will ;) glad you liked the dolls :D

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  11. Love all your drawings and creations!

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    1. Thank you, I am glad they make you smile :D

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  12. I think your interpretations are perfect for your own approach to colour and love your little paper dolls.

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  13. I love your doodles. The paper dolls you make are darling. When I was little I had a collection of paper dolls. I always loved gettin new paper dolls are cutting out the clothes. Well done!

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    1. Thank you :D Paper dolls have an amazing history, I am rather intrigued with them now, I might have to do some designs in an Art Elements post so we can all revisit our childhood and sit cutting out paper dolls!

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  14. As usual, your sketches and doodles and other creations are charming and enchanting. I love your sense of whimsy.

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    1. Thank you Tammy :D I do love a good touch of whimsy ;)

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  15. A question first: Is Esme pronounced like S Me .. or à la Française like S May?
    She's so cute! And I could probably play with those legs and arms forever, in different poses. The cat too! Is it Esme with the music notes? I love that.

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    1. ooo now then.. definitely S May the en Francais way, ooo now she will have to be a Parisan mouse.. off to find my pencil ;) I think all my mouse drawings are of Esme, I have really got attached to her :D

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  16. I love your drawings - and Esme is delightful with the articulated body parts. Pretty clever with the beads and string!!! :)

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  17. Love all you sketches, especially the little chap and the musical mouse! But the articulated paper mouse and her tiny doll definitely steal the show for me!

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  18. Your paper dolls are so adorable! And I can see why white might be especially hard for you with what you tend to do. You did well with the challenge!

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