Collaboration

The three of us, Sian, Pauline and Lesley, have set ourselves a collaborating project. This is different to how we have previously worked together by working on a mutually agreed theme - usually an environmental one - and resolving each piece as separate, individual artwork.

This time, we spent a day indoors together drawing, making marks that were part of our memory bank built up over our many drawing and observing visits to Avalon Marshes.

 Choosing our own media, we worked on long pieces of plain paper, making marks alongside of and on top of each others that we individually felt evoked the atmosphere and landscape of Avalon Marshes. Each strip of drawings tied together our individual responses to this in an intimate way.

 

Each strip of paper was from a roll of wallpaper lining. It was interesting to see the results and how each type of mark co-ordinated and contrasted with others. It was a fulfilling way of exploring the different media and finding ways of using it.

Having discussed ways of grouping the strips, we then tried selecting square portions from these marked strips and tested ways of making a balanced composition by selecting just nine squares as below which we felt made a cohesive rhythm. 

The next stage was to select just one square to interpret as individual artists. The debate between us at all these decision-making stages was remarkably affable. I feel we found that our eyes seemed to respond positively o similar groupings.

The results will be shown at the Black Swan Gallery soon as part of our Traces of Time exhibition.