“Daydream” coloured pencils and oil pastels, 215 x 290 mm. August 2017.
Daydream – a pleasant fantasy or reverie.
“Daydream” is my second drawing from a photograph I took in Pontocho, Kyoto in the spring of 2013. The first drawing is “Promenade”, February 2016.
Promenade
190 x 250 mm, February 2016
I was persuaded to let Matthew (husband) keep “Promenade” as it is a favourite of his. However I did so want to exhibit it in my exhibition Entranced next month. A few days ago I had the bright idea to do another version of it, this time using Sennelier oil pastels as well as coloured pencils and drawing it larger than the first one.
I was curious to see how I would treat the subject 18 months after my first interpretation and after months in the interim doing impressionistic Paris drawings.
Here they are side by side; the new one on the right. I didn’t look at the first drawing while I drew the second so as not to be influenced by it. The dark areas are more intense (saturated) in “Daydream” than “Promenade” and I think the new drawing has more luminosity and power than the older one.
In the new drawing, the figures have a floating quality and the road sweeps up rather than along, but the scene has a gentle dreaminess so I’m leaving it this way.
So Matt gets to keep “Promenade” while I get to exhibit “Daydream”. This is called ‘having one’s cake and eating it too’!
“Daydream” is the 23rd and final drawing for Entranced opening on 7 September (until 20) at Kidogo Arthouse, Bathers Beach, Fremantle.
Hi Julie, are we invited to your next exhibition? kind regards Lynne & Peter Stonehouse
Hi Lynne and Peter, of course! I’m not running this show nor do I have invitations but I guess at some stage I will be sent email invitations that I can send on. You are on my email list so you are sure to receive one.
Both are great, but I do prefer the new one. Wonderful solution and awesome to have your cake and eat it too! Best of luck on the competition!
Thanks Sue, for your thoughts. Thanks for the good wishes too – though it isn’t a competition in September but an art exhibition. I’m sure I’ll still need good luck however.
both are lovely but the new one does stand out more with the stronger values and light contrasts 🙂
Yes, I think the new one is stronger as well.
Thanks for sharing that process.It made me laugh.. I will see you at your art exhibition.Say hi to Matthew.Kind regardsAmanda simesSent on the go with Vodafone
I’m glad the blog raised a chuckle, Amanda.
It’s the mysterious quality of these that is so captivating. I would guess that the image is instantly identifiable across a room, but becomes less recognisable the closer you get, which means the viewer gets two bites at the cherry as it were. It’s very interesting to see the two versions side-by-side, that your interpretation of your reference material is shaped not just by what you have in front of you, but something within. ‘Promenade’ is delicate, ‘Daydream’ more robust, and as you say, luminous. Both lovely.
Ah yes, it is instantly identifiable across a room. And for me, I can’t see it any other way than that, even close up. I probably see it differently to anybody else in that regard.
I’m doing a large Parisian landscape now, all blurry, so satisfying. Great to be back into this work after the two months of working towards the September gig.
Stunning work, it’s so dreamy and perfect for Pontocho
Thank you very much. Obviously you are well acquainted with that delightful little piece of Kyoto called Pontocho. Over the years I have spent so many hours walking from one end to the other and contemplating various sections of it.