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Plein air with handmade Charcoal

5/30/2022

 
I have been invited to show 3 pieces of my golf course artwork at a plein air exhibition at Westland Gallery. The French term plein air means out of doors and refers to the practice of painting entire finished pictures out of doors. My artworks are not really paintings, but rather charcoal drawings that were completed on location. The more interesting part is that I made the charcoal from trees on that very golf course.

Name: Plein Air Group Exhibition 2022 (Various Artists)
Dates: June 7th to June 25, 2022
Live Painting in Wortley Village: Friday, June 17th from 4 - 7 pm and Saturday, June 18th from 9 am to noon

​I read a book called "The Organic Artist" by art instructor Nick Neddo. He covers a lot of techniques and projects including making paper, wild ink, working with soapstone, clay, wood, printmaking, and the list goes on. The book inspires creativity and encourages you to get out into nature. I tried a few projects and then I decided that I would make charcoal. The author recommends willow. The 18th hole at Greenhills Golf Club is lined with willow trees. I started picking up the appropriately sized sticks and went from there. The process infographic is below.

​The charcoal was made last summer. The plein air drawings were completed this month. May 2022 at Greenhills Golf Club.

See more golf course illustrations.

Picture
Graphic showing how the artist made charcoal from willow sticks to use on drawings of where the willow sticks were picked up.

Sketch with Homemade Charcoal

10/11/2021

 
Picture
Greenhills Hole No 7 Sketch
This small sketch of hole number 7 was created using a micron pen, charcoal made from the willow trees on the 18 hole at the course and white pencil crayon, on a grey toned pastel paper. ​The sketch was based on photos and some quick sketches done while playing golf at Greenhills Golf Course over the summer.
The "willow" charcoal is a quite messy, and therefore requires a fixative being sprayed immediately upon finishing the sketch. That does make the sketch a little darker.
This image size is about 5 inches tall and 4 inches wide.
See more golf art here.

Practice with homemade charcoal

9/5/2021

 
I am still working on my "sketch every day" challenge. When I play golf, which is usually 2, sometimes 3 times a week during golf season, that is where my daily sketch is completed. Since I made charcoal from willow sticks that I collected at Greenhills Golf Course, it is where I have been sketching with the charcoal. It is a challenge, as the charcoal is bigger chunks than I am used to working with. I am most comfortable with fine detail and working small. This is forcing me to work a little larger, and I think that is a good thing!
First 2 sketches below are from Saturday and Sunday last weekend. Last drawing was created yesterday morning at home using a photo as reference. I like the first 2 quick and free sketches better than the tight and controlled last one.  I had too much time to "think" about it, work at it, and worry about ruining good paper. FYI - 140lb watercolour costs $10 to $15 per sheet.
I think (or rather... I know)  I have more work and practice ahead of me, to be able to create the picture I am expecting to create.
Sketch using charcoal, completed at Greenhills Golf Course
Sketch using charcoal, completed at Greenhills Golf Course

Making Charcoal

8/29/2021

 
My process starts by picking up sticks, found near the willow trees on No. 18 at Greenhills Golf Course. Next you have to peel all the bark off the sticks. Cut the sticks to fit in the small tin can to be used as a kiln, which is just an old tea container. Visit friends to have a beverage, conversation, and fire the kiln. Wait until the next morning, when it’s cool enough to open and voila charcoal! Success, first attempt making charcoal! Then off to the golf course and test the charcoal our with a few quick sketches.

Charcoal is one of the oldest drawing media, appearing in cave paintings dating back 28,000 years. The medium has been refined, bound with wax or gum into sticks and pencils, and can be easily purchases at an art supply store. But making charcoal from sticks picked up on the course and then creating artwork of that course seemed like a fun process.

Charcoal can be used to produce either a soft or strong line. It can be erased without difficulty. It can be smudged to produce a different effect. Now to sketch and practice some more using the freshly made charcoal!
Sketchbook pages showing process of making charcoal
Kiln (or tea tin) of charcoal opened the morning after firing.
First sketches using the new charcoal from trees on the golf course.

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