Day 1: JOURNEY

Jumping in early, as I don't know when my schedule will permit me to contribute. So now is a good time to start!

Permission to try - image 1 - student project

A little samey to previous work using ink, turtles and nautical themes, but also incorporates something new via Asian brushes. Still struggling at line variation, so used a pen nib for finer details. The shell represents my introversion, and how cumbersome it feels on land. With the shore on the horizon and creativity beckoning though, I can return to swim freely again, soon.

DAY 2: CLOUDWATCHING

I thought this was going to be easy, but it proved more challenging. My fourth attempt, started with a simple doodle.

Permission to try - image 2 - student project

I saw a mountain and lake, but I'm not a huge fan of landscapes. So decided to add another layer instead.

Permission to try - image 3 - student project

Using a different coloured pen, helped me see the two variations. I saw a couple of legs down the bottom, but was surprised with what I finished.

Permission to try - image 4 - student project

Those pair of legs turned into a horse lady, grooving with a bipedal gallop. I was tempted to add maraca's to her hoofs, but didn't want to change the initial doodle shapes, too much. Her crazy mane, adds to her fun figure!

Day 3: FEEL'N SLOW

Watching the demo, I realised an opportunity to practice with my new Asian brushes - which I'm yet to master.

Permission to try - image 5 - student project

The strokes with Asian brushes, range between slow and deliberate, to fast and confident. I focused on the former, with my inked Betta fish. There were times I wanted to use fast and confident strokes though, which would've added more contrast to the fins. But remained true to the exercise.

DAY 4: Shake it up!

I've been drawn to round shapes lately, and it was no different with this prompt. I chose a peacock feather for inspiration.

Permission to try - image 6 - student project

I used Derwent artbar, and Caran D'ache water soluble crayons - wetting and layering as I went. Really enjoyed this exercise. Extremely therapeutic. Like being a kid again, cramming blocks of colour on a page.

DAY 5: METAMORPHOSIS

I stalled on this particular exercise, not sure what to think about "metamorphosis". There were so many things it could be related to, so got caught in analysis paralysis.

Permission to try - image 7 - student project

Eventually I considered a concept, I've always wanted to explore. A connection between us and the natural realm. Where we change plants and plants change us. Before I knew it, I was building a cocoon. It crept into the image without conscious thought - dividing the negative space inside the cocoon, from outside it. Was that cancelling the negative space, altogether? Maybe some stages of metamorphosis, simply can't avoid a cocoon though?

DAY 6: METAMORPHOSIS (2)

Delving closer into the realm of plants that struggle to reach the light, both competing with and holding each other up.

Permission to try - image 8 - student project

I started with pens and then ventured into, some coloured charcoal. Many layers to this one, unlike the first exploration. I enjoyed doing both, and tying them to one another. Almost like a series. I now see the contrast in negative space between them.

PS: can you see the human? Like the cocoon forming, I didn't realise a human found their way into the picture either. A subconscious or accidental creation. They're dead centre of the image, waving their shadowy arms in the air. Either cheering the plant to grow, or cursing it for invading their garden.

DAY 7: CROWD OF CREATURES

I was feeling like a black paper, and white pastel day. Something simple.

Permission to try - image 9 - student project

What better than a bob of seals, with squishy jowls? Just because...

DAY 8: COLOURS

This was my first truly abstract work. As there were no ideas what form it should take. I just chose the medium (ink) applied washes first, then went in with markers and more concentrated ink.

Permission to try - image 10 - student project

Remarkably, it did end up representing my day. There were moments of intensity, followed by small windows of release. Which is what I think the spheres represent. Everything was connected with no separate parts. But then something remarkable happened, when I flipped it.

Permission to try - image 11 - student project

It became another image entirely! Suddenly the pressures of my day, became weightless. The pockets of release were breaking away from the intensity, like perhaps they were always meant to. Just goes to show, there's always a different way to view things!

DAY 9: FLATTEN IT OUT

Taking a simple morning routine (for some) and turning into an overhead view. Because you can never get enough coffee and crosswords to stimulate the mind.

Permission to try - image 12 - student project

Coloured with alcohol markers. I feel like I cheated by adding some shading, but that's a force of habit when using this medium. You can use the same colour and make it darker, by just adding more.

DAY 10: THREAD

I had a vague idea what I wanted when starting this piece, but it kind of morphed into something else. This was meant to be a woman, swinging proficiently with threads, but it quickly turned into....

Permission to try - image 13 - student project

...a momentous bad hair day! Like a true champ though, it will be wrangled in no-time! She seems to know what she is doing anyway, even if I didn't.

DAY 11: TRANSFORM ME

There were several contenders I wanted to tweak, but one really stood out from the rest, as needing more. That was the Cloud-watching exercise, because it was purely born from a random likeness. My horse-lady was formerly surrounded by a lot of negative space. Like she was going somewhere, and nowhere at the same time.

Permission to try - image 14 - student project

So I decided to give her a story, and some friends! Maracas in hoof, she joined a procession of barnyard animals - all celebrating the harvest of grain and hay, to get them through the winter.

DAY 12: STRUCTURE

My inspiration was a basic box. When I think about boxes, I think cardboard. Which is a close relative to paper. So I knew, collage was going to be the place to start for me.

Permission to try - image 15 - student project

I was imagining a group of boxes you pack, for moving house. That slight order in chaos feel. Brown lunch bags, old newspaper, black Caran D'ache crayon, and white gesso, were used. If you read the newspaper in the top, left corner, it mentions things to do with money and householders. Completely random, as I didn't read the text before gluing. But it mirrors the theme of moving boxes. As householders are always considering finances, between moves.

DAY 13: TAKE TWO

Back to the place it all started - the journey. Only this time it had a metamorphosis.

Permission to try - image 16 - student project

After reaching almost 14 days of consecutive creativity, I finally left my cumbersome self behind. Now free to swim with new ideas. Transcending the cocoon, also had it's purpose in growing something more meaningful.

DAY 14: TEXTURE

The last exercise with Marie-Noelle Wurm. I have thoroughly enjoyed her vibrant energy and creativity, in this challenge.

Permission to try - image 17 - student project

Inspired by the old-fashioned Sansevieria plant. I attempted to capture their leaf texture, with nib-pen and ink.

Chris Riley

Living the creative life

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