WHAT I REALLY DO

I did a series of cartoon drawings to depict myself as illustrator. The idea was to use the drawings to put together one of those "What I really do" memes that people post on facebook.

It turned out to be not so easy without any graphic design programmes. I tried inserting the drawings and text into a Word document, but could not get the layout to work out. Someone promised to send me the info on how to do the memes, but that never happened. I wished I had CorelDraw, I pined for photoshop, I was told to get free Paintdotnet.

I have just completed an illustration assignment that had, as always, a hectic deadline. Your life turns into long stretches of work punctuated by numerous cups of coffee (or cocoa, in order to put off mealtimes), slabs of chocolate, huge bags of potatoe crisps and forays to the local supermarket to get an assortment of tinned foods to feed the drawing machine. When the body screams for real food, the local restaurant saves the day with healthy vegetarian dishes and top-quality coffee.

Post-deadline, my thoughts turned again to my illustrator cartoon strip.

My CorelDraw has disappeared, and my DVD packed up, so I could not load Photoshop; Paintdotnet seems to download, but I find no sign of it on my computer. I googled for info on the memes and found that I could use a free template - but lo and behold, the memes have the text at the bottom of the pics but I left room for it at the top of my drawings. Now I had a composition problem as well.

The day was saved when I thought of using Microsoft Office Publisher, which I have used to make some nice posters and business cards. I was going to write a post about my latest illustration adventure, but spent the afternoon working on the riddle of the cartoon strip instead. I am happy to say I've managed to put together a presentable layout, which I can share with you now.

WINSOME PAPER MACHE

Himself.

I have just finished a paper maché rooster that was commissioned by my brother, who is a member of the local golf club. The club has a very popular competition on Fridays, when the prize is a frozen chicken. Good-natured competitiveness bloomed as even the golfers’ wives would hold thumbs for a win, which would mean something special for the pot – hubby’s frozen chicken prize.

Giving us a little smile.

My brother wanted to use the rooster as a trophy, which was going to be a surprise for the year-end function, when it would go to the overall winner of the chicken game.

So I started sculpting Mr Rooster two months ago, saying nothing about its destiny when friends and family came to look at what I was doing.

As the deadline loomed nearer, I became more and more thankful that I had started so early. Building such a sculpture is a drawn-out process, as the many layers of wet paper need to dry thoroughly as the work progresses.

Beginning stages.

I started out with a shape built over a balloon, on to which I built up the tail and neck, and then the head and comb. I used a round cake tin at the bottom, as the sculpture had to be positioned on a wooden trophy base. Details were more simplified at the bottom so that the form of the rooster could be integrated with the base. The head and comb and the tail feathers are therefore quite detailed in shape, but the lower parts of the rooster are simplified and the legs are painted on the sides of the cake tin to look three-dimensional.

My support act.

 A paper maché sculpture like this is very labour-intensive. It is built from scratch, using a very slow process of layering pieces of torn newsprint over the structure formed in various ways.

The balloon was covered to get the basic form of the body. Balls of crumpled paper was then used to build up the tail section, neck and head. The comb was cut from strong cardboard and fleshed out with homemade paper clay, which was covered with many layers of paper to strengthen it sufficiently. The tail feathers were formed with paper that was rolled up and twisted into shape.

 

Another late night...

Then the really time-consuming part started – covering the figure with layer upon layer of pieces of torn paper. I use maize flour as a glue paste, as it is processed to death and never get weavels like bread flour. If you use bread flower, weavel worms could hatch in humid climates and devour the piece from the inside. Nasty surprise for an art buyer.

So I take care with the materials I use and make sure that the layers of wet paper dry thoroughly as I progress. I also work up a strong and smooth finish, as my paper maché items are meant for sale and should be durable. The whole surface is checked again and again for weak spots, which are strengthened until every square centimeter of the outer layer is solid and need not depend on the structure for strength.

Depending of what I am making, I sometimes also use plastic bottles, cardboard boxes or polystyrene shapes to build up a structure. These materials are stronger than a shell built around a balloon or balls of crumpled paper, but I still keep in mind that the outer shell of the shape should be strong enough on its own.

Paper sculpting complete.

Regardless of what I use for the structure, I also fill the sculptures with something to give them weight, and therefore a feeling of substance. I have used pebbles, flattened plastic containers, discarded paint tubes and crumpled plastic bags. You can stuff a LOT of useless plastic bags and packaging into a pototoe pocket which is going to be turned into a paper maché cat!

Base coat. Now for the
paint job!

Once the paper sculpture is complete and thoroughly dry, the painting starts. A paper maché item such as this is actually two artworks in one: A paper sculpture as well a painting of a single object. I used acrylic paints and inks.

The wooden base was stained with a mixture of burnt umber oil paint and clear satin varnish. Both the rooster and the base were given four coats of varnish, and brown felt was glued on to the bottom as a final finish.

The other side.

And would you believe:

The brother won the trophy! Nice, because I do not have to totally part with it so soon.

Fynbos Golf Club Manager, CJ Mulder, with trophy winner
Johann Kemp at last night's year-end function.

ALL PHOTOS: Susan Kemp

THE ADVENTURE OF MAKING ART (and cats playing brrrmmm-brrrmmm)

Nicky curls up with familiar objects.
(Photo: Susan Kemp)

The youngest of my six cats made herself comfortable on my new broom today (photo, right). I thought it would make a nice picture, her being one-eyed and also lying on a "witch's" broom. Almost sinister, I thought, although my Nicky really is just too sweet to be called that.

Only when posting the pic here, did I notice that she had positioned herself next to one of my artworks that also has an eye missing. I could not have planned or set this up better.

Now fast asleep...
(Photo: Susan Kemp)

 I work in many mediums and you could say my trademark is variety. The artwork in the picture is one of my assemblages made with my ceramic masks, which I combine with found materials, plastic materials, hardware products and materials, and natural materials.

These works are never planned. I just start somewhere, usually with a mask, and see where it takes me. Some of my paintings are commissions or are based on reference photographs, but others are also not planned. They are never consciously conceived; they just announce themselves. They have a life of their own and sometimes even “choose” their own frames.

Maxi - so called because she has a personality larger than
life - also feels right at home with a broom. You can't
sweep HER out of the way! (Photo: Jaco Taljaard)

This photograph of Nicky with the broom and mask is another example of these exciting experiences that make the process of making art such an adventure for me.

Seeing that I have three brooms and six cats, there had to be more cat-and-broom pictures, like this one of Maxi (photo, right). Larger than life, with a penchant for brooms; scared of nothing, always with a steady glare. She is NEVER cute.

Ma Lientjie (Photo: Susan Kemp)

I call Maxi my "delicate feminine
flower", which she is absolutely
not. (Photo: Susan Kemp)

Maxi, when she was little. Fast with a broom, but still
managing to keep an eye on the photographer
(Photo: Susan Kemp)

ARBOUR LADIES

I took some time off during the past week from a huge commissioned painting - to do the colour drawing (size A3) below. I worked from a photo taken by a friend during Arbour Week activities in Tsitsikamma in September this year.

I used whatever came to hand: Coki pen, watercolours, acrylic ink, tippex pen and white acrylic ink, on watercolour paper. I used a very diluted wash of yellow acrylic ink in many areas to create glowing colours. Never make the mistake I made once, namely use highlighters to intensify colours. They are not picked up by scanners, so their effect is lost in the printing process.

My bucket has been filled by a good dose of detail and colours, leaving me energized for other tasks that lie ahead.

I am planning to eventually do five smaller drawings (size A4) similar to this one, each featuring the individual figures. The series will be used for greeting cards.

"Arbour Ladies", done from reference photograph below.
By the way, my intention is that those animal-print handbags are FAKE!

Arbour Week activities in Tsitsikamma in September.
(Photo: Elzette Bester)

PLAYTIME: MAKING HOME-MADE INK

I watched two videos the other day on how to make your own black ink for drawing and writing. As always, I could not resist experimenting a bit, even before trying the recipes as given. It is probably because I cook and bake that way.

I have a chocolate cake recipe that I have distorted to my heart’s content over the past 15 years. On one occasion I was explaining to a friend how I adapted the recipe for his birthday cake (in case the experiment did not work so well, you see). He interrupted me and said: “Susan, you have NEVER made that cake the same way!”

Only once did I follow the recipe exactly. It always depends what on what I have in the kitchen cupboard. It was the same with making the ink. One video showed how to make it by mixing some ground soot or charcoal with a little bit of egg white, then adding a few drops of honey to smoothe it. Mmmm, I thought, I’m going to use activated charcoal from the medicine chest.

The other video showed how to use the juice of a cupful of mulberries (also mentioning in passing that you could use ground soot), combined with half a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of vinegar. Mmmm, I thought, I’m going to combine the activated charcoal with the vinegar and and salt. All those I have in the kitchen cupboard, you see.

I had no idea where to get hold of mulberries. I was going to get honey and eggs today, but I forgot, so I went ahead with the idea to use charcoal, vinegar and salt, as that was what I had available. I used half a teaspoon of each, plus an extra half a teaspoon of water, as the ink was very thick.


It was then thin enough and black enough to write and paint with, as can be seen below.

The salt did not dissolve completely, however, and the ink had a grainy texture. I added another half-teaspoon of water in the hope that all the salt would dissolve.

Then the colour was not strong enough – plus it was still grainy. Left it for an hour for the salt to dissolve. Still grainy.

Next time I’ll only use a little bit of salt and vinegar, more liquid, and add charcoal as required, I think.

But guess what:  I’ll only be able to have fun with the ink, as the salt would probably attract moisture from the air and a finished artwork would suffer damage as a result.

Mmmm, I’ll have to get honey and eggs, then...

Time to get back to serious work. Sometimes you need to play a little to please the inner child and get the creative juices flowing. It fills up your tank to go the distance when huge tasks lie ahead.

I wanted to give links to the videos I watched, but I have been unable to find them again. I've found lots of alternative recipes, though. So just search on Google if you want some recipes...

UPDATE FOLLOWING SOON

SETTING UP STUDIO

The framework for the
light is in place

I have spent the past week setting up my studio at my new home. Having become the owner of an inspiring collection of tools recently, I could construct a frame for my neon light that needed to be positioned above my latest commissioned copy of a Gainsborough society portrait.

The painting is 1,75m wide en 2,35m high and I always just attach such big paintings on a rail and hang it against a wall, and sit on a ladder or stand on a table to paint. When it needs to be delivered, I only need to roll it up against the wall and take it down with the rail on which it is fastened.

The new studio needed a framework against the ceiling, as the neon light - that was mistakenly fixed to the wall to shine sideways, away from the wall - had to repositioned above the painting. How I got the frame up there, would have made quite an entertaining video. I am sure I put Mr Bean to shame, but with an accompanying soundtrack of horrible expletives.

Frame, light and painting in place...

Next, the neon light was taken off the wall and fastened to the frame by means of wire hooks and cable ties. What did we do before cable ties?

LIGHTS! Now for action...

Then it was time to hang up the painting. It works like this: The top edge of the canvas is attached to a wooden strip that has a string for hanging it against the wall. The canvas is then rolled up and kept in place against the wooden strip by means of masking tape. The next step is up the ladder with the rolled-up canvas package to hang it from nails on the edge of the wall, right against the roof. Then break the masking tape and slowly move down the ladder while the canvas rolls down against the wall in your hands.

I took a picture of the jigsaw after
opening it, in case I got confused
when I had to put it back together
again without the help of all the
king's horses and all the king's men.

For good measure, I also put up some pelmets today and finished hanging curtains in the house. By then, I was feeling very independent. Had good reason to, too, as I also replaced plugs and cables on my jigsaw and sander, plus I figured out why the sander would not work and made a plan to fix it.

Lastly, I nailed up some planks which the monkeys had pulled off the side of the veranda of my tree house. It is a wooden structure on stilts and I call it a tree house because it sits snugly among the trees - and also because it moves with the wind and even shakes when my dog scratches herself.

Stability has not been central to my life for a number of years, so I adjusted quite easily to my shaky-shaky tree house, where I shall be making all sorts of art and teaching classes. Current projects include a set of three seascapes, a paper mache rooster, the copy mentioned above, a portrait, a local landscape, and a series of five arbour ladies for reproduction as prints and cards.

I shall keep you posted.