Activity 6.1.1 Choose your theme
Looking around – Thoughts and notes on possible themes
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| I made notes in my sketchbook on themes which came to my mind. One idea was the way to my work, which passes through a beautiful part of Bonn with old houses, gardens and trees. Another idea was our small train station – a variety of plants along the platform, an old building, station mechanics, interesting rubbish. |
Writing about my ideas made me realize that I wanted to work with something from my everyday surroundings, something which is normally unnoticed. My way to work offers a lot of possibilities, but drawing and gathering material would take up a lot of time. The train station is better in srping, when the flowers are out. |
So my choice is: my neighbours’ garden shed behind the house I live in.
I noted what came to my mind about the garden shed, colours, materials, visual ideas, papers to use and so on.
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E9 is written on the door of the shed. I wonder why! |
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Welcome to the garden shed!
Two drawings I did some years ago:
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P 5: Drawn with oil pastels and ink on Kraft paper, A4
At this time there was still an elderberry growing behind the shed. It has been felled meanwhile.
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P 6: Pencil drawing in a sketchbook on cartridge paper, size approx. A 5
An tap in the form of a rooster. My neighbour bought this in Italy as a gift for her husband. She has a wonderful eye for quirky things like this. The garden hose is attached to it. |
| The next step: a photo session. It is lovely to be able just to step out of the back door and start. | |
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Colours are greys and browns, ochre, russet, off-white – a range of muted earth colours with occasional splashes of vivid primary colours.
| I look forward to drawing this old bathtub in the shadow.
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I remember our bath stove when I was a child. It was fired every Saturday for hot water for the whole family of seven.
| P 21: Interesting fastenings |
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| P 27: The birds in the garden are mostly blue tits, coal tits, redstarts and blackbirds. | |
 | I wonder who has made this round element in the mesh of the rabbit cage, and why. Perhaps my neighbour knows, I have to ask. |
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 | P 38, 39, 42: Blackberries, ivy, wild garlic, nettles and roses grow around the shed and into it.
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P 44: An old slate tile, typical for our area. |  |
Revising the photos I see that there is a lot to find out about this garden shed and its story. Apart from the visual features I really have to interview my neighbour about the things stacked there. Very exciting!
