ARTATHON - DAY EIGHTEEN

ARTATHON - DAY SEVENTEEN

ARTATHON - DAY SIXTEEN

ARTATHON - DAY FIFTEEN

ARTATHON - DAY FOURTEEN

"Chiefs Head". A nod and wink to this current obsession in my work for abandoned theme parks. If you fancied bagging a drawing that relates closely to the rest of my work - this is the one.

ARTATHON - DAY THIRTEEN

Morning all. A few new drawings from over the weekend. As some of you might know Anna and I have been having a bit of work done in our flat. In some ways this new drawing, "Kitchen Table" represents the first moment of calm in that room.

ARTATHON - DAY TWELVE

Further down from where Samuel Pepys stood a small eddy is formed at high tide on the Thames. Here three boulders stick up their heads above the waters. "Three rocks on the Thames"

ARTATHON - DAY ELEVEN

"Where Samuel Pepys Stood". This is one of my favourite spots on the south bank where I have sketched several times before. On this spot, illegibly, Samuel Pepys stood and looked out to see the Great Fire of London. All that remains of this momentous occasion are a few wooden foundations left to rot by the waters of the Thames.

ARTATHON - DAY TEN

Day ten and back on track with the Artathon. Here now looking out our living room window to the train station opposite just before commuter time in the morning. "Wimbledon Chase Station"

ARTATHON - DAY NINE

OK OK so less time to draw today but there is something quite pleasing about ths simple little drawing I think. "Fallen Tree Stump in the Park."

ARTATHON - DAY EIGHT

Now we come back to an image I'm using in my current painting. A few might recognise this as the back of the boat house at Teen Ranch in Dundee. It has the look of a home - built art installation but is completely functionable in it's setting. I find it an absolutely fascinating structure.

ARTATHON - DAY SEVEN

Coming home from a meeting in Leicester with team mates Natasha and Brian. Natasha was a bit nervous about me drawing her (which is quite understandable) but her diary wasn't so shy. So this drawing titled, "Tasha's Diary On Train".

ARTATHON - DAY SIX

Girders below Southwark Cathedral. They've been working on this site for some months now around the Borough Market. It's an interesting juxtaposition between old historic London and the new developments of modern living.

ARTATHON - DAY FIVE

On the tube heading home after a day with students we noticed one seat with an odd covering to the rest. You don't want to think too much about why they had to re-cover the seat but it made for a brilliant subject matter. So this one is titled 'Tube Train, Odd Seat Out."

ARTATHON - DAY FOUR

I love this one. This cow sits on top of a bar down the road from my studio with the words 'LOVE ME' stenciled over his side. Very random. I think I might return to this one for another drawing another day.

ARTATHON - DAY THREE

Sorry for the technical hitch. Here we are now back on track for 26 drawings over 26 days at 26 quid per drawing. There are now 18 consecutive days ahead and hope you can tune in for them. Three of the drawings already have pledges on them (days 1, 4 and 7). Please do get in touch if you'd like to reserve a drawing to buy at the end of the project. Cheers. Al

ARTASTALL

Erm. So the idea was to post these drawings every day but my camera bust! Sorry for the delay. The drawinsg are coming along very nicely. Honest! I guess there'll be a mega post after my camera is fixed and you'll see a bunch of drawings together. Stay tuned (anyone got a decent camera I can borrow?!)

ARTATHON - DAY TWO

Day two of the Artathon. This time a quick drawing keeping with the door theme.

ARTATHON - DAY ONE

To raise funds for my forthcoming masters course and research trip to Japan with friends I’m making 26 drawings over 26 days and will be selling them at 26 quid per drawing.

Drawings will appear on this blog and at my website linked to the right.

Please do follow this project along. If you’d like to help me raise funds and own your very own piece of original Alastair Gordon art at a shamelessly low price drop me a line at alygordon25@hotmail.com and make a pledge on the drawing you like. If folks are up for it Anna and I will have some kind of exhibition at our flat to showcase all the drawings. What do you think?



Here's the drawing for DAY ONE - CLINK STREET DOORS. These are the doors directly oustide my studio. What better place to start?

Where Does Creativity Come From?

I recently wrote this short article for the Royal Colege of Art CU blog. Thought it might be of interest here too.

Where Does Creaticity Come From?
A Christian Worldview

The biblical worldview begins with the seminal actions of the creator God. “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1). Christians therefore believe that all acts of creativity originate from the creative character of God. The write of Genesis describes God’s pleasure in making the earth: the trees were “pleasing to the sight” (Gen 2:19) and all creation was “very good” (Gen 1). From the beginning God is deeply interested in the aesthetic dimension of his creation.

Genesis records mankind is unique in creation as the only creature privileged to be made in God’s image. Mankind was given rule over the earth as God has rule over all creation and humanity is creative, reflecting God’s own creativity. To be creative is simply to part of our blueprint as human beings and no further justification is required.

Adam named the animals and wrote poetry for his wife (Gen 2:23). Jubel was the father of all music (Gen 4:21). David composed music and lyrics (Psalms). Bezalel sculpted images in bronze and wood (Exodus 32). Oholiab made textiles and clothing (Exodus 32). The prophets spoke in poetry and parables. Jesus himself was craftsmen in wood. By example and design the bible champions the creative arts as integral to God’s reality and valuable in his Kingdom. Since God made all things “good” it is important for we who are made in is image to graft hard at our own acts of creativity.

If all acts of creativity originate in God what can we say about embezzlement, murder, terrorism and other acts of creativity that are neither good nor constructive? Why is it we often struggle to make good work? In the biblical worldview the process of creation was compromised as humanity rebelled against the authority and designs of God (Genesis 2). After the fall Adam and Eve find themselves arguing, work has become difficult and the earth itself is cursed making it hard for crops to grow and cultivation to occur. Painting will be hard. Design will, at times, fail but the Christian worldview doesn’t end with a broken creation. On the contrary, the New Testament describes a future renewal of creation demonstrated in the renewal of Jesus’ body at the resurrection. Like Christ’s resurrected body, the new creation is described as more real than the current creation with greater clarity and vitality. The book of Revelation describes the new creation as a garden city where there will be art, design, music, poetry, clothing and architecture. Rather than an idealised vision of utopia or paradise, the new creation is founded on the memory of a death: Christ’s death (at the centre on the throne is the Lamb of God) which, we might speculate, offers possibilities for art in the new creation founded on the memory of past lament as well as the elixir of present joy.

Stages

Well here a finished painting fresh off the studio wall. "Stages", 2010, oil on canvas (90x122cm)