We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.
Artist Tutorials
You can have fun combining things in a still life that, while
they may not make sense, can often feel right together.
John Honeywill
Objects and Surfaces
1. Watch John discuss how to create a sense of quirkiness.
2. Download and print the stencils. Cut out the shapes and transfer onto card or board for a stronger stencil.
3. Draw and combine unrelated objects and elements that might at first seem like unlikely companions.
Find inspiration by viewing Ah Xian’s Metaphysica: Crane on tortoise 2007, Lucy Mackenzie’s Both worlds 1975 and Eugene Carchesio’s Interpreter 1993–94 in the Artist Gallery.
4. Experiment with opposites through shading, pattern and texture to create contrast (see examples of rubbing plates used in Open Studio). For instance, you could draw the outline of a kettle (usually shiny and metallic) and fill the shape with a rough, organic texture by rubbing a pencil over a selection of leaves.
5. Give your work a fun, quirky title that speaks to the unusual narrative you have created.
Line Drawing
1. Watch John discuss how objects have conversations.
Consider the conversations between Gwyn Hanssen Pigott’s Three inseparable bowls c.1988–89 and Kirsten Coehlo’s Abide 2018 in the Artist Gallery.
2. Create a playful arrangement of objects on a table at home using unrelated things.
3. Make a continuous line drawing of the arrangement. Try not to look down at the paper as you draw.
4. Turn your paper upside down. While observing the objects, make a second line drawing over the top of the first. Again, don’t look at the paper!
5. Reflect on this process. What conversations did you create through your arrangement of objects? Did the use of a continuous line change the narrative of your arrangement?