Saturday, February 04, 2012

10 Drawings of Ears..









moi
































When I take a break from making earrings, on these long winter days,
I go on over to my drawing desk.
  I like to pick a subject and spend some time with it...
 but what will it be...  
perhaps a more indepth study on one of the facial features..
.....since there was no one else to consult...
I chose Ears... 

.. all the ears in this study belonged to family members and I hope they don't mind...
and their names have not been changed ... 
so don't be too severe if you know them in real life 
and their Ears here are not exactly as the ones on the sides of their heads.... 
I tried...

Well, the more I read about Ear shapes and examined them... 
the more unusual they seemed to be...
 way more than initially meets the eye...
sort of like when you repeat a word for the 100th time
and you can't understand why it is pronounced that way anymore 
and the spelling just doesn't look like a word anymore either... 
well that is how my obsession with Ears felt...
How did we ever come to have two attachments on the sides of our heads like this... 
 that we rarely pay much attention to or hardly notice.
.. but really they stick right out...and they are right there in everyone elses  face.


...parts with names of Helix and Antihelix...   Tragus and Antitragus...
Lobule, Concha and not to forget, the Ear notch...
and these are just the outward visual parts...
and even though I make my living making earrings to hang off these little attachments,
these were new words to me.
and to think all I have ever really been concerned with, about them before, 
was just a spot to hang a pair of Earrings... 

 Ears are so much more!!

... the more closely I looked at each Ear 
and discovered each ones individuality, shape, tilts, turns and little nuances...
I became entranced with them..  structural, rounded, curving, flowing lines, depth, shadows...
   
 They are beautiful flesh and blood sculptures and we each have two...
They are amazing !!


.......and without which..... how could we hear the music?

or


 ...hold our glasses up?





...drawings from my sketchbooks.............   baby, children, teenager, adults ears... pencil, conte
at DESIDERATUM Art  and Jewelry Studio, St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada


*******


The illustration below was what first caught my eye and the instigator of my Ear Study....
 from "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"

... an excerpt from the story with the grand title of...

 "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box"
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Illustrator  Sidney Paget












... now you will have to get the book and read the rest of it...



18 comments:

Carol Steel said...

I love this post. I've often thought that I would like to do a photographic study of feet in my family.

Tracking similarities and differences in the familial ears seemed like it was an enriching and fascinating time for you. What fun! You write elogently about the process. I enjoyed your study of ears.

Oldfool said...

I love ears but I don't seem to have the ability to draw them and believe me I've tried. But that's OK because you can and I get to see them.
For me it's noses. I've never met a nose I didn't like. But like with ears I've never produced a sketch that I cared to look at a second time. I may not be able to sketch them but I can write about them.
I'm working on a post on Noses but as age catches up with me I seem to be getting slower.

BumbleVee said...

... or wear earrings? .... don't forgot that one... it's key.

yep....and I find it amazing that no two actually look the same.... even if they are ears...and like you say... we pay them almost no mind at all...til we need to draw or sculp one and then...wow.... where to begin?

and then..there are fairy ears...more complicated yet....

Joanna said...

Oh my, what a fascinating post. First of all--the incredible variety of shapes. Then the details and the names and the shadows and the curves. You've inspired me to draw ears now.

And I laughed when I read about your questioning about these external things on the side of our head. I know exactly what you mean about repeating words. Thanks for making my evening!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thank you Carol.. oh feet would be a great challenge... I hope you do it... all those toes and all those many little bones... the way they make people walk in certain ways... and the miles we put on them.... cool idea.

OF, it was a toss up between one of the three to pick first... eyes, noses or ears...I have found Noses really tricky ... as one wrong tilt and it doesn't look like that person anymore... John is always "politely" pointing out where my noses need adjusting.. but that's ok... I really need to practice them.. hardly anyone would notice if an ear was wrong... I'm looking forward to your Nose post now... you do have a gift with words.

Hi BumbleVee, Rightio, can't forget Earrings!! and you mention Fairy ears... I was just looking at a site last night where people were altering themselves and a young woman/teen had her ears cut, shaped, sculpted and stitched up to a point like Fairy Ears.. and the Comment list below was a mile long of young people saying they wished they could do it to.. ..... they look good on fairy sculptures though, especially the ones you create... amazing detailed work.. and no blood, unless you prick your finger.

Thanks Joanna, crazy isn't it... and Ironic... how repeating something so many times we embed it in our mind and then just like that, it is totally unrecognizable to us!
I have to find out why that happens .. it drives me nuts!!!

Arija said...

Yes, literally no two are alike, not even on the same head! It is good to concentrate on a small portion of, often, a very large whole, and become so familiar with it that the minutiae of detail fairly jump out at as we look at another specimen.
As always, I do love your drawings Gwen

Steven Cain said...

Ears!

There are so many serious words that make up an ear... but the word 'ear' itself... I think... is funny. (Incidentally, I have twelve holes in mine. No hardware though.)

Dog ears are best... they talk with them.

Thanks for the book tease. Sigh.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thank you Arija, it is fun... but now when I'm talking to someone I am studying their ears.. They will think I am having a problem making eye contact..

Steven.. 12 holes .. as long as they are not bullet holes, you'll be ok...
oh you're right about talking dog ears.. I Love them.. they must have an amazing number of muscles controlling all those many movements.

cathyswatercolors said...

Hi Gwen, who would have thought ears could be so interesting and beautiful. Leave it to you to come up with a beautiful and intelligent post... you are an amazing soul Gwen.xoxcb

pauline said...

oh Gwen... you're a fucking genius. :-)

i loved everything about this post... such beautiful drawings and your enthusiasm about ears was so refreshing. And you're RIGHT!! They are fascinating...
Thanks so much for posting. My time spent here is always a treat. xoxo

Gwen Buchanan said...

Oh Cathy, you are a dear. Thank you. it was hard to stop once I got going.. you know what it's like... once you start exploring it peaks the curiosity.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Pauline, you crazy thing. Thank you! You are fun. When I saw the picture of the ears in the Sherlock Holmes book I was taken aback, but curious at the same time.. I'm sure some folks may think this is a peculiar subject but I like to look intently at things we may not pay much attention to regularly in the run of a day...

jerilanders said...

Gwen, I ran across an old sketchpad the other day and found two pages of noses I had drawn long ago, noses of every shape and size. Being the most distinguishing feature on our faces, noses do get much more attention than ears, it is true.
Ah, but I must confess, (with a blush), that I have perfect ears! I cannot claim perfection for any other part of my total self, far from it... but I do rather like my ears. Maybe, that is why the ONLY jewelry are wear are earrings.
I remember the cardboard box with enclosed ear via Jeremy Brett, playing Sherlock Holmes... love Sherlock!

Judy Martin said...

This is a fascinating and generous post. I always enjoy my visits to your blog.

Your talent is incredible.

Seth said...

Ears are so fascinating on so many levels -- what they look like and what they can do. You have captured the personality of each one so very well here.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Hi Jeri,of the lovely ears!! You are cute! Keep wearing earrings!! I never get tired of Sherlock Holmes stories.. always another detail to notice.. Arthur Conan Doyle would have been an exciting man to meet.

Thank you Judy, You humble me... Your work is so sensitive, detailed... and expansive .. very representative of your surroundings.. that is such a pleasure to see.

Seth, we never know which direction we will take till we are inspired.. if only we had the time and dedication to follow every inspiration.

Tracy said...

Hello, Gwen! My friend Shayla recommended I visit here, and I'm so glad she did. Your variety of art & work is stunning. And you've dispelled some mystery about the drawing of the ear for me... I've often been a bit intimidated drawing ears for some reason--something to do with the shapes & getting the shading right. There is such tenderness in your ear renderings here-an almost vulnerable feeling. But what wonders the ears are! Since I can hear, it is hard to imagine a world without sound. Off to browse more here... Happy Day :o)

Gwen Buchanan said...

Hi to you Tracy, Aren't ears twisty twirled little rigs.. ha.. I really like drawings that are more suggestive... not telling all..leaving the viewer to add their own pieces to the puzzle. it is hard though to know when to stop. Thank you for visiting.