Singing Over the Bones

“Her cave is filled with the bones of all manner of desert creatures” Clarissa Pinkola Estes

In Clarissa Pinkola Estes modern classic, “Women Who Run With the Wolves”, she tells, among other things,  the story of La Loba, the old woman who spent her days scouring the countryside for the bones of dead, wild animals. She would gather them up and take them back to her cave, where she reassembled the skeletons and sang soulfully over them in order to flesh them out into the creatures they once were.

Earlier in the year, I had a big cleanup of my studio and discovered some wonderful treasures that I haven’t seen in years. When I opened one cardboard box that had long been lost beneath the table, I was surprised to see my collection of bones, gathered over many trips into the bush. I hauled them out and challenged my drawing students to bring them back to life.

A box of bones

Skeletons in my cupboard

So for the past three months the bones have been the focus of our adult drawing classes and with their sculptural forms and subtle shifts of light and shadow, they have proved a valuable theme to explore. My students, many of whom are still learning the basics, have really had to focus and polish their skills. Today I share with you a selection of their study drawings done during the first phase of this project:

Ebb Graham

Ebb Graham – pencil

Ebb Graham – pencil

Ebb Graham – ink

Ebb Graham – chalk

Ebb Graham – charcoal

Andrea Upfold – chalk

Andrea Upfold – ink

Pat Wylde – chalk

Gwynn Crothall – charcoal

Gwynn Crothall – chalk

Louise Lloyd – chalk pastel

Louise Lloyd – pencil

Glynis Suttie – charcoal

Glynis Suttie – charcoal

Glynis Suttie – ink

Cath Stapleton – chalk

Cath Stapleton – charcoal

Cath Stapleton – charcoal

Marion Fynn – Ink

Marion Fynn – charcoal

Marion Fynn – Pencil

Carin Swart – charcoal

Jackie Viner – charcoal

Jackie Viner – ink

Jackie Viner – chalk

Louisa Clayton – pencil

Louisa Clayton – chalk

Jo Rice – charcoal

Jo Rice – ink

Jo Rice – chalk

Jo Rice – ink

Jo Rice – pencil

I am delighted with this series of soulful drawings and in the next post, will share a few more images from the second phase of the project.

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