Ashmolean Drawings

Lately I’ve been visiting the Ashmolean more frequently as a place to draw. Isn’t it funny how you can end up living in a city with a world class museum that you hardly ever visit. And it’s free to get into the Ashmolean to see the main stuff (usually you need to pay to see the special exhibitions)

I never usually spend the whole day. I love being able to dip in and out whenever I have a spare hour or two. During the last two visits, I found two drawing projects I wanted to pursue: number one - I’m not sure will work out, but I love the Hercules and the Lion statues. There’s a few different versions; I just felt like there was something comical about the way they’re engaged in battle. Hercules is almost always prising the lion’s jaws open, like he’s trying to give the him a worming tablet.

The next project is more straightforward; I’m looking for Ashmolean birds, in all their forms from all art genres and all corners of the globe. So far I’ve found a Japanese long necked bird, AD300- 552; a six hundred year old silver owl from Germany; some Delft ware ducks from C.1750 ; tiny bird perching on the finger of a harlequin from C.1745; a brass lamp in the shape of a dove from ancient Nubia; a gorgeous modern sculpture from France, maybe from 1920s (it was unlabelled! )

Anyway, you get the idea, there are numerous birds to find and it’s interesting to give yourself these sorts of parameters to work with. I reckon I’ll find fifty birds at least…I’ll be returning soon to finish this particular project.