This week I thought that I would show you a close up of a piece of pointillism up close and personal, just to demonstrate how many individual dots it takes to make up each image created.

I have been preparing my 10-minute feature presentation for my BNI business group and as it will be on zoom due to lockdown, I am unable to pass around props, do a demo etc. I thought I would deconstruct the artistic process by showing progress shots and close ups of images as they were being created.

From a distance most people would recognise a thistle by its characteristic shape, but a smaller number would be familiar with nature’s own intricate pattern unless they took on the task of recreating the image using pointillism. The trick is observation, recognition of shapes and patterns and creating an accurate pencil drawing.

Adding the dots in various concentrations per square centimetre gives the impression of light, dark, depth, shadow, softness, fluffiness etc, dependant on the type of image being created. Trial and error were required when I created my orangutan, to create the loose hairy outline ... eventually achieved with lots of floating dots.

I have utilised this to good effect since with other images. It has been a huge personal learning curve. I have not trawled the internet to find a ‘how to’ video, simply enjoying my own artistic voyage of discovery and sharing that.

It has meant not being constrained by a particular way of doing things, which is liberating , and ultimately it has lead me to an new art form to explore and enjoy.

With my BNI presentation looming I have had to learn more new skills... how to screen share at a zoom meeting and access and operate my own PowerPoint. This is a fairly simple process but for a technophobe it was daunting. I am proud to report that I managed it this week, as I was guest speaker at Leith Rotary club. (thanks to all family, friends and Rotary tutors involved in the days leading up to it !!!)


Rhona x