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What if we make our drawing about the excitement of seeing?


One of Rodin’s fluid life drawings

You may wonder why it is that we’ve been pushing creative drawing recently on our short pose life drawing sessions.

We know we can teach you to draw accurately, we know that we can show you how to control proportion and value to describe form convincingly, it takes time and effort but there is no intrinsic mystery. At one level it is a craft, you should be able to learn observational drawing in the same way you learn dressmaking or sailing.

However there are moments along our path as artists where we discover that what we are doing may tick the accuracy box but lacks excitement. It seems that all of the certainty we have put in place, through learning the rules of draughtsmanship, can constrain us as much as supporting us.

Nothing stays still, everything to do with life, love and creativity is in a constant state of becoming, it breathes and it changes, so it follows that every now and then we may benefit from changing the way we approach drawing.

What happens if we make our drawing about something other than optical or dimensional accuracy? If we make our drawings about the very excitement of seeing, our very own and personal joy of perception; what are we now drawing? What if we focus only on the elements of what we see that have meaning for us, that move us individually, that we alone feel?

Our short pose sessions on Monday and Tuesday evenings look at this dimension and each week we suggest pranks and stratagems for foxing that aspect of ourselves that likes to constrain: playful approaches that encourage us to reengage with our simple and authentic creative voice.

If you are thinking of joining us on Monday Bad Drawing or Tuesday Fast Poses this week could you make sure to have at least two drawing things, one that will make big spludgy marks, say a big brush and some ink or watercolour or chalks or a rag and pigment; and one that will make a distinct line like a pen or pencil? Ta.

Mermaid Chunky new Album Vest

Fans of Freya may have noticed she’s been a bit away lately, that’s because she has been working hard to deliver her new album as part of Mermaid Chunky. You can listen to snatches of it here and buy the album (recommended) to add some strangeness and charm to your life.