What motivates you to draw? What are you leaning towards? What do you feel is missing? What kind of drawing might you want to do?
When I meet people interested in learning to draw, these are the sort of questions I ask. So, if you’re curious about drawing and considering doing a workshop or course with me, but aren’t sure where to start, I’ve put this together for you…
I’ve been invited to lead an online drawing workshop for the National Galleries Scotland soon, for their ‘Drawing Room Kitchen Table’ series, which is part of their public education programme.
I’ve always told people that drawing is a teachable skill, because I was lucky enough to have some great teachers throughout my career. It’s true – anyone with an interest can learn to draw what they see, I’ve seen proof of that with my own students.
I’m very pleased that my charcoal drawing ‘Cascade’ was selected for the Drawing (Paper) Show at Bridewell Studios in Liverpool this summer. It was chosen from an international open call to be included in this exhibition and publication of contemporary drawings.
They arrived unexpectedly, a procession of strange tree forms with wispy branches reaching out to anyone who’ll listen.
‘Spirits’ is a new body of work which has taken me by surprise. It has grown out of my recent study of movement and gesture but morphed into something quite different. For a long time I’ve studiously avoided drawing branchy details but these works demanded them to counter the powerful gestures of their decapitated trunks.
They began as trees but have become something (or someone) beyond that category of creature, so I’ve named their characters accordingly.