I decided to kick start the year by working towards one of the aspirations I write down every year but always feel I’ve not managed to give as much time too as I intend. Drawing and painting outside. Responding directly to the landscape. Towards this end I did an online course with exercises to be carried out en plein air led by a fellow member of Connected Artists- Sam Boughton. This has had several benefits already as my studio is pretty uninviting in January. I feel if I can get out and paint at this time of year there will be no excuse later.
Walk and Draw
Aim- a layered sensory sketch, gestural, loose responsive playing with mark-making, rich full of energy, strengthening your looking, directional marks, varied in tone. I went out with a small sketchbook and a large charcoal instead of a soft HB pencil. Predictably, it was quite messy. The efforts in the small sketchbook frustrated me at the time, but looking back some interesting marks and compositions. I noticed I wasn’t drawing shapes but lines. As I went on. I realised I was too focused on what was in front of me less on the whole experience it is going to take a lot of practice, more sketchbooks to break the habit of representing outlines of objects rather than responding with all the senses.
