The Big Draw

The Big Draw 2010 is in full progress. It started as a national campaign to encourage everyone to draw. Now it’s expanded to an international event throughout October.

I’ve always felt it was a worthy endeavour. The benefits of regular drawing go beyond the acquisition of skill and have a recognisable psychological benefit! It’s more than a co-incidence that Art is used as a therapy.

Which is why last week saw me at an event in the Old Gaol in Buckingham. Sitting around drawing views in the gaol itself and helping visitors with drawing issues.

The options were mostly building interiors, but I was keen to draw some people! Trouble is those available were all moving! For a while I drew the mannequins, before heading for the coffee shop. Several failed sketches later I gave up and went to talk to the artist painting out front. She was painting the gaol using a heavy impasto technique in oils.

She was just finishing and offered to pose. This was the result of the 10-15 minute pose. It’s in charcoal so has the inherent properties of medium i.e. tends to smudge!!!!! Aaaargh! Looking back at it, it has a charm but needed more time.  I still feel self conscious drawing with the subject present. It’s an issue I must overcome, as I tend to rush and “finish” not because I’m worried about drawing, just self conscious about the subject. She has a gypsy look about her, what with the hair band and loop earrings!

Painting has been a bit limited this week. I’ve been completing submission forms. Rowan’s gallery, Beaconsfield art fair, Mooch Gallery in Manchester and Bafa “Inspired by a poem” exhibition. Just delivered my first consignment to Rowan’s gallery, I’ll let you know how it goes!

Next week I’m going to finish a Graham Norton Pose, might be a caricature, or I might do both! You’ll have to wait and see…