Drawing Closer

The Colonnades, limited edition print www.dlwp.com shop £30)

My drawing practise 

I draw in order to see.  I want to see things more clearly, differently, to gain better understanding of surfaces, form, contrast and space. It slows me down and stills my urgency to record and develop ideas. Through the process of mark making I become physically and emotionally involved with my environment. This connection is important because it allows me to interpret what I see, to get beyond the immediate.

Drawing enables me to begin developing a visual language for identity both external and internal. This is a life long growing cathartic narrative of how I see the world and its objects; this is an extension of me. A visual story revealing and mapping my life.

I find it stimulating, challenging, exciting and frustrating. I cannot, not draw. I cannot create work without drawing, it focuses and strengthens integrity. Drawing is about being raw, open and honest. 

Wave series #10 and 11 are in Rye Art Gallery until 24th March.

Wave series  #10

Wave series #11

Juddering through my internal terrain

Internal terrain #1 

Yesterday I went to a very interesting talk by artist duo Annabel Tilley and Rosalind Davis at the De La Warr Pavilion. 

The A to Z of surviving as an artist. 

Annabel and Rosalind are founders of ZAP or 

<blockquote>www.ZeitgeistArtsProjects.com</blockquote>

What came across was passion, drive and 'can do' attitude. This duo is dynamic and entertaining Rosalind and Annabel seamlessly tore through the alphabet of do's and don'ts a lot of which were good old common sense, but who doesn't need a bucket full of that tipped over their heads now and again? It never ceases to amaze me how I can be thinking of doing something but just never really actually DO it. So I picked up a few salient points.

Be ambitious and audacious! This is strong stuff, sometimes I feel very ambitious and strangely guarded at the same time. But once broken into small enough chunks most things become reachable so I aim to grow into these characteristics and be more myself.  

Research doesn't just mean reading. It also includes (and thank goodness for those of us bad at and easily bored with reading web based text) visiting, talking, tweeting and building relationships face to face. 

So yay! I CAN do that after all. 

Set aside 10 mins each day to check over a few relevant blogs rather than try and read them all and then instantly forget everything.

Being an artist is a job like any other, you need to put in the hours and work hard at it. This is common sense GOLD. I reckon there are several other people out there like me who are still struggling with the inherited notion that it's a vocation and something to do in between other things ....but if we don't take ourselves seriously and develop strategies for all the blocks and hurdles that we encounter then who will?

Following that little revelation is the small matter of choice. I have a choice (ta da!) and need to practise using that right and become skilled at communicating it well, focussing my choices to make the most of opportunities for my artistic career. 

The 5 P's 

Persevere - keep on keeping on. 

Plan - research and use direct experiences 

Pick wisely - be aware of choices and agendas

Pernickety - agree to some things not everything and get details right. 

Posterity - what am I laying down for the future and how will that future be nurtured?

The reality is I am not emerging as an artist. I am juddering on as an artist....forwards a bit and then stopping before something spurs me on again. Does that resonate with you? 

I my next post: more of my latest judderings and some further explanation of the internal terrain series.