Things are a little quiet on the exhibiting front at the moment, but ideas are still flinging themselves at me and so I’m fairly busy in my studio creating new work. One such painting is ‘The Artist and Her Cat’ a mixed media work on board was recently finished. It took about 3 weeks from concept to completion, and there was a lot of umming and ahhhing along the way, chopping and changing, playing around with what works what doesnt. This process can get a little tedious and soul destroying because it often feels like I can’t find my way. But I know in my heart of hearts I have to just trust the process and stick with it. 95% of the time a painting will work, it will materialise. It may not be 100% like I envisioned, but that’s not a bad thing at all. As for the other 5%, that’s fine. Its not failure. Its a learning curve. It is all about ‘the process, not the outcome’ ( illustrator and drawing guru, Jake Spicer) and I totally 100% agree. Also, these days I do try to take a positive out of a negative especially with my art practice. I think that mindset has come with experience and age!
And so to life’s other pleasure this week, Life Drawing - oh my goodness, I love a spot of life drawing! There’s something really heartwarming about a group of creative people who come together to draw, drink tea (or coffee) and spend a few hours of the day in each other’s company at the easel.
I have met some lovely fellow artists this way and I’ve come across some fabulous life models over the years too from the East Sussex circuit, many who have featured in Jake Spicer’s ‘Figure Drawing, A Complete Guide to Drawing the Human Body’ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Figure-Drawing-complete-guide-drawing/dp/1781577021 Its funny to open a book and see so many familiar faces and bodies. I highly recommend this book, by the way.
This week I went again to Stone Street Art Group (outskirts of Sevenoaks), a friendly bunch of mixed ability creatives who gather every other Wednesday afternoon in the village hall to hone their life drawing skills. The group is run by Derly James (wife of NEAC member Andrew James, a very talented portrait painter based here in Tunbridge Wells). The session starts at 1.30 pm - 4.30 pm with timed poses some short, medium and ending on a long one. This week Alex was our life model, a creative photographer by profession but also a talented life model who does not flinch, delivering some A-mazing poses. I would highly recommend him to any life drawing group.
Here’s one of my sketches. I love working in charcoal, its so forgiving and light/shade is easily achieved if you don’t mind mucky fingers. But other creatives worked in ink, watercolour, oils/acrylic, pencil. Honestly, its whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Finally, I think like any form of creativity, life drawing is a great way to feel part of something, to relax and take your mind off life’s stresses. You don’t have to be a Leonardo da Vinci - far from it - just to have the interest, enthusiasm and the willingness to leave all preconceptions at the door. Just go with the flow!!
insta @stonestreetartgroup and @andrewrpneac (Andrew James portrait painter)
Back again soon!
