Argh, I’m half way through the residency. Where is the time going? I had a moment of panic this morning when I realised that after today I only have three working days left at the Centre for Drawing. Three days and I’ve barely made it out of that enjoyable investigative stage in my sketchbook. I really wish I had another couple of weeks there to resolve ideas, meet some more new people and enjoy my afternoon flapjack from the canteen. Just five days there and I’m basking in a wonderful routine of thinking, making, evaluating, and more making. Today I also added ‘talking’ to my list of activities with a hugely enjoyable afternoon working with the MA Drawing students.
I talked for an hour about how I use drawing in my practice. It was an informal session with a lively discussion at the end. Preparing the presentation gave me an opportunity to analyse and articulate the role drawing plays in my work, which obviously I’m aware of, but verbalising it for a new audience helped to clarify some important aspects of what I do. The MA Drawing course is an innovative programme which generates debate about drawing from a variety of perspectives and academic disciplines. I really enjoyed contributing to the dialogue. After my presentation I did some tutorials with the students and found out more about their individual aproaches to drawing. Although they all have very personal and therefore different relationships to drawing in their work, they are all very engaged with their practices and the wider context of drawing. It was a very enjoyable and stimulating afternoon.
Before the session with the students I carried on working through some ideas in my sketchbook relating to the reflective folded structures I’d started exploring earlier in the week. I’m usually not a huge sketchbook user but I’ve found the linear sequencing of the book structure really useful this week. It reflects the consecutive days that I have had to work in the Centre for Drawing, and I can see a notable development in my ideas from page to page. It will be a good archive of my activities at CfD and a useful resource when I’m back in my own studio. Thankfully I still have some time left before I need to move out – just three working days – but I know they’ll be productive!
