Had a slight mid-residency panic. On Tuesday the gargantuan task I have set myself of producing 64 new drawings hit home. It wasn’t so much the quantity of work that started to scare me, more the danger of seizing up and producing poor work.
It’s quite difficult to explain but after such a positive end to last week, where I really felt the concept of the came together, the drawings started to become a bit too ‘self-conscious’. A key part of the way that I create is getting lost in the mark making and trying to avoid direct conscious decisions relating to the aesthetics of the pieces. To put it bluntly, I produced a couple of drawings that weren’t cutting it and I started to panic.
I think the problem was partly over-working and in-turn feeling quite isolated in my studio. I’ve been working day and night fitting in drawing time with my other work commitments and I think I was starting to get mentally and physically burnt out. I always advise students of the importance of taking a break and re-connecting with reality. 9 hour drawing marathons were indicative of me not following my own advice!
So yesterday I had a complete evening off. No pencils. No paper. No Madge Gill. No AIR. Just a few drinks with my partner, a stroll on the Southbank and a nice meal out. The result? Today I’m feeling re-energised and ready to kick on. I just completed an 8 hour drawing session and am really pleased with the work I have produced…!
In other news I have finished planning my artist talk at the gallery. Annabel Tilley (artist and co-director of Zeitgeist Art Projects) has agreed to chair the discussion, which will take place on Wednesday 19 September. The focus of the talk will be exploring the automatic, process-based nature of drawing. I can’t wait – Annabel tends to give me a ‘constructive assessment’ when we discuss my drawings. Her comments are usually spot on and will open up the conversation for a pretty meaty debate!
To book a free place at the talk click here
