Listen & Draw 2020

This project was planned in February 2020 and just as we began to deliver it we moved into LockDown.

Automatic Drawing Exercise.

It would have been easy to just stop this project, but with support from the project partners and the participating artists we redesigned it. We discussed what collaboration could be when you are not in room together, sharing ideas, materials and canvases.

This project has opened up another way to create together.

In the first session we pulled apart what collaboration could mean. We decided that “Restrictions” could be appropriate, reflecting the moment - size, colours and decades were decided on.

Robert spoke about a drawing symposium at the University of Ulster at which speakers described how they used drawing in their practice. He invited participants to share how they approached drawing.

Elaine - a way of exploring and area of enquiry, an inner dialogue that can be therapeutic, drawing is grounding experience, she does not exhibit her drawings, she uses a range of objects to draw with including her body

Aine - with an engineer background drawing is a means of working through ideas, taking 2d into 3d, a way of planning prior to making

Jenni - draws every day, uses a sketchbook regularly, under-draws for painting, important to keep drawing skills honed, records scenes for later development.

Marie Therese - some observational drawing, works large scale, keeps a visual notebook, creates cartoon drawing, draws with brushes

Carla - maintains a visual diary, enjoys life drawing, showed examples, finds life drawing affirming

Marianne - drawing is a means of communication, uses it to create a dialogue with her youngest child, drawing allows the communication of ideas quickly.

Robert - uses analytical drawing as a means of sharpening observation, sketches compositions for digital works, utilises automatic drawing techniques as a way freeing up a tendency to illustrate ideas

Robert also had exercises planned which connected us as a group.

Week 2

In this session we discussed what had inspired us as we listen to the recordings and what we might take forward.

Aine had been sketching many ideas from several recordings on her iPad, she was interested in working at a scale that people could take away with them easily. The postcard format still was of interest.

Marianne had been working with textile and stitching. She was sourcing images from Barry’s and seaside town iconography. Interested in textile postcards and will be exploring bubble art to refer to the soap in fountains meme.

Jenni had been exploring text, particularly as a way of representing Teddy boys (red, black and white) with Mods (red, white, blue and greens). She was also sketching images relating to fishing at the pier that may be suitable for lino cuts. Postcard size also interested her.

Marie Therese was sketching fashion articles relating to Mods. She was very interested in the postcard scale and had moved up a candy floss version. She was considering working in paint, watercolour and perhaps lino cut.

Carla was planning working on a large scale with the possibility of cutting these large works into a number of postcard sized pieces. She was inspired by illustrator Shirley Hughes and has been combining elements from many stories into on picture. She sketched the recording caravan with bird motifs transforming into real birds. She will probably work in black pen and watercolour.

Elaine - created a ‘film sketch’ incorporating hand writing layered with tar drawings. These related to her grandmother’s holidays in Bangor, again the postcard format was being considered. She was also very interested in creating portraits using tar and hand writing.

Marie Therese Davis

Robert had been drawing images inspired by Bangor’s reputation for fighting. Using an illustrative style familiar to readers of 1970’s Jackie annuals. He also was sketching an image relating to the fortune-teller in Barry’s using a 1940’s film noir style. He will probably work A4 with paint or markers.

Outcomes were then discussed. Carla suggested the caravan as an alternative exhibition space in the light of ongoing social distancing rules. Everyone thought this was a great idea. Both postcards and original works could be exhibited/sold. It could be toured to streets on request, Marianne will explore the feasibility of this with the organisers.

The group then took part in a ‘blind’ drawing challenge responding to Robert’s description of an image. Elephants predominated for some reason.

Over the following 2 sessions we were able to check-in and share our processes.

We also added in a live group, where we could share our thoughts, inspiration and added a shared album to upload developing ideas.