Drawing in the Billies: Drawing in the Studio

Hidden contour drawing

I've recently started doing drawing classes in my studio on a drop-in basis, linking in with Lois's basketry workshops whenever possible.The idea is to have both our studios being used at the same time so that we can get a good creative buzz going in our mini art school. The atmosphere will be helped even more when we get the relaxing zen courtyard finished.With its 3 metre diametre water feature(okay- pond!) our students will be able to dabble their feet and hands in it which will all help to get those creative juices flowing. The hot weather at the moment doesn't help me to finish it ( the cement goes off too quickly). This combined with me having an allergy attack from various pollen has put it on hold.  I don't get these attacks when I'm in Shetland, probably because there aren't any trees!

Something that works well is the communal lunch we have on teaching days. Everybody is asked to bring a contribution and we've had some excellent food. A hummus made with red peppers and chickpeas was both a visual and tasty treat. We seem to have a relatively high proportion of  vegetarians- is there a link between creativity and vegetarianism?

Going back to the main reason that people come to me, i.e. drawing, I always ask what they want to achieve during the class. The most frequent response is that they want to do a drawing that looks like the object in front of them. I say that they can do that without even seeing what they are drawing on the paper! I cover up their paper with a board (raised sufficiently from the table so that they can manipulate the pencil) and the students draw the contour of their hand, starting at the junction of the base of the thumb and the wrist and finishing on the opposite side.( see picture above). The result is always a drawing that looks like a hand.Recent analysis of cave art in northern Spain reveal that Neanderthal man was drawing almost 50,000 years ago. Every body can draw. As the great John Lee Hooker wrote "It in 'im, it gotta come out".

If you are in  the Poitou Charente area and would like to join us please get in touch with me.

PS Billies - Billy Bunters, Punters. Could also be Hillmans - Hillman Hunters, Punters