Pushing my personal practice forward

Work in progress 1

Work in progress 1

Work in progress 2

Work in progress 2

Work in progress 3

Work in progress 3

I’ve always wanted to work on a large scale but not always found the courage to do it. Earlier this week, I spent 3 days on Zoom studying with Katie Sollohub.

She was running a course entitled ‘Embodied Drawing’ at Seawhite Studios. Emily Ball is the owner of this set up and for this course she was participating alongside us.

https://www.emilyballatseawhite.co.uk/

“The course is for students wishing to expand their drawing practice and find new limits, beyond the scale of your average drawing, by working large, freely, involving body and breath. You will be your own model, working on two or three large scale drawings, and guided by Katie’s exercises and meditation…… By connecting the process of drawing to our own physicality, we can harness directly the power and sensations of the body to create marks. The outcome is perhaps not important, it is more about the process than the product in this course. However, the results may surprise and inspire you in your approach to drawing and painting beyond the course, helping you to discover a fresh way of working from the figure, reinventing your visual response to the physical body.”

Climbed a mountain during the course but it was so worthwhile, great group of participants worldwide and we’re staying in touch on social media, supporting and inspiring each other.

My thanks to Emily and Katie and the Seawhite team for putting this on for us. If this description inspires you, they plan to run this course again in the new year.

Free flow experimentation, gestural mark making, salt

Experimental work done after the strict discipline of the Zen workshop, playing with salt, pre-wetting the paper, and using large watercolour sheets

Experimental work done after the strict discipline of the Zen workshop, playing with salt, pre-wetting the paper, and using large sheets of watercolour paper

  

 

 

Zen Brushwork Workshops

Detail of Dai ji zai

Detail of Dai ji zai

 

Mu Ichi Butsu

Mu Ichi Butsu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have recently attended two Zen Brushwork workshops which are only allowed to happen online due to current restrictions.

The first workshop was beamed into my studio from Kyoto, Japan and was led by Sarah sensei and Inoue sensei. The whole experience was new to me, involving strict disciplines of Zazen (sitting meditation), Yoki-Ho (30 minute warm up exercise), Kusho (writing in the air) followed by painting the Kanji (Japanese characters) with Japanese ink and brush. The Kanji we painted was Dai ji zai, translated variously as ‘complete freedom’, ‘great freedom’ or ‘great unhinderedness’.

The second workshop was led by Jos Hadfield, working from Cornwall, again on Zoom. The Kanji we painted was Mu Ichi Butsu, which translates as ‘Owning no-thing’.

I really enjoyed the gestural mark making but fully appreciate I have a long way to go with this discipline which also feeds back into my study of Tai Ji and my painting.

 

Drawing the Figure in Motion art workshop at Rhosygilwen

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Great feedback from participants attending the workshop I ran at Rhosygilwen. Jo Shapland was excellent as ever, a tremendous model who fully understands my philosophy in teaching through my understanding of Tai Chi.

“It has been a very stimulating, energising and influential day”

“Different and interesting from any life drawing workshop I’ve been to. Enjoyed it”

“Really enjoyed every second of it, some great things to think about and take forward into my own work”

“For me, a new approach to drawing and one that I found fascinating. I love the connections with not just the model who was excellent, but the participation of everybody. Thank you very much and I look forward to another workshop in the future”

Mindfulness Workshop

DSCN1908 copy DSCN1910 copyEighteen participants enjoyed the practical workshop led by Sean Dowdall at Rhosygilwen, Pembrokeshire on Sunday 7th September. The beautiful sunny weather meant we were able to work outside whilst moving, returning indoors for the sitting and stillness. Sean used simple methods founded in the traditions of Tai Chi and Qi Gong to help people root and centre themselves. These methods to find inner peace and calm through quietness and mindfulness have been practised over thousands of years.

September issue of Pembrokeshire Life magazine

DSCN1915 copyGreat to see the current issue of Pembrokeshire Life magazine which has got a feature written by Jenny White (Swansea based writer and critic) describing my exhibition and a series of workshops at Rhosygilwen throughout September. Start of a new body of work encompassing video, painting on scrolls and sculpture concerning my long term study and interest in Tai Chi.

Contemplative Workshop in west Wales

Details below of a workshop I have invited Sean Dowdall to run at Rhosygilwen during my time exhibiting there in September. This will be a practical workshop looking at some of the simple methods we can use to root and centre ourselves; to find that inner peace and calm through quietness and mindfulness using methods that are founded in the traditions of Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
Venue: The Orangery, Rhosygilwen SA43 2TW
Essential to book – please contact me

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