There’s been a long break between communications! About 5 months in fact. I hope you are all well.

A lot has happened in the meantime, including finally making the decision to keep going with the website and blog. Wendy Galloway Art has been reviewed and updated. Let me know what you think, or, if you encounter a problem!

Studio News content will be centred on the actual art making and the thoughts and processes around that.

In January, I joined Ian Roberts‘ Mastering Composition Drawing Course. The aim of the course is not to make pretty drawings but to prepare for making a painting. Things like detail and texture can distract how the eye moves within an image. They can also be used to direct viewers where you choose. Our aim was to move the viewer through the image to a focal area/s, creating a good composition/design overall. These are a few of my drawings. (There are more than 30.)

Going back to basics is a good practice and the course didn’t disappoint. It gave me a reason to put existing knowledge into practice, plus learn more on a daily basis. Total immersion in drawing. Sheer bliss!

The thousands of photos I have lurking around in the digital world might see the light of day again! Though sifting out the good from the bad would be a lifetime’s work in itself!

There’s a newfound confidence to my drawing. Subjects that were previously unenticing now seem interesting and invite exploration, as evidenced by these two drawings.

Here is my pre-course drawing and the one at the end of the course (both below). The same photo was supplied to everyone.

Pre-course drawing (above)- I copied the photo with minimal intention, other than just drawing it.

Post course drawing (above) – The composition is more considered with larger shapes and articulated marks to direct the viewers eye. I’m more aware of values and how they can be used and distractions have been eliminated.

The other drawings shown were all done during the course and the 30 day challenge after the coursework finished. (They are about 12cm wide, and so may look a little blurry when enlarged due to the nature of graphite and the smooth Bristol paper we were using. Sharp edges in the wrong place are also a distraction.)

The course, among other things, has resulted in a need to investigate drawing, generally, in a deeper, more wide-ranging way.

My thinking on drawing technique, even after “all these years” is finding new frontiers to tackle. Is there ever an end to what can be explored in art? I pretty much doubt it!

As abstraction is part of what I enjoy these days, I have begun to abstract some of the images to create imaginitive abstracts and landscapes. It’s early days yet, but it’s enjoyable and should lead “somewhere”.