Three Materials weeks 2 & 3

I wanted to write separate pieces about weeks two and three (and four?!) but I didn’t end up doing it in the end which is probably for the best.

To keep myself on track, I tried to stick to themes, which was very useful for challenging myself. The second week, I wanted to really focus on on background; background detail, such as buildings, trees and furniture to try and lend a sense of place. It’s often tempting when you’re drawing on the move or out and about to just focus on the person, object or whatever and just draw it, floating in space. So I really thought about that in week 2.

By week three, I was getting a tiny bit tired - not from all the drawing, but at this point in the summer I hadn’t yet had any time off from work and I was feeling a bit frazzled from all the childcare juggling. I just focussed on getting my drawing done, and doing it as well as I could.

By week four, we were away by the sea. Being away from work and home and by the waves was a complete reset and I sat down to draw nearly every opportunity I had. I couldn’t seem to stop, and pretty soon I’d almost filled up the rest of my sketchbook. I didn’t pick a theme this week, but I did promise myself I’d draw in Southwold Harbour.

It’s a really interesting place filled with lots of wrecks of boats and old fishermen’s huts and machinery, piles of netting and floats and other bits and pieces. It’s also packed with tourists and people visiting the fish and chip places, so it’s not for the faint hearted if you’re shy (like me) about drawing in public.

The first day I went, I couldn’t settle down at all, and then I got stung on the toe by a wasp, so a really annoying (and in the end, painful) drawing session.

The next day I felt a bit more relaxed, so I found an empty fishing hut to sit beside which was set away from the main footpath and drew some boats. It was only a tiny drawing, but I felt happy that I’d managed it at last.