Welcome to my blog: The Drawing Gym

Good Afternoon and welcome to the first entry of my Blog: The Drawing Gym .

The title “The Drawing Gym” came from a group of like minded individuals who meet on a Sunday Morning to draw, talk about past, current and future art projects and, in between all that, the exhibitions we have seen or want to see. Stephen Palmer, who organises this life drawing group, coined the term “Drawing Gym”. So the idea of calling my blog, The Drawing Gym, is a natural one, as I want to make a similar space. A space that is nonjudgemental, positive and safe for me and anyone else who might be interested in anything art.

I am hoping that my blog: The Drawing Gym will be a “… small pocket of resistance…” like the ones that are discussed in Berger’s Hold Everything Dear. What I mean by that is, I am hoping that the very act of writing the blog for it’s own sake regardless if any one actually takes it seriously, let alone if anyone reads it. Basically I plan it to be a process of noting my thoughts and feelings down as I develop an art practice for it’s own sake. I am not planning any particular goal in mind other than to record my journey.

When I say “journey”, I mean all the things I have been learning, doing, reading and watching, not only about painting and drawing but all the other stuff, like, the different processes and practices when using materials (which will mainly be oil paint, pastel, charcoal, watercolour); I want to discuss my influences (there are loads! From painters, print makers, sculptors etc… but also comics, films, directors, actors, plays, playwrights, poets/poetry, philosophers, psychologists/psychological theory, physics, biology and books… you’ve got to love a book!). All these things weave in and out throughout my drawing and painting, as I think about them when designing a composition. I hope that one day all these things authentically coalesce, like an Andrew Martins’ series of paintings… I think he was a great painter!!

So basically my blog will be a bit of a journal/soap box/study aid. I am going to try to be as honest as possible. This means I am probably going to make mistakes; my opinions may change; my understanding of “art stuff” will develop and grow.

Yet throughout it all I hope you may find my small and clumsy efforts in learning the “business of art” thought provoking and useful in your own practise.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Simon