Where does an artist start? An idea, a place, a favourite object or form, materials, or a deeper question of how to engage, push, explore, investigate and research towards a project? How does an idea evolve? The beginning is to look, record, document and experience the act of drawing from something simple to the sustained engagement with a purposeful act of inquiry.
Lecturers: Lynne Eastaway, Susan Andrews, Roger Crawford, Nick Collerson
Location: NAS Painting studios, upstairs Building 5
You can bring a form with you, raid the prop room or start with the vaguest notion of where to begin. The perception based development of sets of drawings, the use of notebooks, a collection of ‘materials’ will be the ground rules for developing your own project to take with you into the new year. Visual thinking, the ‘body’s’ intelligence to respond through drawing to any number of stimuli around you is where we will start.
References to artists’ research drawing (notebooks) and strategies for expanding the potential of ideas through drawing will be covered in discussion and through educational sources. This will give a context for historical and contemporary practice and will provide a direction for further background research.
Program:
Day 1 – discussion and selection of possible subject matter from what you have brought or what you may discover in the studio. A day for curiosity, focused looking and experiential engagement with form. Getting excited!!
This will be followed by suggested strategies and methodologies to explore the subject or form that you choose to work with. From here you will begin to develop sets and series of analytical and exploratory drawings. Materials, media and concepts will be discussed as you push this basic research.
Day 2-3 – An extension of your material as it begins on Day 1. Over the 4 days materials and media, artists, reading material, websites etc. with be discussed and explored that may help you extend your thinking and the development of your drawing process.
Day 4 – a group discussion and presentation of the work over the 4 days will see an overview of the process of developing ideas and their potential for more sustained engagement over time. What role research drawing plays in an artist’s work and how to use these investigations and understand what they offer, will be our conclusion…. or a beginning!
Materials to bring as you need them
• Sketch books and paper (try to find some samples of good quality paper that you can experiment with) – a range of sizes
• Ink, pencil, charcoal, watercolour, range of brushes and all the usual drawing materials
• Gesso or white paint.
• Glue
• Water containers
• Tape
• String
• Binoculars
• Dark glasses
• Magnifying glass
• Mirror
• Camera, phone or IPad
• Cutting board (heavy cardboard will do) and cutting blades
• Collage materials
• Any other ‘stuff’ you think you may need
We will have some materials and equipment available to supplement your own resources.
Resources:
Check the references provided below to begin your own research before Drawing Week!
James Castle – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqo1IxFgeU
Judy Watson – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTm_hcqGX30
Rachel Whiteread Drawing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEpnkNdYQ_0
Dorothea Rockburne – http://www.dorothearockburne.com/#!video/c1m2g
John Virtue – http://vimeo.com/7202072
Michael Borremans – A Knife in the Eye – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhhUmwmlMtc
Lecturers:
Lynne Eastaway
To see some of Lynne’e recent work go to:
http://www.gallery9.com.au/lynne-eastaway-exhibition-24-sep-11-oct-2014
Susan Andrews
Susan Andrews’ work explores the intersection between architectural design and contemporary art. Her recent practice involves developing two and three dimensional wall and floor works constructed out of paint and wood. Andrews has exhibited her work in commercial galleries, regional and artist run spaces (ARIs). Her work has been exhibited in numerous art prizes including the Grace Cossington Smith Art Award, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Dobell Prize for Drawing , Blake Prize, Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize and the Sulman Prize. Andrews has undertaken artist residencies in Beijing (2008), Paris (2006), and Bundanon Trust (2005): she has been awarded the Onslow Storrier National Art School Paris Studio Residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris in 2016.
Andrews completed a Master of Arts (Hons) UWS Nepean in 1997, Graduate Diploma in Professional Art Studies and BA Visual Arts from City Art Institute (UNSW Art and Design).
Roger Crawford
This is Roger’s fourth decade working in the Drawing Department. He writes that ‘Process and time are the most recognisable components that I use and value in all aspects of my practice. Drawing allows the opportunity to discover and to innovate, to take risks, to develop ways of thinking and making, sustaining us each day in our work.”
http://www.wattersgallery.com/
Nick Collerson
Nick Collerson is a lecturer in the Painting Dept. at NAS whose paintings are exhibited at Liverpool Street Gallery.
For recent work by Nick Collerson, click here
