1 (Portscatho)

Sized "A1"  59cm/84cm or 23"/33" (approx)

Pen on paper. Wild Drawing titles are the number in the series along with the location of the original sketch. Portscatho is a costal village in Cornwall, England.

Wild Drawings

Wild Drawings are about abandoning inhibitions and playing-it-safe habits. Marks are made in a loose, easy, and sometimes frenzied manner. The paper surface is large, allowing for the arm (and body) to be engaged, rather than just the hand.

The drawings are created from small sketches made outside, in the moment, capturing the view, be it landscapes, seascapes or other physical arrangements. In this way Wild Drawings recapture a real living past moment, and this artist's response to it.

Process

Working conditions are a factor. Music might be playing loudly, there might be the absence of food, or it might be very cold - or hot. Some little extra driving force behind the expressive nature of the work. There might be a little coffee or even alcohol. Eyes are squinted and closed and then opened. Thoughts might wonder about the one-ness of everything and how beautifully repulsive and attractive that idea is.

Like a living conversation, where order and restraint begin to govern the marks, complete chaos is employed. The ideal is to remain in the sweet spot of creative progress without the compromise of habit.

The swirling construction means that different viewpoints of the work offer differing experiences Up close, the overall image disappears into a madness of marks, far back, the image solidifies. 

History

After some time spent constructing more abstract and conceptual works, it is a wonderful feeling to be looking and recording again, as the main event. There is a sense of "homecoming" - returning to a tradition of humans seeking to recreate something of their environment in two dimensions.

Wild Drawings began life as a more abstract exercise back in 2018. Rediscovering these large scribbled works in early 2024, your artist wondered whether the energy and freshness in those abstract marks could be employed in a figurative context. 

Future direction

Wild Drawings are at an early phase, here. There are many opportunities to experiment and explore over the coming months.

Thank you,

SP