solar

Three images from a series depicting the gradual and total eclipse of the sun, not in sequence. These drawings were made in 2018, I think somewhere around the beginning of the year, but I didn't date them. It is not my habit to date or even sign works; I have a rough idea in my mind as to when I make drawings, sometimes a date will fix itself in my mind because of associated events or weather. There are thirty drawings in the series. As before, they are made on black Lokta paer with colour pencils. The colours are muted by the black, but nevertheless, shine out softly; to my eye there is something mediaeval and naive about these drawings, a quality which I have come to identify with my work.

I have come to accept my deficiencies as a draughtswoman; I am not capable of photorealist drawing, for example, indeed cannot copy with any degree of accuracy as I have not eye for the relationship of shapes and lines , but I can colour in. I am driven by a need to express ideas through visual art, therefore must needs to find a way of so doing whilst understanding and accepting my compromised facilities and utilising my strengths. After all, untutored artists and so called 'outsider' artists are capable of powerful, articulate works despite, maybe, being less than perfect draughtsmen and women.

I need to expunge the words "I cannot draw" from my mind; they are far from helpful. Instead, seed the words " I can colour in", and seek out shapes to colour in that enable me to articulate my ideas.To that end, I shall purchase three sets of stencils that I came across recently; a set of female figures, a set of male figures, and a set of figures of the child. I am excited about this future purchase and can imagine joyfully colouring in carefully arranged figures. I am reminded that I used stencils a good deal in previous works; stencils that I had made, cutting them out of stiff paper, thereby allowing myself the pleasure of making something as well as the undoubted pleasure of then colouring in. Perhaps there is scope for assembling a drawing from different motifs; the sun and figures, for example.