Some thought on Weymouth’s Big Draw Exhibition

The Big Draw is the flagship programme by the national campaign for drawing. Its aim is to encourage everyone to draw during this October festival. Going since 2001, I was aware of it whilst working in Southampton. So I was keen to take part once Weymouth Life Drawing Group had become established. Mostly publicly funded organisations take part, such as museums and galleries, but there are plenty of art groups that also get involved. It's a good opportunity to let everyone know what you've been doing, in order to trying and avoid the all too tempting apathetic  -can't be bothered inclination -  and just let the sketches pile up under the bed or in a cupboard.

Therefore, the group have used the Big Draw campaign to dig out some of their hard work and put it up on display for others to view, and maybe thereby encourage them to give it a go as well.

The Mulburry gallery, in Weymouth library, is an excellent space for putting up lots of stuff; mixing a variety of approaches to the classic nude problem, and hopefully encouraging those that are interested to spend time really looking - and hopefully thinking.

So Weymouth’s Big Draw has two objectives. Firstly, to get those who already draw reflecting on their own practice; looking at it again, through the process of preparing it for display and by placing their work next to someone else’s. Secondly, by putting the work in a public place, to encourage others to stop and consider having a go. It might not happen today. It might not happen tomorrow, but hopefully something will grow.

Is drawing important? Yes, drawing helps you relax, think and is a useful tool for communication.  And for all of those reasons and much more its well worth doing - and not enough people do. Including many artists! The all too easy temptation is to say you can’t, when you could if you tried. This isn't surprising when schools employ art teachers who insist that only the gifted can draw. This just isn't true. The myth about drawing has to end so that everyone can realise what they're missing. Example - included in the exhibition is work by Edith Cory King who died this year at the age of 89. Edith wasn't a great artist and she wasn’t that great at drawing, but she enjoyed it.  Loved the challenge it presented her.  Only at the very end did physical ill health get in her way. And her mind, from all the drawing problem solving she was doing, was more agile than most. Proof, I think, that drawing has at least one benefit. It keeps you mentally young. And Edith always felt it motivated her day - quite remarkable at such an advanced age. And even more thought provoking is that the final images she produced have a magical quality that go way beyond her artistic limitations.

So if that doesn't inspire you to have a go I really don't know what will.

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