All drawn during one of Blackburn's monthly sessions.

An important aspect of my practice is drawing people while they are engaged in activity; working, playing, crafting and performing - focussing  on the ever-shifting present moment.  More particularly at Drink & Draw I enjoy the sense of a shared journey or collaboration; the models devising and giving their performance while we, the drawers, seek out marks that reflect it back.  

The relaxed, supportive and structured evenings provide an environment conducive for developing ideas -  I've been experimenting with coloured and patterned backgrounds.  Prior to a session I've tried to select and stretch fabric that might 'say' something about the evening ahead and then worked with it throughout, to record a narrative of the event as it unfolds.

Whilst working fast to record accurately what I see, hear and feel I am increasingly aware that each drawing evolves, almost autonomously, during the two hours.  On reflection I see things that I never consciously put there but nevertheless seem to contain 'a truth'.