Cat Bennett - The Drawing Club of Improbable Dreams

To the members of

The Saturday Morning Drawing Club,

past and present,

who have each brought so much

joy, adventure and spirit to our club.

.....

THE DRAWING CLUB

of

IMPROBABLE DREAMS

.....

Cat Bennett

Cat Bennett 2015

The rights of Cat Bennett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by

her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.

Published in 2015 by Findhorn Press

ISBN 978-1-84409-675-6

All rights reserved. The contents of this book may not be reproduced in any form, except for short extracts for quotation or review, without the written permission of the publisher.

All art by author unless otherwise attributed

Stitched drawing on page 3 by Maggie Stern

All art 2015. Please do not use without permission.

Printed and bound in China

Published by

Findhorn Press

117121 High Street

Forres IV36 1AB, Scotland, UK

t +44(0)1309 690582

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e

www.findhornpress.com

THE DRAWING CLUB

of

IMPROBABLE DREAMS

.....

Cat Bennett

P reface

T en years ago, I was invited to teach drawing at The Arsenal Center for the Arts, just outside Boston. Every week, I set up ways in which we could explore drawing without concern for predictable results. For instance, wed draw with our eyes closed or paint with tree branches or make group drawings. The results were often improbable; that is they were more fantastic and cheering than we might have predicted. Some of us were rank beginners, some experienced artists. We all worked together and the bigger the chances we took, the more we learned to embrace ourselves just as we are and where we are. No small feat. We started seeing and doing more. People who hadnt drawn since childhood were soon making art, even having shows. Others began to change and grow their art in new ways. We began to expand our vision of what was possible for us as artists, and even in our lives. I know I did. And there was a lot of laughter. After some time working together, it became clear that we were more than an art class. We were a club, The Saturday Morning Drawing Club, a sanctuary for creative exploration, a place to gather and jump over the edge of our limited expectations.

This book shows how to start and run a drawing club in which we can nurture and grow our creative selves. Included are three 8-week session plans with exercises that will take a club through its first year. The first session is based on building drawing skills. In the second, we expand our creative thinking abilities by working in unusual ways and with different materials. In the third, we learn to let go of inhibition and ease into a sense of freedom. Instructions are also given for how to develop further exercises so a club can continue on.

All of the art in the book is by me or members of our club. Some is finished art; some is simple exploration in the form of pencil, charcoal, brush drawings and painted paper collages. As much as possible, Ive used work from our recent sessions to illustrate some of the explorations weve made.

In our club, weve entertained the sometimes improbable dream that we can each find unique and brilliant ways to fulfill our creative desires. And weve so often slipped, like Alice, into Wonderland. Now, we invite you to join us.

Sue Twomblyink and watercolor drawing

I ntroduction

If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know its not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. Thats why its your path.

Joseph Campbell

.....

W hen I was asked to teach drawing to adults, Id already been an illustrator for many years and made hundreds of drawings and paintings for newspapers, magazines, books and films. Id studied art history at university but never been to art school, so when I began to teach I wasnt entirely sure how to proceed. All I had was a dream. I wanted others to be able to draw and make art so they might have a friend in art as Ive had all my life; so they might have a place to reflect on the world around us in a visual way, to imagine and envision, and to make art. It seemed simple enough save for the fact that I didnt actually know much about teaching drawing. But I reassured myself that Id been drawing for eight hours a day for years. I knew something.

The class was open to everyone, both beginners and more experienced artists. I wanted to believe that everyone can draw but I couldnt have said then for sure. I can now. Every single person who has come to our club, no matter how inexperienced or unsure, has learned to draw in a way that is distinctive, true and engaging. I especially hoped the beginners would feel welcome and that they would allow their desire to draw to overcome any trepidation. Were all uncertain when we do new things and, when we draw or make art, the evidence of any ineptitude is right there for us, and others, to see. Its true we have to get comfortable with the fact that drawing involves a learning process and were okay just where we are, wherever that is on the learning curve.

There was no budget for models, so I thought wed simply draw things like plants and still lives, clothes, shoes, chairs, whatever we had lying around. Then we could try drawing people too using photographs and possibly, if we were feeling a bit bold, wed try drawing each other. When we havent a lot of experience, drawing people is more daunting than potted plants. When weve drawn a lot, we may have another challenge we may need to find our innocence and truth again. I wanted all of us, the beginners and the old hands, to feel free to explore freely without fear of mistakes. Weve all been judged and graded all the way through school and on jobs. It can be so inhibiting and sometimes downright discouraging.

I did know that theres no shortcut or trick to drawing well. Theres no special formula or at least none that will keep our eyes and hands alive and fresh. I wanted our drawings to be full of life and our own hand. I didnt want us to entertain the wishy-washy or aim for the overly earnest, prosaic study. I wanted to encourage mad bursts of awkwardness and for us each to gradually find our own truth in them. I had a lot of desires for the class, improbable dreams.

I knew that the only way to learn to draw well and be the artists we are is by working at it. It takes hours and hours, days, years. But every drawing matters; even the first can have genius. No one gets it all right from day one. As illustrator Maira Kalman said, My secret for drawing is not a secret. It is sitting down and drawing. Thats it. Practice, practice and, I would add, exploration. Trying things out and trying other things out. Progress is quicker and more interesting when we allow experimentation and its clumsiness and willingly, even consciously, make mistakes. We need to forget the carefulness that says we really ought to look good. I didnt know it at first but we were on a journey to embracing the whole of who we are, even our awkwardness.