Hi all I hope you are getting on well with the project. Our task is to take paper and pencil/pen whereever we go and to draw whatever we find in front of us as we go about our everyday lives. Also to focus on living things as subjects. Over the last two weeks, I have drawn in quiet moments when waiting for the next part of my day to commence or continue. I love using these 'in between' moments for drawing. They may only last a few minutes but they can enrich a whole day. Below is an extract form a book that I like about mediatation and mindfulness. As I began re-reading this book this month, I was struck by the resonance between the ideas of mindfulness and my drawing practice. When I sit to draw for the sake of drawing itself, for the act of resting in looking and observing, I seem to get the same benefits that are described as being available when meditating. Here are some pages from the book that as I read them I could replace the term 'Meditation' with 'Drawing' and the whole thing makes perfect sense. I'm also including a video of my drawing by the canal. I tried to reserve any judgment about the quality or merit of the drawing itself and draw to just drop into looking at what's there in front of me. Allowing my eye to rest on whatever I liked. The little plant growing from the edge of the jette was the most mindful moment ... it was the last thing I saw before moving on with my day. A little thing growing there, sharing my time with me, drawin in a few moments. That moment and the events of that day are very vivid to me, I believe because I sat to draw. I find I can review drawings from years ago in sketchbooks and the day and surrounding events come rushing back - so much more vividly than with photos.

We had a lovely chat this evening about the brief and mindful drawing, gelli plate printing, ordinary objects inspiring mixed media responses and the artist Denzil Forrester. https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/exhibitions/denzil-forrester/ Here is the meeting recording link.

Hi all I am reminded of a section in a book I have called What is Culture For by The School of Life. The section is called Appreciation and talks about a number of paintings and what they maybe saying to us about the poety of ordinary things as opposed to the things that our culture is attempting grab our attention with. I have scanned the short section and you can read it on the link below: Link: Appreciation

I found this poem about sleep. It uses the forest as a metaphor for sleep. I have come to the borders of sleep, The unfathomable deep Forest where all must lose Their way, however straight, Or winding, soon or late; They cannot choose. Many a road and track That, since the dawn’s first crack, Up to the forest brink, Deceived the travellers, Suddenly now blurs, And in they sink. Here love ends, Despair, ambition ends; All pleasure and all trouble, Although most sweet or bitter, Here ends in sleep that is sweeter Than tasks most noble. There is not any book Or face of dearest look That I would not turn from now To go into the unknown I must enter, and leave, alone, I know not how. The tall forest towers; Its cloudy foliage lowers Ahead, shelf above shelf; Its silence I hear and obey That I may lose my way And myself.