Sketch 2017 now open at the Rabley Arts Centre

From a series of ceramic dishes

Yesterday I went down to Wiltshire to the Rabley Contemporary Drawing Centre for the opening of the SKETCH 2017 exhibition. There were some wonderful sketchbooks on show and I was excited to find out that the overall winner this year was myself. The two sketchbooks I had submitted were closely linked to an ongoing series of large drawings related to my feeling about the refugee crisis, (find some images of more worked through pieces related to the theme below) In particular it was rewarding to see that they had been interested in both my observational work, to quote, "The smaller sketchbook reveals the artist's draughtsmanship in beautiful pen and wash topographic studies..." and the more imaginative studies where I was working ideas out for both ceramics and large drawings. "A Dante's underworld like colony of figures tumble and fall from rocks, imagined platforms and through holes..."

I did put up a post on my initial submission here

From a series of large tower drawings, each one approx 6 feet high

It is wonderful to have others appreciate your work, especially when you really respect the institution that is hosting an exhibition and the selectors and curators. So those of you who are thoughtful about putting work into selected exhibitions, if you don't get selected keep going and hopefully eventually someone will see that you have done something that is worthwhile. I have put work into these types of competitions many times and the last time I had work in a significant national exhibition was in the Hayward Annual British Drawing exhibition in 1982, a 35 year gap. I have of course had work in many exhibitions since then but have rarely been able to get through blind submission processes; I have always believed that the best of my work is un-photographable. That's why I'm particularly interested in the recent work I have been doing with Adam Glatherine, whereby we are looking at how to use 360 degree technology to visualise drawings. This is an example. 

360 degree view of one of my exhibitions

The exhibition will tour so if you do have a chance to see it go along because it gives a fascinating insight into how artists work, a sort of private behind the scenes view of how to visually think, in effect a 100 sketchbooks give an audience a chance to see a 100 mini exhibitions. 

There are reviews of the touring exhibition here and here.