This project seems to go on and on, not that I'm complaining because I'm getting quite excited to see all my portraits together in one space. In fact, I'm a little frightened as well. This will certainly be an experience.
The poster:
There is also a lot of wordy bits to go with it.
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There were rules for this set of drawings: 1.
One
a day.
2.
No
longer than 30 mins for each one.
3.
Use
whatever medium comes to hand quickly.
4.
Play.
My decision to have them A4 was for ease of storage,
but at initiation the sizes were more random. This exhibition is a very personal uncovering, as it
were, of my many moods. The drawings began in November 2014, and by that time
due to the lack of light, my mood had already dropped considerably. I usually
feel this coming on in September and the low moods begin to lift around
February. One of the ways I can describe the feelings are as if
I’m trying to wade through treacle, everything is such an incredible effort
that I’m exhausted. This in turn lowers self-esteem that contributes to lack of
creativity. Trying to make any kind of decision is a joke and it is at these
times discipline or ritual comes into its own. To concentrate on drawing as the beginning to a day
enabled me to rid myself of a lot of my low thoughts. Yes, there were a few
times that I was unable to accomplish the portrait for that day. Sometimes because
of work commitments but also there were a few instances that I felt too low to
draw at all, therefore, 3 or 4 were occasionally completed together. These were
the best days. The intention behind these portraits is not to make a
finished piece. They are play, exploration and ritual, initiating the focusing
of the mind. Allowing me to be in the present moment where it is impossible to
worry or be anxious. Abraham Maslow, the American psychologist had this to
say, “The ability to be in the present moment is a major
component of mental wellness.”
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