Making Friends

I have really gotten into the swing of this project, and actually get on with one member particularly well. I'm going to call him Celt here, seeing as he has so many detailed drawings, and many of them are inspired by Celtic art. Drawing has been something I've been trying to keep out of my studio practice for a while now actually, but It was actually really refreshing to get back to drawing for the love of it and for fear of creating a "pretty" image. Celt himself is very positive actually, and just told me that its not a crime to do something you love, and he likes to draw because no one can tell him what to do or how he's doing it wrong. It's for himself.

Making friends in new groups and situations can be hard, especially when you once worried that you would have noting in common with that group. I'm glad to see its not the case here.

We started something one day. I was working from an image I saw in the Liverpool Biennial. I was trying to make a template to print from it, one that might have made an interesting t-shirt design with a wrap around effect. Celt sat down beside me and said, "You should add some gears". I looked at the drawing for a second and said "your absolutely right". An hour later we were still drawing. By the end of the day, we had the beginnings of a collaborative drawing, but not much printing that day! But the collaboration is what mattered. At the end of the session, we copied a version for him, and one for me. We made a deal that after the holidays it would be finished and we would compare!

This is the image from the Biennial that I had been working with.....

This is where I am so far.

It was great fun! Some of the guys who knew Celt better said "Be careful, he's gonna go get that tattooed on him if your not careful!". We have yet to see if he will.

I actually picked up lots of ideas to use when drawing from him. He has his own techniques for shading and working. What I liked was that we both listened to each other  He had an idea and we tried it, I had an idea and we tried that too. No one was in charge.He's such a nice person to work with, and gives you a little wink every time you say something he agrees with.I know this post is perhaps gone away from the printmaking, but I really enjoyed working with him. And actually, I was surprised  I dislike drawing with people watching me, but had no problem at all with working with him today. So maybe this project is benefiting me included in different ways. He wasn't in one day and I can honestly say I missed him. I have no idea why he is seeking help from the group, as said earlier privacy is very respected. All I know is that there is a good bond forming within the group.