To help keep my mind creative and to take my mind off the worries surrounding Coronavirus, I decided to start a drawing group. My plan was to set daily challenges that were achievable to do at home, without any special art materials. Drawing simple objects from your home or surroundings, learning to use tone or shading and perhaps even experimenting with colour. The tasks would be simple to achieve but could be created using any media of choice, such as pencil, pen, collage, ink, paint or digital.
The group was a great hit from the start and we attracted members who were absolute beginners, members who hadn't drawn for many years and practising artists who produce work in a wide range of media. What I love so much about the group is how much the members have embraced the daily challenges with such commitment. Our members faithfully draw the challenges and upload their work. Everyone in the group is so supportive and friendly, it is wonderful to see such a creative community encouraging each other. The feedback has been brilliant - so many people are finding a love for drawing that they didn't know they had. So many others are revitalising a previous passion that has laid dormant for many years. And others are using their own creative practice time to work on the challenges we set. It is great to see people not only doing the challenges but working on other ideas and taking inspiration from each other.
Members are getting their whole family involved and sharing drawings by children too. It's wonderful to see families making this a daily activity. It is such an honour to be part of it. We have some fantastic support from other admins who are artists, designers, filmmakers and teachers. They now set the challenges with me and it so fantastic to be part of such a collaboration. I can't take any ownership of this, I'm just someone to set the ball rolling, it's now a community that has helped me more than I would have ever realised when it was just an idea. Please keep drawing. Without you this would not be possible. Thank you to all the members for being a part of this. Holly.
If you would like to join the drawing group find us on Facebook at Draw and Create. Members must be 18 or over but you are welcome to get your kids involved in the activities too.
Comments