So for the last few months of 2014 I sent myself back to drawing school. That is, I decided to gift myself just time in the studio to do what I teach my students to do; practice. To draw and draw and allow myself to throw the drawings on the floor, and do them on crappy paper, and trial things. To push into new ways of mark making which felt scary. I guess it’s obvious to say, but when there’s a heap of deadlines looming, it’s hard to try new things. New things mean easy to fail, practice means not perfect, trying and trying again to reach a new place. Through mistakes come learning, but this can’t happen when a show has to be made. So I took a break, and just let myself feel like a beginner again. One of my teachers told me “It’s always time to begin again”, and I let that ring in my head. I took in with me a William Kentridge book for when I got stuck, and at those times I picked out a page and just told myself ‘just draw like that’. I took photos of myself and made some self portraits. I started life drawing again with a group of friends. I pushed myself into drawing only with mass. Magic, scary, exciting and intimidating. It’s been a time which really showed me how valuable it is to start again. I want to always be able to do that. 
Here are some of the results….
Sian Torrington Artist 