Held at the Artsmill Gallery in Hebden Bridge this workshop was created as part of The Big Draw , and included a life drawing session from a Mother and Child life models, a seminar about the representation of the Mother and Child in art history and contemporary fine art, together with time to develop work inspired by personal experiences of mothering.
The life model went about the act of mothering at the gallery as if she were at home with her baby. This resulted in beautiful drawings capturing intimate moments of mothering including holding, hugging, cuddling, caressing, calming,dressing and breast feeding.
Participants involved were supported through individual tuition to meet their needs. The artists who took part in the workshop had varying levels of experience, and demonstrated a diverse range of disciplines from drawing. painting and video through to sculpture, clay modelling and wood carving.
The participants took part in supportive and lively critical discussions about maternal experience in response to the art work they produced and the seminar. The participants were also provided with a package of contextual information regarding maternal experience from art, culture and literature.It is envisaged that the workshop and contextual information provided forms a catalyst whereby participants can further investigate and develop their art work.
Participant Feedback
“I enjoyed the workshop overall, the space was ideal, and I felt the environment was relaxed, creative and supportive. The chance to draw from a mother and child was unique and also intimate, in that the bond between the two was as interesting to me as any formal concerns, as in the points of contact between mother and child, where the baby rested her feet on her mother for example, or held onto her. As I haven’t drawn from life for years, I found that I reconnected with drawing as a process and medium.
Jayne Seddon”
“I came out more confident about doing art and talking about it.”
John Adamson
Well balanced and well thought out. A variety of activities with refreshments, very good. Ex-Salford Uni lecturer, valuable comments and insight, also the seminars very interesting with discussions.”
Alison Burrows
“I really enjoyed myself and totally got immersed into the creative process…..Having the freedom to choose any viewpoint of the mother and baby. Also, this was the first time I did a life drawing workshop with a mother and her baby. Also having a contextual side of some art history that contained thought-provoking, inspirational and perhaps controversial imagery facilitated the necessary direction for the afternoon.”
Josephine Lange
