From Dundonians Down Under to nurses on night shift, local artists Jen Robson and Kirsty Whiten have seen all kinds of people signing up for their online life drawing classes.
“We are on a bit of a mission to reach people,” says Kirsty, who lives and works near Cupar.
The thought of drawing someone in their birthday suit might send you running for the hills, but the talented duo are great believers in the power of art to focus on the present and bring some escapism to our busy lives.
“I think it’s a basic human instinct: all kids sing, dance and draw and it brings a lot of joy,” Kirsty adds.
“I always tell people don’t judge your work while you’re making it. That’s not your job. Your job is to be the artist having the fun, the play and curiosity,” explains Jen, who is originally from Dundee and now based in Ladybank.
“It’s a break. Although you are focusing on something, after it you feel relief.”
‘Have we started a business?’
The classes were a result of Jen and Kirsty experimenting with ways to continue reaching their students remotely after lockdown. They noticed a boom in online life drawing classes, with groups using video in order to continue creating.
Jen goes on: “It kind of snowballed and suddenly we thought ‘have we started a business’?”
The answer is yes. The pair set up Body of Work or BOW, a series of tuition and life model videos that form a 10-week course.
Participants can work through these at their leisure, meanwhile Jen and Kirsty can provide extra advice. People can also share their progress via BOW’s Instagram community.
Both women love the joy that teaching brings. The first block saw participants come from across the globe.
Jen has even been teaching a Dundee expat in Australia: “She just happened to find the course and sign up. She said: ‘I cannae believe you’re Dundonian!’ It’s brilliant.”
Kirsty adds: “People are enjoying the flexibility and accessibility for lot of different reasons. We have an amazing nurse who is busy working nights.
“Sometimes she gets up at five in the morning to do the drawing. She also sits in work drawing other nurses. I love seeing her stuff.”
Express yourself
Kirsty says so many people can be put off art early in life because they’ve tried to draw something that looked real, but if they didn’t manage they decided it wasn’t for them.
“People are really critical of themselves with drawing. We have tried to foster this community online and it is so nice to see them commenting on each other’s work.
“You are so exposed whenever you express yourself, so you need that support and you need to give it time.”
A human instinct
Pablo Picasso was once quoted as saying: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Kirsty, who was involved in a 2019 mural project in Dundee says: “It’s a really human thing everybody needs to be doing all the time. Just because you can’t dance like a ballerina, you wouldn’t not dance at all.”
The fact you can’t draw like the great artists shouldn’t stop you from the enjoyment of it.
KIRSTY WHITEN
Jen adds: “It’s about control and safety. Because the world has been so out of control you can do this mindful thing and challenge yourself in a safe way at home in your own time.
“This gives you a sense of achievement, which then gives you a sense of control. So it’s like a small piece of therapy. It’s an escape and a bit of inner-peace for yourself.”
A new block of BOW classes is available from April 19. To find out more, click here.
