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Two years into the Look & Draw studio, this reflection looks back on a year shaped less by expansion and more by holding: maintaining a space, supporting others to make work, and allowing drawing to remain a shared, ongoing practice.

Back to Basics is a recurring drawing course at Look & Draw, and one that shifts slightly each time it’s taught. At its core is a simple, persistent question: what do we think drawing is supposed to be?

Still life setups have always been central to teaching at Look and Draw — more than a backdrop, they’re like miniature installations that transform the studio. Over the years, I’ve created arrangements ranging from bold, patterned fabrics and vibrant objects inspired by Bonnard, to quieter, muted palettes in the spirit of Morandi. Each setup becomes a way of exploring balance, harmony, and colour in painting. This post looks back at favourites from the archive, celebrating th

We all have objects we return to — not because they’re beautiful or important, but because they ask something of us when we draw them. In the Look and Draw studio, there’s a shelf of well-worn favourites: an old studio heater, a cheese grater, a found beach toy, a twisted bit of rope, and a chipped vase discovered under the floorboards of my house. These aren’t precious things in the traditional sense. Some once were, while others had a function and purpose but are now defunc

Drawing from life is never still. Its essential energy comes from movement—a body breathing, shifting weight, turning its head. Even in...

Between being an artist, a tutor, a curator, and running Look and Draw, there are times when I don’t get to create anything. During these stretches, I feel the impact. I become stressed, foggy, and out of sorts. Summer is one of the rare moments when the studio's pace slows down. Without constant deadlines or projects, I have more space to notice things. For me, this often means returning to drawing. Back in the studio — making space for drawing this summer. The Importance of

Here’s to Belle — my studio companion, collaborator, glove thief, and friend. I’ll carry her spirit with me in the way I work, the stories I tell, and the joy and curiosity I bring to each project. In time, she may well become part of my own creative mythology — a mischievous, loyal, sofa-loving muse whose paw prints will always run through my work.