Guest Blog: Wendy Rhodes
“A day without drawing is a day lost.” Anthony Gormley
We’re delighted to talk to new tutor Wendy Rhodes PhD about her earliest drawing memories and her thesis based on drawing and etching and the links between them. She also offers some advice on how to get into drawing,
I advise my students to start drawing in a more relaxed way, the worst that can happen is that they will want to abandon a drawing and start again, and what’s the problem with that?
Have you always been creative? What are your first memories of drawing?
Yes, I have always been creative and drawing has been the most important creative outlet all my life. My mother describes me as growing up, “always with a pencil in her hand”. One of my earliest memories of primary school was illustrating a story of a journey that our family had been on, I remember drawing our car and the shape its headlights made on the road, as we travelled overnight to see my grandma.
This memory became embedded because, as I was taking my drawing to the teacher, I fell over and bumped my head on a desk! The best drawing I did at primary school was of a foxglove, it was very detailed and I remember being pleased I had been able to get all the ‘gloves’ in the right positions. My teacher encouraged me to take it home to show the family. When I was in my teens, I drew portraits and flowers for family and friends and I used to earn some extra pocket money in this way.
You have some very impressive qualifications – can you tell us a little about your PhD thesis?
The title of my PhD thesis is “Drawing and Etching Place: What are the experiential and material characteristics of British Contemporary Practice and how do they evidence reciprocity between drawing and etching?”. My thesis explains the basic presumption, that if an artist is good at drawing, they would naturally be good at etching.
This notion of being able to etch because I could draw, was repeated to me often while I was doing my MA in Multi-disciplinary Printmaking at UWE, and inspired my PhD research. I was able to formulate answers to my hypothesis by interviewing a group of 6 highly talented etchers, including the great Norman Ackroyd RA, who all take inspiration directly from the experience of inhabiting a place, and most of whom draw en plein air.
The interview process was the most wonderful and privileged experience, not only were the artists enormously generous with their time and insights but they were also candid, often brutally honest, about their relationship with making drawings and etchings. A PhD requires vast amounts of background reading and so I also developed a strong understanding of creativity theory, the impetus behind the making of a mark, material processes and the importance of the initial, inspirational experience. Most of all I learnt from the artists (particularly Jason Hicklin RE and Ros Ford RE VPRWA) and that will continue to enrich my teaching.
Above: the process of drawing ‘Gateway’
What is it that you love about teaching?
There is so much to love about teaching, working with others is an absolute delight.
I really love the ability to sow a seed of inspiration and watch the creativity grow; there’s something truly wonderful about placing materials in front of a group of people and seeing the multitude of different outcomes that are created. Even after detailed demonstrations it is fascinating to see how each person works differently and creates varying results.
The moments of understanding when someone has been struggling with a drawing and I can demonstrate how to improve are very special in any teaching day. It gives me great pleasure to be able facilitate a measure of improvement in each student and its always a privilege to be able to share in someone’s creative development. After so many years of teaching in schools, albeit to a very high level – I’ve been fortunate to have taught some extraordinarily gifted GCSE and A level students in my time – I am really looking forward to working with an adult age group and being able to spend full days encouraging their creativity.
You are both a fine artist and printmaker – are the two disciplines overlapping or do you keep them very separate?
The two disciplines are intricately woven together, and utterly reciprocal of each other. My drawing is a means of recording, exploring and planning, and my drawing informs my etching. In the print room my etching becomes another means of drawing and exploring an image; most of the techniques used to create the image on the plate involve drawing methods and the results of etching inform my drawing.
In my home studio I make drawings that are fully resolved pieces, incorporating all the tacit knowledge gained in the other processes. The only point of separation is that I have to use the Gloucestershire Printmaking Cooperative studios to make the etchings as I don’t have the complex facilities required for etching at home. The change of venue is good for me, it keeps things fresh and it’s a good opportunity to meet other artists.
What advice can you give adults who are coming to drawing for the first time?
Generally speaking, adults are more cautious about drawing than children, it seems that they have a higher expectation of the end result, and therefore are more easily disappointed and more reluctant to share what they have achieved.
I would advise adults to try to approach their drawing in a more relaxed way, the worst that can happen is that they will want to abandon a drawing and start again, and what’s the problem with that? My sketchbooks are full of drawings of different qualities, I’ll do a load of planning drawings and only one will be seen through to the easel – not every drawing has to be perfect or is intended to be perfect. If people aren’t happy with the way a drawing is progressing, I will often advise them to start again, and they’re always surprised that they are allowed to! Drawing is a relatively cheap and quick form of artistic expression, if its not working start again – you will always have learnt from the first drawing.
Do you draw / print every day? What keeps you going?
I do draw most days, but I don’t insist that I draw every day because sometimes it isn’t possible and I won’t beat myself up for that! I do have a quote from the great Anthony Gormley that tells me “…a day without drawing is a day lost.” Sometimes this quote motivates me but on other days I have to accept that I’ve lost one or two drawing days, its not a problem in the big scheme of things.
During the first lockdowns I did draw, en plein air, every single day and that became a cathartic version of a diary. It was good to see the small changes in the natural world that marked the normal passage of time while things in the rest of the world were so uneasy. I am well motivated, organised and my inspiration is all around me in the beautiful are of the countryside where we live. I draw nearly every day, and I have different sketchbooks for different forms of drawings. Or different locations and I also work on the drawings on my easel.
My printmaking is more erratic, because of having to use shared facilities, but I try to spend at least one day a week in the print room; a habit I learned during the MA and PhD years. This regular contact with my etching keeps the concept behind the print fresh in my mind and keeps me well practised.
Which websites can you recommend for resources and support for an artist. Is it important to be part of a group, society or club? How do you stay in the loop?
Being part of a group of artists and having links in the art world has been very rewarding and provides great company.
Through the MA course, I met a lot of interesting people, and discovered many more opportunities through the PhD links at UWE. A group from my MA year set up INsight Printmakers. We have exhibited together a number of times over the years, most recently at Museum in the Park.
There is now a vast UWE alumni network that I am proud to be a part of and it is fun to stay in touch with people and to see what they are all achieving. Being a member of the GPC has also helped in being part of an artist’s community; we have regular exhibiting opportunities and exchange projects to get involved in.
I am also an RWA artist network member. Once Covid has subsided I am looking forward to playing a more active role. Being a part of all these groups helps with motivation. Seeing new work from other artists and entering exhibition opportunities helps to stimulate finished work; there’s nothing like a deadline to get you busy!
Are you represented by a gallery?
I have only recently moved away from teaching 11-18 year olds in school and so I am beginning the search for gallery representation. It is one of my targets for next year. I will be showing work at The Setting Gallery at Three Storeys in Nailsworth in May. I will also be showing in two exhibitions with Take4 Gallery in Ledbury in 2022.
Do you use social media – how important is it for your work?
I have enjoyed keeping up with events and opportunities through Twitter in the past. Also Instagram which has a highly supportive and proactive artist’s community. I have found that Instagram is a fun way to share work and keep in touch will all my friends.
It is also a good way to hear about open submission exhibitions and where artists are showing their work. I have found it useful to follow galleries to gain an overview of the style of work that they represent. I haven’t yet exploited the full potential of using social media to promote my work – another target for next year!
NEW Drawing Workshop Booking Now
“Drawing Landscapes with Water-soluble graphite”
with Wendy Rhodes PhD
Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th November
10am – 4pm £150 both days
Studio One
All abilities welcome.
This course will introduce the exciting, flexible and accessible medium of water-soluble graphite. You will explore textures, washes and mark making. Also the widest range of linear and tonal values that you have ever achieved with a pencil. Bring a photographic reference of landscapes that you wish to work from. If the weather is favourable, we will create some sketches en plein air. Please also bring a sketchbook with some sketches that you have previously done. You will also need to bring some watercolour paper. You may like to buy some appropriate equipment before the course – a recommended materials list will be sent to you upon booking.