Drawing the Light
I was invited to become artist-in-residence in the St Weonards Benefice, Herefordshire as a Lenten preparation for Easter 2010. The idea of the residency was to draw the light in each of the 7 churches in a way that enabled stillness and attention, so that the process became a kind of meditation. The contrast with darkness and shadows is what makes light visible to us, and connects to the rich meanings and metaphors associated with light in a Christian context.
The heart of the residency was the 3 hour drawing session in each church, including a night session in Hentland. An open invitation was extended to local people to come and draw with me, and a materials table was set up in each church so that people could draw at other times too. By the end of the project 159 drawings had been created!
My 7 large drawings were used as a focus for a simple meditation service on Easter Saturday.
I have retained the original charcoal drawings so that they can be used by churches and other interested organisations, particularly for Lent events. I welcome enquiries about this.
The residency was made possible by funding from both Hereford Diocese and the Elmley Foundation, for which we are very grateful.
The heart of the residency was the 3 hour drawing session in each church, including a night session in Hentland. An open invitation was extended to local people to come and draw with me, and a materials table was set up in each church so that people could draw at other times too. By the end of the project 159 drawings had been created!
My 7 large drawings were used as a focus for a simple meditation service on Easter Saturday.
I have retained the original charcoal drawings so that they can be used by churches and other interested organisations, particularly for Lent events. I welcome enquiries about this.
The residency was made possible by funding from both Hereford Diocese and the Elmley Foundation, for which we are very grateful.
