Drawing is meditation
I have drawn since I was four years old, when I recorded the experience of seeing four Navy helicopters being forced to land in fog near my home. Through my childhood I amused myself making things, copying Disney cartoons, drawing Greek and Roman soldiers and later, designs of imaginary sports cars I dreamt I would own one day. Though I tended not to draw what I saw around me, I was creative, enjoyed art and design generally and went to art school in 1971. In those days life drawing was an essential part of visual education. Figure drawing is difficult; as hard as I tried, my early efforts resembled burnished metal forms - like Roman soldiers… unsurprisingly. Like many others in my group, my lines lacked understanding and were insistent, wilful and not very responsive - more like a sign or a signature and more half remembered than seen. The figure drawing was constructed with parts seen and laboriously recorded, as is music played by a beginner. Though I could recognise a good draw