Three sessions in, we’ve reached the halfway point of part 1 of the Art Journal Project – the perfect moment to reflect on how this year’s programme is unfolding.
This year we welcomed 30 participants from across the region. From Eskdalemuir in the east to Stranraer in the far west, our participants have come together virtually to explore creativity as a pathway to wellbeing. The Art Journal Project serves those who face barriers to accessing creative opportunities – health challenges, mental health difficulties, economic constraints, rural isolation, or caring responsibilities.
Inspiring Guest Artists
We’ve been delighted to work with some talented local artists. The project kicked off with Martha Schofield, a previous participant who volunteered as a peer mentor last year, introducing us to continuous line drawing – a meditative drawing technique creating drawings without lifting the pen from the paper.
Lucy Bell, our Creative Director then guided us through a step-by-step exploration of drawing the eye in charcoal. Lucy brings her expertise in expressive line-work and mixed media, from her professional illustration background.
Most recently, Elizabeth Stephenson an artist working predominantly with drawing, printing and stitch, led an expressive mark-making session that encouraged playful experimentation with different found objects and textures.
Each artist creates space for experimentation without pressure. As Elizabeth put it, mark-making is “a fun, playful process without the aim or pressure of a ‘finished’ outcome” – capturing the spirit of the Art Journal Project perfectly.
Building Community
The response from our participants has been really positive. Our Monday evening Zoom sessions have been well attended, and our private Facebook group has become a vibrant space where participants share progress photos and offer each other support and encouragement. There’s something magical about when participants come together with a creative purpose – even virtually, connections grow and creativity takes root.
All sessions are recorded for those who can’t attend live, and the two-week format gives participants breathing space to practise between sessions, revisit techniques, and develop confidence before moving on.
Looking Ahead
This Monday brings our next session with textile artist Helen Walsh who’ll be sharing her bird-inspired collaging techniques. Our Zoom sessions conclude at the end of this month with a reflection session to look back and celebrate the progress everyone has made so far.
After three months of virtual connection, we’re really looking forward to our in-person workshop in July at Gracefield Arts Centre. It will be wonderful to finally come together physically after our long time apart, working with our hands collectively and trying techniques that challenge us a little more. Participants will enjoy two sessions with Helen Walsh and ceramic artist Ruth Elizabeth Jones to explore surface texture and vessel making. Part 1 concludes with a trip to Kirkcudbright to see the Scottish Landscape Awards Exhibition – a chance to see art in real life, get inspired, and practice talking about art together.
Part 2, focusing on Colour, Shape, and Form, awaits us in August – but for now, we’re appreciating the textures and tones this first part has revealed, both in our art journals and in our connections with one another.
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