Working through my Septemer Drawing Challenge

& what I've been learning about my own creative practice

We’re fast approaching the autumn equinox - at the time of writing, that’s only three days away - probably two by the time I post this. Autumn equinox marks the seasonal shift out of summer - here in Scotland, this means a lot less daylight for the coming months, lessening noticeably each day. It also marks the (very loose and optional) deadline for my September Drawing Challenge. Personally, I am halfway through the prompts, and wanted to take a quick minute to share how I’ve been finding my own drawing challenge, what’s been coming up for me from doing this mini-series, and ideas of where it could take me next. 

For context, I’d set myself (and an open invitation for anyone who’d like to join me) in a seven prompt drawing challenge - to get outside and draw seven times in September. The focus is on zooming in to nature, studying textures close up, making quick and expressive sketches, and most importantly, just getting outside and looking at the seasons shifting. If you’d like to join in (regardless of what month or season your in at the time of reading!) you can check out the original challenge post here with all the info. 

I really thought I’d be sitting writing this post, delving in to descriptive and romantic sentences about the seasonal shifts I’d noticed so far through my drawings. But for authenticity sake, that’s just not what is coming to mind right now. When I reflect on the drawing challenge so far: If there’s one thing it has highlighted to me, it’s how I like to work, over what I’ve visually noticed.

I have remembered: I’m rubbish at sticking to creative things that have rules. Recipes? Once I’ve read the ingredients, I’d much rather ad lib and figure out my way to the final dish. Same with art, and most things in my life. As soon as there’s a constrict of should - you can bet I’ll struggle to follow along those assigned steps. Challenges have always been the same for me. Anything that has an X day streak, no chance: from duo-lingo to yoga with adrienne challenges (one day I WILL complete one of these 30 day yoga challenges!!!). It’s probably why I love non-competitive things - hiking, swimming outside, reading. I think it’s the experimentation, intuition, figuring things out, problem solving, and going at my own pace that lights things up for me. 

I’d originally thought this challenge could/should be spread across seven days. On doing it, I’ve realised the importance - for myself, at least - that it’s not defined by days; exactly when things should be done. What has been massively helpful, as always, is having the deadline. The challenge has been designed across seven prompts, but take from that what you like, when you like. Maybe doing them all in one day, on one walk suits you. Maybe you do this challenge through the winter instead of autumn. Maybe you don’t even draw, but take time to notice and look at these seven elements in your local environments closer. Maybe you take them out of order, which is - typically - what I’ve ended up doing. Or maybe, you have no issue with this following a list malarkey at all, and you have already completed all seven prompts with ease! In which case, please tell me your secret. 

It’s funny, I have this need, this deep desire, to be able to do things in an order. To be the person that can perfectly stick to the schedule, and work logically through something. Somehow, that’s not ended up being me. The experience of following my own mini-challenge has highlighted to me my own need to have some space to do things my own way, at my own pace, when it suits. I always get things done: but flexibility, autonomy, and probably a little more permission within the things I can control (like my art and freelance work) make everything ever so much more enjoyable. 

So, on that note, I have approached this challenge with maximum enthusiasm, but totally out of order! In fairness, I started out with prompt One: Sky. 

In this prompt, I was reminded of how much I love drawing to moving, living landscapes. Things that shift and grow in front of your eyes. I’m on holiday at the moment in the north tip-top coast of Scotland, and we’ve been spoilt with energetic stormy skies. I tried out this double page sketch spread, using oil pastel white resist first, with watercolour on top. It’s pretty fun drawing with white oil pastel on white paper, as you’ve no idea what you’ve drawn until after the paint is applied.  

The second prompt I’ve approached was through a series of drawings. I got totally carried away with the Water prompt, and again was drawing ‘live’ to the sea as it moved. In these compositions I was focusing in on the movement of specific waves, and logging the energy and flow of the patterns of water. Needless to say, you’ve about -1 second to observe and note down before the moment has passed. This was a really exciting way to draw for me, regardless of what the end sketches look like. My textile / surface pattern design studies side of me is calling out for some repeats using these drawings, to see these sketches as patterns. That’s maybe an idea to store for a later date. 

The third prompt I approached was Path. This one was drawn purely with oil pastels, and I was zoomed in on a patch of quartzite rocks that I’d been admiring on a hike up Conival, on a double munro loop that also took in Ben More (Assynt). The colours in these stones blew my mind; it was a path of bright pink and orange stone interlaced with bog the whole way up.

This holiday and trip to Assynt - an area which has some of the oldest geology in the world - has reminded and re-inspired me how much I’d love to learn more about our incredible geological landscapes.

Hopping back to the idea of translating sketches to patterns, is it just me that could see this one especially as a print for swimsuits, a notebook, maybe a fleece?

I’m looking forward to sharing with you my remaining sketches in a following post soon, covering the last few prompts as I uncover them in my walks over the remaining days. 

If you’ve been working through the prompts yourself, I’d love to know how you’ve been finding it - what you’ve noticed, found tricky, focused on or learnt from your time outside so far! Let me know in the comments below. 

As always, thanks so much for following along, and I’ll see you outside :) 

Orla