My New Found Love for Drawing and How it Helped with my Bereavement

My love for drawing began when I was around 10 years old, drawing a barn owl for an art project at school (I wish I still had a copy of the picture). I loved the simplicity of creating a detailed image, just using a pencil and crisp white paper. I continued to draw throughout high school, taking an Art G.C.S.E and then again at AS Level. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to stick to black and white and had to dabble with the joy of colour in pencil and paint and other clothes-staining mediums. I wasn’t too impressed with the results, I must admit. I continued on to art college, but diverted into the wonderful world of graphic design, so yet again the beautiful simplicity of pencil drawing was kept for those times when I wanted to relax with a cuppa. I never stopped though and, when living in Cornwall, enjoyed nothing more than sitting on the warm sand and drawing the rolling waves and seagulls in flight (again I wish I still had copies of these pictures, I really don’t know what happened to them). With a risk of getting a bit deep and meaningful here, my mom had passed away earlier that year and my head was awash with grief. I couldn’t focus on anything but her and even moving to beautiful Cornwall didn’t help me escape this terrible bereavement. Drawing was my way of forgetting everything and focusing on that stupid seagull that wouldn’t stay still, so I could get the detail of his features, or concentrating on the light and shade of a pretty Cornish cottage. Whatever I was drawing, it was the ability to empty my brain and just be in that moment. No dark thoughts allowed. Even now 15 years later, I still use drawing as a relaxation tool and I love it even more. It seems to me that, as we grow older, we notice even more finer details when we really look at an object or landscape. I seem to find drawing easier and even more enjoyable. I have given a few pieces away for others to enjoy, and it seems like they do, at least I hope so. Maybe one day I will try selling my artwork. But either way, I will continue with this fantastic hobby until I am no longer able to hold a pencil.