Drawing Room summer school - day 1

First, getting a cup of coffee. Then Amalia Pica, who devised the workshop, introduced her work and we introduced ourselves.

Each had brought an object significant to us that "also speaks to a wider topic/subject that interests you" - to be used to draw from and to develop a personal working theme for the week.

I brought an old Falk map (Cologne, dating to about 1978) - the special folding system make it very user-friendly and easier to handle than conventional maps.

 First few drawings, up on the wall before lunch -

 A hive of activity after lunch -

 ... for example, rubbing back the graphite ...

 A chance to draw our object in the context of the others -

 More drawings on the wall ...

 After the tea break, a chance to develop the theme/subject. I fluffed about with tracing and collage and took a big breath and tried to emulate the folding system, albeit with smaller pieces of paper ...

 ... but got nowhere. (Sometimes confusion is ok, yes?)

Home, and a walk up the hill and "around the block" -

Then careful measurement and simple arithmetic, and now the folding system is under control -

Plus I've had some further thoughts about how eventually to develop this - surely a sign of progress!

Did I mention the lovely library at the Drawing Room?

During the lunch break, this book leapt into my hand -

 from which, this drawing is from 1961 -