All can and should draw and paint: 22nd December, 2009

You know, over the years I have lost count of the people who have said to me, when having told them I am an artist, or  that I had studied art at University, how much they loved art at and painting at school. How much they loved drawing or painting as children. I would then ask if they still drew or painted, and invariably their response would be the same, “naaa, gave all that up when I left school”. ‘Why though?’ I always ask. If they loved it so much, why stop? They usually then tell me that they were not very good, but that they enjoyed it a lot (this whole issue of what can be classed artistically as ‘good’ could and should be covered in some depth another time I think).

It’s all about perception isn’t it? Drawing and painting is still seen as the purview of the serious (or even amateur) artist, or children. Rarely do people continue to paint once having left school for the simple pleasure of it alone. Most get sucked into the prosaic though necessary business of making a living, and those that do have some leisure time left to them, usually hit the gym, watch television, go up the pub, knit, etc. Fair enough, nothing wrong with all those things. However, it has been proven again and again that the act of drawing, painting, making the mark is mentally beneficial, and indeed as we know is used as therapy for those with mental health illnesses, children and teenagers with special needs, in young offenders institutions etc, etc. It is relaxing, therapeutic, cathartic, and fills a basic and fundamental need in us all to express ourselves through colour and form. An exercise which we as human beings have undertaken since man became sentient.

So, to cut to the chase, if you are stuck for a gift for a friend or loved one, buy them a small sketch book that can be fitted into a pocket or a bag and some pens and abjure them to get doodling.