#everyafternooninjune An Exhibition by Margaret Gilbertson

About

As many artists will tell you, finding the time to draw can often be a challenge. But drawing is crucial to our very practice and in it lies all our skills and aspirations, and the path to showing our creative thoughts to the world.  With this in mind I set myself a wee task.

Last year, I drew every afternoon in June.

Inspired by Ian Kyle, who had surfed every day in May to achieve fitness and to renew his commitment to the sport, I realised that it really could be as simple as doing the same thing every day. A bit like the daily reciting of ‘times tables’ at school. Thus I found a new direction and this drawing became a vital part of my day.

So every afternoon, I drew. And I committed to sharing each drawing regardless of whether I was satisfied with it. Every drawing was posted online to an audience. This was perhaps the most difficult aspect – to show work in practice, to show mistakes. But this openness became a strength and as the month progressed, my opinion of my own work became more positive and my confidence improved.

What you see in this exhibition is all 30 drawings, unaltered. And you’ll also find new work inspired by the drawings.

Although some of the works in this exhibition are what I’d class as finished products, I’ve strived to keep a sense of the uncontrolled freedom and honesty which sketchbooks offer.