Cath Sheard Art

Tag: process

  • Drawing doesn’t have to be good

    Last year I decided to practice drawing, and quickly gave up. This year I got tempted again, but didn’t want to start, then quickly stop again.

    In some of the leadership training I’ve done, we talk about asking why 5 times to get to the root cause of something. I decided to use the model and figure out why I don’t keep drawing.

    Why did you stop drawing? I got bored.

    Why did you get bored? The drawings were too basic.

    Why were the drawings too basic? I was trying to learn traditional drawing techniques.

    Why were you trying to learn traditional drawing? It seemed the right place to start.

    Why do you think it’s the right place to start? Because that’s what we learned at art school.

    And there I have it. I have been trying to re-learn using traditional drawing methods, without being in the class environment with the support of the tutor etc. Yet there’s no reason why I can’t just draw however I want, for the fun of it. I’ve started doing that, without worrying if it is right, and I’m enjoying it. There are two examples below.

    On Bsky someone I followed posted this, and I have copied it because it speaks to me –

    I will draw, even if it’s bad.
    I will draw, even if it’s challenging.
    I will draw, even if it’s been done before.
    I will draw, even if it’s imperfect.
    I will draw, even if someone else is better.
    I will draw, even if I have much to learn.

    I will draw because it’s fun.
    Because I’m human.

  • Looking back at 2025

    Looking back at 2025

    Af the end of the year I normally look back at what I’ve achieved, documenting the highs and lows.

    When I think about the year that’s coming to an end, the first – and almost only – thing that comes to mind is the loss of Tony. From May, until his death on November 3rd, it was a hard slog which I couldn’t document here. We were together 33 years; that’s more than a lot of people get and I’m thankful for his love and support over all those years.

    I’m grateful for the support of his daughter Yasmine, my partner Alan, friend Sandra, his brother Roger, my sister Ailsa, resthome staff and work colleagues.

    There were other things but, to be honest, I had to go back through my blog to remember them. I entered the Awagami Mini Print Awards and received a Highly Commended, which was fantastic.

    I enrolled in Wanderlust ‘25, a year long course, but didn’t complete it as Tony needed so much time.

    I made art, sold art, taught and exhibited with Pen Kirk, worked hard, had a few short trips. Mainly I got through, which feels like a huge achievement.

    May 2026 be kind to you and your loved ones.

  • Art goals for 2026

    I touched on this here, and spelling it out will help me have clarity. In 2026, my art goals are:

    • Explore mark making to rediscover the marks that are truly me
    • Create with no expectations, no judgement
    • Fill art journals with art, not just craft
    • Continue to do craft/product driven journals for the sheer joy
    • Do a range of free online art courses to learn new skills
    • Look for opportunities to exhibit
    • Continue to collaborate with Pen Kirk
  • Going with a new direction

    Going with a new direction

    As I play in my small Fabriano art journal, with zero expectations, I can see a change happening. I’ve got the urge to complete the shapes, replicate colours and patterns. This isn’t what I normally do, so I’m going with it to see what happens. It’s most likely a step on the way to something else. It doesn’t feel like something I’d pursue in its own right.

  • Talking process with another artist

    Talking process with another artist

    I’ve been talking today with Pen Kirk who I’ve been creating collaborative art with for a number of years now. Pen is exploring resin at the moment. I won’t try to describe her process, that’s her story to tell, but she’s happy for me to write about today’s chat.

    Pen commented “I think that’s part of my process. Learning my way through and making at the same time”. She said “Interesting aspect… I really like to have to sand them right back and then shine them up… which means taking multiple steps through grit 150-10,000”. When I asked if it was about the physicality of the process, or transformation, she was clear straight it’s the transformation.

    When we explored further Pen commented her process is about adding, taking away, and adding hidden aspects. She said “It’s just too bloody easy if you don’t go through all the steps and (it) has no meaning. Like a person with no souls, who hasn’t experienced”.

    Like Pen, my art is process driven. For me, it’s about connecting random parts to create meaning and visual harmony. This morning I randomly glued bits of collage onto approx 30 pages in a small Fabriano art journal. Then I go back and use the collage as the start of pieces, using paint, water soluble media, pencil, and oil pastels.

    It’s rare for me to work on a piece from start to finish, or to start with the end in kind. Working on one piece at a time makes it feel precious and creates anxiety about messing it up. Working across multiple pieces brings me freedom to just do what I feel in the moment. That doesn’t mean there’s no thought in it, but it does mean I’m not super invested in each piece of paper.

    Below you can see some very quick photos of a few pages I collaged onto this morning, and a few finished pages, which might not be the ones I started this morning.

    L to R – cheap harder oil pastels, Stabilo Woody, soft Sennelier oil pastels & soft pastels, Neo I and II crayons, pencils.
    Pages with a piece or two of collage added.