Art and Design diploma students from Callywith College visited CAST in January 2020, to learn about a variety of professional arts practices and potential career paths. In the morning they visited the studios of Nicola Bealing, Imogen Bone, Sarah Johnson and Ben Sanderson, who each spoke about their inspirations and about how and why they make their work. Then, following a CAST Café lunch, the students participated in two experimental workshops run by Ben Sanderson and Nicola Bealing. These included, with some hilarity, drawing with someone else’s arm, upside down, behind your back and with your foot. The second workshop consisted of two long tables, covered with paper, set parallel to one another. Students were invited to take it in turns to be the ‘life model’, by climbing into a window alcove and holding a pose for a couple of minutes, while the rest drew what they saw. The two groups rotated around the tables until everyone had posed and covered the paper with figure drawings.
Tutor Tim Pryke wrote after the visit:
The students gained a rich learning experience today, one that they are fortunate to have experienced and that may be a source of future inspiration.
Having the time to listen to the artists’ first hand experiences shone a light on some of the pathways open to them when they leave college. The experimental workshops run by Ben and Nicola helped to expand their drawing practice and created a lot of creative engagement and discussion, illustrating the importance of drawing from observation – with a good dose of humour. It would be really nice to do this again next year.