Daily Drawings
Image credit: Lounah
On the 17th of March 2022, I began the practice of doing a daily drawing.
I draw what I observe or what I’m inspired by on a specific day.
I have drawn portraits of David Hockney, Iris Apfel, Matisse, Peggy Guggenheim, and Louise Bourgeois. I have also looked to local South African personalities for inspiration. Jackie Burger, Angie Oeh, and Bouwer Bosch have all been featured in a Daily Drawing. Another regular feature is, my favourite magazine, The World of Interiors.
More than simply an exploration of pose and personality, my Daily Drawings have also served as a visual diary of my day-to-day life. Some joyful moments include our move from Cape Town to a new home in the countryside.
I have captured coffee dates with my mother and sister and precious moments with my husband and son, Jan-Ben. I especially love the drawing of Niel and Ben playing in a stream at Bosjes and the drawing of Jan-Ben in his favourite shark boots, holding his security blanket, Pascal.
There are also drawings featuring less joyful themes. Drawing no. 87 depicts Niel and Jan-Ben in the hospital during Jan-Ben’s first overnight stay—any parent’s nightmare. No. 101 features my grandparents.
There are sketches of my father, who fought and lost his battle with cancer. On those days, any other themes felt trivial, and I had to fight to keep the practice alive.
There are no rules or intentions with this practice. My only objective is to do a drawing a day.
Marina Abramovic captures the complexities of being both human and an artist by embracing the 'heroic self,' the 'spiritual self,' and the 'bullshit self.' I believe I meet these three selves in my Daily Drawings.
