Ruby Barrowman

I work from life and observation but I’m not trying to get a pure representation of what I see in front of me. I like drawing from life because it makes me notice details I would never have noticed before like shadows, cracks and colours. I pull colour, shapes and compositions from the ‘everyday’ around me. Seeing a colour or a shape I like often starts my creative process. I am interested in colour, texture and movement. I am also interested in the therapeutic role of art – it’s not always about how things look visually, but actually about how the process made you feel.

I use a range of media including acrylic, collage and oil pastel but I would like to learn how to use oil paints and to experiment with different printing techniques. I like to experiment with how much control I have while drawing. For example, drawing with my non-dominant hand and doing blind and timed drawings. I also like using different utensils, like rags and sponges, to draw and make marks. I never consciously plan a piece before I do it. If I think about a plan too much, my work becomes rigid and tight. To make something that is more genuine to me I have to give up an element of control and embrace the ‘mistakes’. This is probably why I work fast because I like the unexpected things that happen. If I had thought too hard about something the important ‘mistakes’ wouldn’t happen and my creative process wouldn’t develop.