Making Sensory Drawings by Gillian Adair McFarland
Artist Educator Gillian Adair McFarland describes how she makes her delicate drawings that can be sensed through touch.
This project was shared with AccessArt as part of the 40 Artist Educator Project, funded by Arts Council England, aiming to highlight and celebrate artist-led teaching and facilitation.
Surface Impact Drawings – Making Sensory Drawings by Gillian Adair McFarland
My resource is about the artist’s evolving thought process. Originally a painter and art therapist, I began to work like this in response to my mothers blindness and her way of experiencing things through touch. I found myself drawn to to the impact of these connections, discovering the lines of her touch on the walls of the house as she guided herself about. I liked the idea of making marks without “making marks”, that the invisiblity of pressure can be made so visible on paper or walls.
Drawing or painting poses a threat to many people, fear of making a mistake, making a mess or not making a ‘good enough’ picture. My process is about working with the surface of the paper and enjoying the safety of a repetitive action that focuses on the simple action and builds into the complexity of an image.
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Sheila, AccessArt
December 3, 2014 @ 3:45 pm
Thank you for sharing this stunning post with AccessArt – I find it deeply moving as well as beautiful.
kate munro
April 14, 2015 @ 10:04 pm
very beautiful and sparks off so many ideas, thank you.
Nakessa Simpson
November 20, 2015 @ 11:25 am
This is great! I’ve just started a teaching Job with Children with profound learning needs some are blind and deaf, I am currently creating a sensory corner in the art room and this is perfect for part of it.
Andrew T
November 30, 2022 @ 12:59 pm
Hi, this looks great. Please can I ask, did you use wallpaper? I noticed that some of the designs are on textured paper, others have ink or Brusho applied which look dramatic. Although I was thinking the ink or Brusho is probably best on a surface like lining paper, whereas if I don’t apply the ink/Brusho I could use a thicker more textured wallpaper? Any advice gratefully received!
Paula
December 1, 2022 @ 3:38 pm
I think wallpaper lining paper would work well – it is cheap and a good thickness… Good luck and let us know how you get on! x