Emilythemuse by Lizzie Owen
Drawing the figure from life
Lizzie Owen has a gift for drawing. She uses charcoal like paint and has an innate sense of the form and weight of the figure. Lizzie has a versatile practice and has co-hosted many of the workshops at Cranmer Studio. We asked her to talk about her work.
"My practice is ever evolving at a pace that sometimes feels like a positive trajectory and sometimes a bit stuck. 'Yellow Rose' was a still life created at Cranmer under the tutorship of Kate Hopkins who's work I hugely admire. What emerged reminded me this was one such positive direction, and has since informed work that I present as part of my MA in Fine Art at the City & Guilds London Art School.
I flit between still life, life drawing and landscape, all three as important as the other. Each one creates a line of enquiry and provides a narrative as part of a bigger series, and helps me process and make sense of the final outcome I'd like to achieve.
At the moment I'm collaborating with nature through excavated canvas as part of a rural land art series. This requires me to investigate the environment from a figurative perspective. I'm incredibly fortunate and grateful to have access at Cranmer Studio to explore, research and experiment within the most beautiful part of the world as part of my work."
A guided life drawing class is a collaboration between the artist, the model and the tutor. At Cranmer Studio we have run classes led by Atul Vohora tutoring and with emilythemuse as the model. Atul is often at your shoulder while tactfully noting three things that you could develop further in your drawing. Emily is a patient and positive model. She loves modelling saying that it is an "opportunity to embody different artistic visions and collaborate with creative minds".
While this journal post celebrates the stunning drawings by Lizzie it is also a thank you to Atul and Emily.
View our gallery to see drawings by Lizzie and guests.