Mindful, meaningful and magical – taking time out to do some drawing this weekend might kickstart a new hobby or hone some latent artistic skills …
Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, National Drawing Day is on Saturday May 18, when art centres, museums and libraries nationwide will be hosting free events. It’s a chance to pick up a pencil or some pastels and enjoy the process of mark making and mindfulness. These creative sessions include a bird making workshop at the Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, exploring patterns in nature at the Glucksman Gallery, Cork and “A Bug’s Life” special workshop for children at The Hunt Museum, Limerick. Elsewhere, Glór, Clare will host a botanical drawing workshop with artist Ida Mitrani, and the International Literature Festival Dublin, (also on this weekend) will be hosting a “Comic making for Wellbeing” event with artist Kate Escolin at its Festival Village in Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
At the National Gallery of Ireland, there is a Life Drawing Session with artist Fintan Mahon, where beginners and experienced artists can join in on the fun. Visitors will have an opportunity to see artists Fergus Byrne, Ross McHale and Gearoid O’Dea drawing from the collections in the galleries. There will be an opportunity to learn the basics of drawing during a “Sketching 101” tour. The Atrium, a creative space in the heart of the Gallery, will also be open all day. www.nationalgallery.ie.
The Chester Beatty Library is hosting an online drawing workshop at 10.30am on Saturday which embraces the wisdom of Louis Wain: the essence of drawing is found in the act of looking. Under the guidance of artist Jen O’Brien, this event invites participants to explore the intriguing world of blind drawing, a technique that challenges you to trust your senses and intuition. €5 per person, booking essential. www.chesterbeatty.ie.
At IMMA, there are free drawing workshops all day from 11am – 12 noon and drop-in activities from 1pm-4pm, during which artist Renata Pekowska will explore drawing to sound as a way of listening with intent to produce soundscapes. www.imma.ie.
For those who are inspired to take up drawing this summer there are several courses on offer. At FLUX Studios, Dublin 8 artist Nicholas Robinson, who studied at the Florence Academy of Art, Sweden is leading a Figure Drawing course in pencil or charcoal from July 1-5 (there are morning and afternoon sessions available). This is a chance to experience traditional atelier training in figure drawing enabling students to use line, tone and contour to develop a greater accuracy in their drawing ability. www.fluxdublin.ie.
Continuing Education in Art and Design (CEAD) is also offering part-time, three-week summer courses in art, design and photography from absolute beginner level to more advanced. For example, the Basic Techniques in Drawing and Painting course develops core skills and includes painting from life as well as workshops on portraits. Subjects include drawing from observation, life drawing, colour theory, paint mixing, mark making and basic composition. www.ncad.ie.
National Drawing Day 2024 participating venues:
1. An Chead Tine Art Studios and Gallery @an_chead_tine
2. Ardgillan Castle www.ardgillancastle.ie
3. Artnet DLR (DLR Artists Network) www.Artnetdlr.ie
4. Backwater Artists Group www.backwaterartists.ie
5. Birr Theatre and Arts Centre www.birrtheatre.com
6. Butler Gallery www.butlergallery.com
7. Cavan County Museum www.cavanmuseum.ie
8. Centre for Contemporary Art Derry-Londonderry www.ccadld.org
9. Clare County Museum www.claremuseum.ie
10. Crawford Art Gallery www.crawfordartgallery.ie
11. Creative Places Tipperary Town www.tipptownrevitalisation.ie
12. Creative Spark www.creativespark.ie
13. Draíocht www.draiocht.ie new for 2024!
14. Dublinia www.dublinia.ie
15. F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio www.visitarmagh.com
16. Fota House, Arboretum and Garden www.fotahouse.com
17. Garter Lane Arts Centre gallery @garterlane.ie
18. Gerard Byrne Studio, www.gerardbyrneartist.com
19. Glebe House and Gallery www.glebegallery.ie
20. Glór www.glor.ie
21. Highlanes Gallery www.highlanes.ie
22. Hugh Lane Gallery www.hughlane.ie
23. Hunt Museum www.huntmuseum.com
24. IMMA, www.imma.ie
25. International Literature Festival Dublin www.ilfdublin.com
26. Johnstown Castle, Estate, Museum and Gardens www.johnstowncastle.ie
27. National Gallery of Ireland www.nationalgallery.ie
28. National Library of Ireland www.nli.ie
29. National Museum of Ireland www.museum.ie
30. National Museums NI, Ulster Museum www.ulstermuseum.org
31. National Print Museum www.nationalprintmuseum.ie
32. Nenagh Arts Centre www.nenagharts.com
33. Newry and Mourne Museum www.newrymournedown.org
34. Northern Ireland War Memorial www.niwarmemorial.org
35. Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy www.presentationcentre.ie
36. Rathfarnham Castle www.rathfarnhamcastle.ie
37. Riverbank Arts Centre www.riverbank.ie new for 2024!
38. RUA RED www.ruared.ie
39. Schoolhouse For Art www.schoolhouseforart.com
40. Seamus Ennis Arts Centre www.tseac.ie
41. Solstice Arts Centre www.solsticeartscentre.ie
42. Southpaw Art Studio www.facebook.com/southpaw.bookarts/
43. Temple Bar Gallery + Studios www.templebargallery.com new for 2024!
44. The Dock www.thedock.ie
45. The Glucksman www.glucksman.org
46. The Luan Gallery www.athloneartsandtourism.ie
47. The Pearse Museum www.pearsemuseum.ie