Upon entering the studio, guests were intrigued by the clothing and shoes laid out, resembling a theatre’s backstage. Rachel referred to Anthony Price as an inspiration, specifically how the body portrays a femininity that is difficult to capture in person. She described why she prefers models—rather than herself—to perform exaggerated femininity and hyper-sexualized poses. This was demonstrated through three models who wore various vintage clothing while moving, dancing, and intertwining their bodies slowly.

Throughout this event, while participants were life drawing, I had an interesting conversation with a participant named Lucie. She found it difficult to draw for multiple reasons, but one that sparked my interest was her mention of the movie The Substance—a recently released body horror film exploring the media’s pressure and near-obsession with youthfulness, among other societal issues. Her mention of this movie made me realize that the stage created in the studio might feel like a celebration of a specific demographic of women, though it became evident later that this wasn’t Rachel’s intention.

Rosemary, who sat next to me, also remarked, with a chuckle, how it looked like how her teenage years were “supposed” to look. From then on, this workshop became more than just a compelling example of how performance accentuates certain images; it became a moment to reflect on why certain reactions emerged from it.

The conversations I’ve had throughout this workshop were very insightful and, although they might not have aligned with Rachel’s expectations, they encouraged me to think about the relationship between women, clothing, sex, and the body in a much more diverse way. It was also interesting to observe how drawings of figures in specific poses or angles can manifest as editorial photoshoots and how drawing has become integral to Rachel’s practice.

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Weaving together cultural studies, fashion, photography, phenomenology and movement, @rachelflemingerhudson will lead a workshop on October 15 – ‘Women, Clothing, Sex and The Body: Drawing Interior Performance’.

Rachel Fleminger Hudson is a photographer and filmmaker, who employs a multi-disciplinary approach to her practice spanning art direction, set design and costume.

After graduating in 2022 from Central Saint Martins, she won the international Dior Photography and Visual Arts Award for Young Talents 2022, exhibiting at the Luma Arles Foundation. In 2023, she held her first solo exhibition at MEP in Paris.

Her editorial work includes cover stories for Dazed Magazine, Luncheon, and Cultured Magazine. Commercial clients include Miu Miu and Paul and Joe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DA2cPADJZeT/?img_index=1

Artist @mrpaulbecker gave participants insight into his approach to creating drawings. One practice involved drawing in one continuous line on the paper without much thought or intention. He then asked us to rub out everything, highlighting the importance of editing and reminding us not to hesitate to go through this process.

Following this task, we rubbed out the lines on our paper and focused on seeing what the previous marks could become. Coming from an art education background where repeated editing was considered time-consuming and unhelpful, it was initially difficult to grasp the idea of editing a drawing repeatedly. However, I realised how this method allowed imagination to come through more easily, as the paper was already “used” and contained traces of different lines, just as Paul advised: to seek the image within the paper.

Reflecting on the drawings I created in this workshop, I noticed a drastic difference in how my work turned out compared to my usual drawings, which I usually start on a clean sheet of paper. I was able to use more surface area, find more detail in the images, and adjust parts that I found less interesting or fitting.

It also made a lot of sense as to how Paul utilised drawing as a crucial step in creating a painting later on.

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Artist and writer @mrpaulbecker will be in the studio to give an artist’s talk on Fri 11 Oct, then he will give a workshop the following day. There will be a dose of reality as he touches on “what to do when things are going really badly. We will look at how to build interesting new drawings from failure, catastrophe, accidents, mistakes and compromises. There will be practical tips on disaster management and some new ideas on where to look when ideas and (that old imposter) inspiration are nowhere to be found.”

Paul’s drawing emerged from painting rather than the other way around. Within his work drawing and painting seem to be implicitly intertwined. They are beautiful, elegant, and delicately drawn but the figures who inhabit them are full of character, some of whom you might be weary of.

Paul will hang some of his drawings on the studio’s drawing wall for his talk. A selection of the smaller pieces will be for sale.

Come along and join us for Paul’s talk, or to draw with him in his workshop – all-day on Saturday 12 Oct. He will lead us to ‘draw from thin air’ reaching into our memory and imagination.

Talk: If you Don’t Succeed – Failure May Be Your Style
Fri 11 Oct, 6.30-8.30pm, £10
Workshop: Drawing from Thin Air
Sat 12 Oct, 10-4pm, £50
With @mrpaulbecker

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAXisdZMOdV/?img_index=1

Anna Liu’s workshop was one of the few where I experienced more than I had expected. With her background in architecture, Anna was interested in taking participants through the streets of Exmouth Market to capture the movement and essence of the afternoon.

The first thing we did to map the street was observe and discuss how to record these observations using different colored chalks. While walking down the market and speaking with Anna, we noticed several recurring patterns: groups of people huddled together, Deliveroo riders, solitary individuals, bikes intertwined with people, lime bikes parked between other bikes, people temporarily standing, and lastly, those simply passing through.

After this observation, we returned to the studio, where the group collectively created a system for the different colored chalks. White was used for transitory subjects, pink for huddles, yellow for one or two people, orange for sitting groups, blue for people pausing or waiting, and green for tree canopies.

Each pair took two colors—in Anna’s and my case, yellow and orange—and went back to the market to ask people if we could draw around their feet. Through the process of marking people’s feet, we experienced a variety of reactions. Some coldly refused, others were curious and wanted to know more about what we were doing, and there were comments like, “This feels like I’m standing on a crime scene,” and “Am I allowed to move from this spot?” Perhaps it was because I hadn’t prepared myself to receive such comments, but it was surprising to hear people interact with our actions and later with the marks left on the ground.

Once all the groups finished tracing the market, we gathered to outline the shadows of few of the trees. We also examined how the appearance of the street had changed, now filled with shapes of different colours. When we returned back to the studio to discuss how we found the workshop, unfortunately, Anna had to leave early due to her schedule. Although it would have been helpful to speak with Anna, Luci kindly led the conversation, and the workshop ended successfully.

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Architect Anna Liu asks: “Can drawing be an everyday activity? Can it break down social barriers?”. Her workshop on 10 Oct will invite participants to engage with strangers in our local street through drawing. By mapping their feet as they stand and interact with each other we will make a temporary drawing on the pavements and road of Exmouth Market as a drawn trace of social interactions outside our studio window.

Anna Liu co-runs the architecture practice @tonkinliu located around the corner in their award winning Sun Rain Rooms house. She taught at the Architectural Association and along with Mike Tonkin they lead a wonderful team of young architects with a particular focus on relationships to nature and technical innovation.

For this drawing workshop Anna will lead us out of the studio into our neighbourhood – come and join us! 

Workshop: DRAWING TO SOCIALLY UN-DISTANCE STRANGERS
with Anna Liu
Thur 10 October, 6.30-8.30pm, £10
Starting off at the studio.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DApkQbasf7A/?img_index=1

I was looking forward to attending Gabi Leśniewska’s two-day printmaking workshop for multiple reasons. The first and most obvious is that printmaking is one of my favored practices, and this workshop offered ways to achieve it at home using materials that can be obtained easily.

With the decline of courses, facilities, and resources throughout UAL that support students like myself in continuing printmaking, this workshop provided an opportunity to adapt to new practices that follow the formulas of traditional printmaking: drypoint, linocut, and lithography.

To achieve a drypoint print, we used an intaglio process by engraving and scratching tetrapak with etching needles and box cutters. Being used to etching on metal plates, I had to work more gently with the tetrapak, as it could tear. The plates were then printed with an etching ink onto dampened paper using pasta machines. To ensure accurate pressure, Gabi placed our prints between two press blankets and held them while we turned the machine.

For the lino cut plates, we used a stop-out varnish and masking tape to block areas we wanted to create an image. Then a caustic soda mix was layered on top of the lino to etch into the material. Using water and tissue paper, the etched materials were carefully cleaned, revealing a dotted texture. When the prints were made I quickly realised that this method was suitable for images with less detail and worked well with a large lino cuts carved into recognisable shapes.

Lastly, we tried kitchen lithography, a method based on the principle that water repels oil. We used aluminum foil wrapped around perspex sheets, along with litho crayons, sharpies, and varnish to create images on the aluminum. It was important to avoid touching the plates, as the oil from our hands could disrupt the images once printed. We then placed the plates in Dr. Pepper (or cola), which was cleaned off with cooking oil and water. After that, the plate was inked and transferred to paper.

Gabi’s workshop exceeded my expectations, and it was very informal to learn from her experiences in experimenting with accessible printmaking. Since returning home, I’ve found it much easier to approach printmaking because I’ve realised it doesn’t have to be done in a formal facility setting. It was also genuinely exciting to learn from someone so passionate about printmaking.

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How can you use everyday kitchen materials to emulate printmaking techniques? Our 2x day course coming up on the weekend of 5 & 6 October makes printmaking accessible, stepping through complex processes but rather than working within a specialist print studio, using tools and materials from the kitchen. This will be led by printmaker and educator Gabi Leśniewska – who has been classically trained but enjoys experimental approaches.

We will work with materials in the studio (included in the ticket price), to draw from trinkets – so please bring in a few of your own. Gabi is interested in collections of invaluable things – or things that are valued in a different way.

Come and join us – it will be an introduction to intaglio and relief printmaking techniques for those who have little experience and a chance to experiment with little used materials for printmakers.

Workshop: Accidental Collections – ‘Kitchen’ printmaking
With @onthisrainyday
Sat 5 & Sun 6 October, 10-4pm, £95

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAIF8CKgaMC/

As I entered the studio, I noticed how the space had been transformed: paper covered the floor, and multiple plinths (stacked boxes) displayed printed images on each side. Upon closer inspection I realised the images ranged from AI-generated photos to memes, editorial shots and pictures I recognised from Pinterest. Our first task was to create a life drawing inspired by these plinths, reimagining multiple images into figures. It was an interesting approach to life drawing, breaking away from traditional methods often bound by many restrictions.

Next, the artist duo Edith Liben and Mya Cavner guided us to the floor, where we paired up in smaller groups to trace each other on the large sheet of paper. Soon, the paper became layered with multiple tracings of body parts, unidentifiable poses, and smudges that revealed our movements. We then collaborated as a group to draw over the tracings, defining lines and creating imaginative stories from the shapes.

It was exciting to see how the paper became completely filled in just a few hours, bursting with words, colours and shapes. Using movement and the functions of our bodies to create something collaborative was an enjoyable experience.

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“In this workshop, we invite you to join us on the studio floor to let your body become the pencil.”

Seasoned artist duo Mya Cavner @myacav and Edith Liben @edeathz are joining us next Tuesday 1 October to run a drawing edition of their acclaimed ‘Ballet for Non-Dancers’. Off the back of their New Contemporaries show in Plymouth, they’ll be with us in the Eye to Pencil studio to make a ‘dance on paper’. 

Edith and Mya will guide us through a series of movement and drawing exercises, prompted by their childhood favourite, Twister, to create a large-scale collaborative drawing. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DASZHZGCP-H/?img_index=1

Starting off the autumn programme, Molly Martin took participants (along with Luci and me) to the National Gallery, a place from which Molly draws much of her inspiration. After a quick introduction and insight into how Molly gathers information from famous paintings, we scattered around the gallery to collect information of our own, using a thick pencil recommended by Molly. On the first day of this two-day workshop, we spent the entire time in the museum observing paintings and identifying compositions that resonated with us.

It became clear why Molly described the first day as a time to collect as much information as possible. On the second day, we revisited the drawings we had made in the gallery with a fresh perspective in the warmth of the studio. This day was an opportunity to refine or abstract our drawings, with a focus on shapes and composition. Since we weren’t creating accurate reproductions of the paintings (hence the term “collecting information”) reimagining them in our individual styles ultimately resulted in entirely unique drawings. As we further developed the images, we experimented with paint, collage, and oil pastel.

Molly is an incredible painter, drawer, and printmaker, and experiencing her creative process firsthand was an amazing opportunity. It was comforting to realise that the museum is always there as a source of inspiration, and I can return to collect information whenever I feel stuck in my creative process.

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Molly Martin’s @molly.a.martin previous workshops – starting at the National Gallery and ending up at the studio – probably packed more into one workshop than any other. So, for this final version of the workshop we are running it over 2 days and seeing what happens when we give it the time it deserves – all-day on Thurs 26 and Fri 27 September.

The first day will be spent drawing at the National Gallery ‘transcribing’ details from paintings. We will spend the day in the gallery in a loose group and will meet up at various points to exchange notes. The idea is to gather a varied cluster of drawings because these provide the source material for the next day.

The aim for the second day is to create new compositions, built up from drawn and monoprinted fragments through arrangement and collage. This process allows us to develop new ideas out of sketchbooks drawings – it is a way of taking visual ideas further and making them your own.

Come and join our small group to draw in these different spaces as we transform sketches into compositions. Molly is a generous artist and educator and both days will be guided by her encouragement and feedback.

You can catch Molly’s latest work coming up in the MA show at City & Guilds Art School on from Tues 10 – Sat 14 September.

2x day Workshop: National Gallery to Studio
With Molly Martin
Thurs, 26 Sept, in National Gallery
Fri, 27 Sept, in the EtP studio
10-4pm each day
£95

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAc6BYtsnPj/?img_index=1

At the beginning my placement at Eye to Pencil, I assisted in preparing for The Back 2 School Show, where a group of graduates who had led workshops presented their drawing-related work. It was evident through these works that drawing was a crucial means of expression in everyone’s practice.

During the setup I had the opportunity to watch @isseyyyk and @alexhearalloneword curate the selected artworks within the studio space and observe how the works integrated with the surrounding environment. Much thought was given to how visitors would experience the show, as well as to the specific ways the artists wanted their work displayed.

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Join us for the Opening on Mon, 16 Sept, 6-9pm, of The Back 2 School Show. A group show of drawing-related work with graduates who have run workshops in the studio over the last 2 years.

Opening Times: Tues 17 – Sun 22 Sept, 12-6pm
Location: Eye to Pencil Studio

Finnissage: Sat 21 Sept, 4-6pm including a Talk with curator @isseyyyk and writer @claire11205

Curated by: @isseyyyk and @alexhearalloneword

With work by:

@miriam__ah
@patchfutures
@areena_ang
@charlieosborne.xyz
@briemoreno_
@whocas_
@rosalindduguid
@inezvalentine
@jonahalexndr
@rowanpls
@lotsagirl
@x_ryshelf_xx
@claire_voyant99
@thepegramcollection
@jaginelson
@ottomatic771
@temibandele
@millierosedobree
@temibandele
@molly_andrwws
@isseyyyk
@alexheardalloneword

Expect to see: Youtube clips, fashionable wool coats, plans for paintings, animations, etchings, extraordinary hats and more at our private view on Monday 16, 6-9pm.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAD3DnfqjbA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==