Bristol-based artist and illustrator Cai Burton may have found the means to combine dogs and drawing. He is bringing his muses Coral, Azor, Frank and the company to his studio on Jamaica Street this Sunday for a monthly life drawing session.
Cai, who was born in Bristol, has created a body of work around observational art. His works have been shown in independent shops and art galleries.
Cai’s love for life drawing stems from a desire to see the world on a granular level.
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“I love dogs and really, it’s just an excuse for me to meet lots of cute dogs in Bristol! I’m just kidding, but I do have a dog spreadsheet of all my models which brings me so much joy,” said Cai on his upcoming dog life drawing session on Sunday, July 21.
“I love dogs and really, it’s just an excuse for me to meet lots of cute dogs in Bristol,” said the Stokes Croft-based artist Cai Burton – photo: Georgia De Lotz Photography
Cai believes that there is no such thing as a “bad sketch”, because each sketch is unique and a personal. He said: “I believe that drawing can be such a mindful process and helps you escape the busy-ness of life.
“Everyone can pick up a pencil and start sketching the world around them, even if you don’t think it’s very good. I don’t always think my sketches are very good! It’s about giving it a go, making a mark and seeing what happens.”
Last year he ran “Walking Drawing Tours” where he shared his knowledge and love of drawing with art enthusiasts but this year he wanted to marry the two great loves of his life: dogs and drawing.
“I wanted to run workshops that are fun, interesting and make people fall in love with being creative again,” he said.
The drawing sessions consist of drawing prompts and timed exercises, but Cai was quick to point out the capricious behaviour of his models.
“But dogs being dogs, they don’t always sit still perfectly. I’ll start the session by introducing all our models, what they’re like, their favourite toys and so on, before gradually setting longer and longer tasks.
“There’s opportunities to move around the space so you should get time to meet all the dogs. We’ve got big dogs and small dogs – this month will have an ex-racer Greyhound, a very gentle old Labrador, an award winning Cocker Spaniel and more.”
The space at Kit Form is a hub for a variety of art mediums and Cai believes it is the perfect setting for some life drawing sessions.
“We’re so lucky that there’s loads of space and natural light in the room itself and there’s even a bar for hot and cold drinks.”
“Everyone can pick up a pencil and start sketching the world around them, even if you don’t think it’s very good,” said Cai
Kit Form is one of 30 constituent art studios at Jamaica Street Studios which are artist-led spaces with a high proportion of professional artists of local, national, and international renown.
The sessions are monthly and run from 2pm – 4pm with the first being on Sunday, July 21, then August 18 and September 15
Book tickets through Yuup, Eventbrite and Headfirst
Main photo: Cai Burton
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