Sally Dawn Ibbotson

My paintings and drawings are informed by dreams, meditations and nature. 

My technique; I often use a mindful drawing technique to warm-up. Gazing at an object or scene, either real or imagined, for 5 minutes whilst being in a contmplative state as far as is possible. I then draw without looking at what my hand is doing for 5 minutes. Then I draw the essence of my subject. By then I usually start playing around in what I percieve to be a delicious artistic space - liminal and earthy. I am unconcerned with what emerges - as far as possible.

I have formal training from some 50 years ago and have maintained art education and practice consistently. I was an exhibiting artist in London in the 80’s prior to training in and practicing Chinese medicine. I have been keen to return to art in a more focussed way and so took a sabbatical in 2018 to travel and draw/paint.

Creating digital art has been a way of working without a studio and far from being a limiting factor, I have enjoyed the process and felt able to grow creatively.

The COVID lock down meant that I could no longer do clinical work and so was able to spend more time creating. I discovered the wide variety of online classes and workshops that are available now and I have taken full advantage of them.

I am grateful for all my formal training, however my most recent work has been about unlearning and challenging my own beliefs about how my art 'should' be - which often related closely to how I think 'I' should be. I am a spiritually oriented person and my work is based around collaboration with Spirit, also honouring the artist in everyone and a love and appreciation for the natural world.

Limitation is a tool I appreciate - I have been moving around and travelling for some years and have come to love working on my tablet as well as keeping a paper-based sketch book. My finished artworks are currently prints of digitally drawn pieces.

Abstract expressionism is the art movement that most moves and inspires me. I enjoy Robert Motherwell, Georgina Haughton, Hilma auf Klimt, Janet Sobel, Bridget Riley, Hockney and a wide variety of other artists. I am pleased to live in a community where I am surrounded by creatives and so am influenced by the local artists who work and exhibit here - those who produce Celtic inspired art in particular. My studio is based in Forres - a small town near Inverness, Scotland.

GB