When we met last we tried drawing “differently” around the idea of repeat.

We made collaborative drawings in groups of 5 and 6, each group using their repeat pattern photographs as the basis for their drawing. At the very beginning every member of the group began with a clean sheet of A5 paper, everyone being aware that each drawing period was only 15 seconds long.

When the first 15 second drawing had been made everyone passed their page to the person on their left. They then proceeded for the next 15 seconds to add their own drawing on top of their neighbour’s initial layer. This drawing and passing on continued. We attempted to do this as quietly as possible – my voice over the speakers marking the passage of every 15 seconds.

At various stages, when a certain number of layers had been built up, I would request that one sheet of paper from the group be removed from circulation and set into the centre of the table. This left one person in the group with no paper for their next 15 second slot  and they were asked to close their eyes and try to concentrate only upon the sound made by everyone else drawing. They were to try to allow these sounds to form an image of its own in their mind – a visualization of the sound within the room.

Miss Orr put up notice a on the outside of the door, indicating we were doing a quiet task and we set to drawing. Initially, the practicalities of timing and passing on were a little distracting but soon we eased into a rhythm of drawing and concentration. My voice indicating 15 second periods over the speaker too became part of this rhythm.

We did this again and again, removing sheets of paper from circulation after a certain number of 15 second drawing slots.

And in the studio I listened intently to the sound of drawing.