Back to the Drawing Board

10 minute Sketch of 18th Century Lady on Book Paper in Pencil by Ingrid Mida 2009

My first memory of making art goes back to age 9 when I copied drawings by Michelangelo with a stubby pencil on discarded envelopes. I continued to use scrap paper and the margins of my notebooks  to draw whenever I could and it was my drawing skills that earned me a spot in architecture at university. But somewhere along the way, I stopped drawing, thinking it more of a preliminary tool for painting than for an art form unto itself.

The death of Alexander McQueen caused me to stop and think. I also surprised myself after a recent interview when I was asked what part of my art practice gives me the most pleasure. Without hesitation, I answered drawing even though I rarely do it anymore. And then yesterday, I met with a prominent Canadian artist who looked at the sketches pinned up on my studio wall and told me my drawings were "exquisite" and suggested that I draw my own versions of toile de jouy. I laughed but what she said kept me up half the night thinking about the possibility.

I think it is time to put down my mantle of mourning and get back to the drawing board.