Megan Landes

Where are you based? 

Toronto, Canada.

What were you doing before joining the Online Drawing Development Year (ODDY)?

I am an emergency doctor and Associate Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

What appealed to you about the course? 

I don’t have any formal art education and had recently come back to my studio practice during COVID.  I was looking for a course to push my skills and work both in terms of dealing with concepts I was wrestling with but also with new materials and methods.  The online aspect meant that I could do this in a very concentrated way while also managing my work and family.

Which courses did you most enjoy or learn most from? 

I have learned something from them all - and many in ways that were surprising.  They have all been so valuable - from Drawing and Theory to Drawing Topographies: Internal and External Landscapes.

How has the ODDY impacted your practice? 

It has certainly given me the courage to develop work that I struggled to find a way into conceptually.

Is there anything that surprised you about the course? 

I am surprised that a real community has been developing throughout the year - and the strength of relationships and getting to know each other despite being on opposite sides of the world.

What are the benefits of learning online? 

It has allowed me to have minimal upheaval in my professional and family life and maximal impact for my practice.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying to the ODDY?  

This is an intense year, filled with developing approaches and concepts in drawing.  The instruction is well beyond how to do technique (and in fact rarely touches on it) and more about developing your eye and your ability to make art. If you are craving that - do it!  It’s been an incredibly valuable year.

Do you have any plans for after you've completed the course? 

I am hoping to keep this time I have carved out for my practice through the course going as dedicated studio time.  There are so many ideas and half thought out projects in response to the teaching this year - I plan to let it all soak in, reassemble it and get to work!

Follow @meganlandesart

Find out more about the Online Drawing Development Year