Leggy Gordon

What were you doing before The Drawing Year and what drew you to apply?

Before The Drawing Year I was studying Illustration and Animation at Kingston School of Art. After doing my foundation year, I was encouraged to pursue an Illustration degree and at the time it felt like the right choice but by the end of my three years I felt that there was very little time dedicated to drawing and the confines of working to an illustration ‘brief’ wasn't allowing me to express my ideas fully. I’d never considered studying fine art so when I heard about The Drawing Year, I was immediately set on applying.  

Tell us about your practice and the part that drawing plays…   

Having studied Illustration, drawing has always been central to my practice. It allows me to gather ideas visually to translate later into final works. My practice centres around universal human experiences including mortality, grief, illness and memory. Since being on The Drawing Year I have also begun to incorporate etching and drypoint into my practice.

Which courses have most impacted your practice?

Transforming Observation: Memory and Imagination was one of the courses I did in my first term and it has really stuck with me. Before The Drawing Year, working in the life room meant being left to your own devices at an easel with a model in a traditional, sustained pose. Transforming Observation completely flipped this idea on its head. My practice is heavily based on memory and my family history and to be actively taught techniques to translate observational drawing into imagined and remembered spaces and moments was such a breakthrough moment within my practice. 

Tell us about the sense of community on the course…

It’s been wonderful to be surrounded by people with the same love and commitment to drawing. I've learnt so much from the tutors but have learnt equally as much from my classmates, including students from the Public Programme. I’ve met some really wonderful people from all sorts of creative backgrounds. One of my favourite aspects of The Drawing Year was the Wednesday Core Day; a chance to regroup each week with my course-mates and discuss things we’d all learnt from different courses. It is really special. 

Which tutors have you most enjoyed working with and why?

I have learnt so much from the tutors on the course. It's been wonderful to have conversations with practising artists whose work I have admired. So many of the tutors have such wonderful energy and are keen to have conversations with you about where and how your practice might develop. It's been wonderful to receive advice that feels genuinely tailored to how I work. In Drawing A Head, I was taught by Marcus Cornish and Ishbel Myerscough. I had invaluable conversations with both of them, learning things that have stuck with me. Before The Drawing Year I had become averse to using colour but thanks to Ishbel's advice, I found ways of reintroducing it into my work which has been extremely liberating. 

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the course?

I applied twice and got in on my second application. In hindsight I am glad that I didn’t get in on the first go. I applied with work that I thought the School would want to see and that I thought would fit with The Drawing Year ’style.’ I can see now that the work I applied with on my second application was much more true to me and how I work. I wasn't trying to fit with my idea of what I thought the School would want. Having a year in between the two applications also gave me the space to develop my practice with more of an idea of what I wanted to get from the course. I'd say try and stay true to yourself when applying and when you are on the year. You will be bombarded with so much creative information and so many new ideas. I found it important to take stock after these conversations and work out what I would take from them. 

What opportunities have arisen due to The Drawing Year?

The most wonderful opportunity for me was having the chance to completely immerse myself in print. To be able to spend a whole day in the print room and be taught step-by-step how everything works was completely revolutionary for me. At other schools you are given an induction and then expected to get on with it. At the Drawing School, you learn how to etch properly, cementing the techniques week by week. As well as that, you are shown ways of printing that might best fit your practice. Etching is now an integral part of my practice and I'm so grateful to the tutors who are so patient with students who are new to the process.

What support have the School been able to offer you, financially or personally?

Half way through the year I had to have fairly major surgery and the school made it clear that I could join the classes online, had I not been able to come back straight away. They were very flexible and understanding of the circumstances and made sure to check in with me before and after the surgery.  The support I have received while at the School has been wonderful. 

What does it mean to you that the course has no fees and a free studio space?

The fact that the course is completely free is remarkable. Being able to be there daily with full time tutoring is such a wonderful and rare thing. The lack of fees made it possible for me to throw myself fully into the courses and studio practice. The Drawing Year is truly an intense, exhausting, but extraordinary gift!