01.Community Stories_ Dynamic drawing classes
40 Days of Drawing meet Ron and Liz from Dynamic Drawing classes in Australia
I met Ron and Liz 12 years ago. Back then, among a few other jobs, I did a fair bit of modeling for art classes, and when I moved to Australia in my mid-twenties, I found a few venues to model in the Byron Shire. I found the Dynamic Drawing Classes online and sent Ron an email, he told me to come over at the end of one of the classes to introduce myself. I did and was moved right away by Ron and Liz’s (his partner and fellow artist) charisma. We’d agreed on a date when I would model for their classes.
In my first class, we agreed that my partner and I would model. While one of us model, the other one could draw. I was excited about this experiment. As soon as we started, I understood their classes were like no other I had ever been before. I understood the full house - people from all ages, and all walks of life. I was fascinated by the heterogeneous group of people all so focused and dedicated to their drawing. As a model, the class was quite enjoyable, with lots of short poses, and a few longer poses. It was never about how still we could stay or for how long. The only request was to be ourselves fully, and in that way be an active part of their student's drawings. Something that until then i had never heard in any class. So a model was an active element in the class.
As someone who loved to draw (and hadn’t drawn in years), I felt truly inspired to immerse myself in it. While I modeled, I felt like I was absorbing all that wisdom and energy from Ron’s words, as well as all the amazing artists around me. I was amazed at the depth of the guidance, and how simple yet so poignant everything was. Suddenly drawing felt like a starting point for something much larger than itself.
During the two years, I lived in the shire, I modeled and drew at the Dynamic Drawing classes quite often, and in doing so I met many of the regular artists, and felt so welcomed and part of that community.
Fast forward to 2020, 6 years since I left Australia. The world stopped and like many, I was locked at my Amsterdam home for a long time. During that period for the first time since Australia, I went back to drawing. I didn’t know where to start, I kept it simple, intuitive lines, mainly using pens, markers, and ink. I remembered some of the exercises from class and tried to emulate them. No model, just a desire to use my hands, and transcend somehow from that intense lockdown experience. During those months drawing became a regular to-go place, and I developed an intuitive practice that allowed me to disconnect from the computer, and the news while connecting with my inner self. This beautiful discovery became a massive support while recovering from my burnout a year later. I developed a few techniques that started to help me to reach emotions that could not express otherwise.
Looking back, I know the learnings from the Dynamic Drawing classes were so influential for what has become the foundation for the 40 days of drawing project.
On my recent visit to Australia, Ron and Liz were among the people I had to see, and the classes in my absolute To-Do list. I had the chance to go to 2 classes, now happening in Brunswick Heads a beautiful small coastal town. The classes are still full of people from all walks in life. Some old faces and many new ones. Ron’s warm guidance is as poignant as I remembered. He pushes you to show up to class and do the work you need to do. As he says he’s not there to teach anyone to draw, simply to welcome us to join the conversation of mark-making and let the practice unfold as we do so. He’s there guiding you while drawing, taking each of us by the hand.
In our so overly connected world, part of me wishes these classes could be in an online setting, and that more people could have the chance to experience them. However, like all great things in life, they are to be experienced there, life.
Ron and Liz invited me to their beautiful home in Ocean Shores where we had tea and talked about art and life, intertwined. They showed me some books, and some of their art collection, told me stories from 25 years ago when the classes started, and how they sit on the couch every night and draw side by side. Finally, they took me to their studio and showed me a lot of their work (as seen in the photos). It’s raw and powerful and I cannot get enough of it, and them all together. If you ever travel to the Northern Rivers in Australia, do yourself a favor and visit them in their weekly classes in Brunswick Heads. Find all the information here.
https://www.dynamicdrawing.com.au/
