Here I will let you know what is happening in my studio and study – what I am working on and thinking about – drawings and writings in progress.
Sitting Monk & Sitting Stone
Although it was done back in 2007, this diptych drawing (below) is still very relevant to my current work. As well as the drawing process itself, and the subject matter, in this work I wanted to make a connection between the practice of zazen (sitting meditation) and the granite tor sitting in the landscape. This tor was one of my favourite places as a boy living in Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire. I spent a lot of time clambering around these rocks and in my imagination I always thought of this tor, and another one nearby, as being two ancient and wise presences. They always seemed reassuring, calm and grounded – no matter what the weather or the state of my tangled teenage mind. That same reassurance, calmness and groundedness is something that I experienced when I began the practice of zazen in 1965. It has been a touchstone in my life ever since. Of course, this tor also looks like a sitting monk.
