I was invited to deliver a drawing workshop for pregnant women about the visualisation of the pregnant body as part of the Creative Birth Programme.
The workshop involved exploring the pregnant body through dance, yoga and drawing. I worked in collaboration with midwife, artist, activist Laura Godfrey Isaac; and yoga teacher and artist Claire Horton, together with their wider team of creative practitioners including a contemporary dancer, and occupational therapist.
The workshop included a presentation about my arts practice and works by other artists exploring the pregnant body who I have found to be inspirational. As part of the presentation I also supplied the participants with a printed handbook about the pregnant body in art which I had designed. Following the presentation I invited the participants to think about their own experiences of pregnancy and their bodies and to make a series of drawings which expressed their thoughts, feelings, memories and observations.
Workshop participants were supplied with stencils of pregnant bodies that I had made together with suggestions, prompts, and tried and tested drawing methodologies that I have developed in my studio to help them.
I demonstrated how to make a small homemade sketch book and offered practical advice about how to maintain a daily drawing practice to record their experiences throughout the rest of their pregnancies. At the end of the session I included time for the participants to share the art work they had created with each other and for the group to give positive feedback and support to each other.
The art hour was amazing – I really enjoyed seeing all the pieces of artwork on pregnant women. I was surprised with everything that came out when we did our drawings. The next day I felt such peace, and in a positive space
-Workshop participant feedback, Creative Birth Programme: BODY
Camberwell Zen Yoga Centre, London, 7th September 2017
