Emily Groves - John Busby Seabird Drawing Course 2023 Bursary Report
Being a bursary winner for the John Busby Seabird Drawing Week meant that I was able to attend the course, and gain what I think has been a completely transformative experience for my practice.
Never having been on such an immersive residency before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was worried I wouldn’t measure up to the quality of work displayed by past bursary winners. The wonderful tutors and lovely course attendees soon dispelled my worries though, as cheerful advice and concerns similar to mine were handed out. Although I was daunted by the size of the group, it turned out to be just right as I was able to chat with and benefit from seeing so many artists at work. Tips on materials, working in the wet and stopping things from blowing away were incredibly useful, as was the general camaraderie.
Another worry was my lack of knowledge of birds, but everyone was quick to share ID and facts about the different species we saw, as well as tips for learning to identify birds in the field. Working amongst other wildlife artists was wonderful and a completely new experience for me as I had never drawn with artists who enjoy being out in nature and observing wildlife as much as I do – if not more! Whenever someone spotted something interesting, there would be an excited murmur, and the special bird/whale/bug would be pointed out to whoever was nearby. It was so exciting to be able to share these moments and get them down on paper.
A big surprise for me on the course was learning to work in all kinds of weather. East Lothian is stunning, but prone to Scottish summertime, which I had not experienced before. Squalls are inevitable, and the Busby bird course does not shy away from a little (or a lot!) of rain. On a particularly tough day at St Abbs when everything I had drawn and painted had literally washed off the page, Kittie kindly pointed out that a) it takes perseverance and grit to be an artist, and that b) my umbrella had completely collapsed, so it was no wonder I was struggling. I learned an incredible amount that day despite the struggle and am sure I would not have learned those lessons had I not been on the course.
The tutors were incredibly insightful and pushed us in different ways each day. Getting the chance to visit John Busby’s studio was incredible, and inspired me even more in the second part of the course. I left wanting to do the course all over again immediately. I am convinced that the special atmosphere fostered by the course fed into my drawings in a way that would not have translated had I been drawing alone. Now I can safely say that my most treasured field drawing accessory is my umbrella, and that I will never draw a coastal scene without a seabird in it, if only to capture the shape of its scapulars!
