A Sustainable Art Practice

Source Draw Eat Sell Repeat

There’s a lot to consider about sustainability in our art practices and lives. How deep does our individual carbon/ toxic footprint go? I do think about what I use and reuse, how can I be less wasteful and therefore have a more sustainable approach to the way I live and work.

Fish

I’ve been drawing fish lately. This started in Lockdown 1 so it’s about a year. Matt from Flushing started to appear in Truro on a Saturday morning with his Dad’s catch of the day. In those first weeks of the lockdown this was something to look forward to, a real treat. It got me thinking about the industry of food production, local businesses and about fish.

I wanted to celebrate the catch by drawing and recording the animal before eating. What fine creatures they are, each an incredible edible landscape of pattern, colour and texture. How to capture the shine, the otherness of these wonderful creatures.

Art and Food

I approach the drawing like a cook - deciding that one fish can go a long way and produce 9 small sketches. Sometimes I decide I want to celebrate its magnificence and draw a massive fish - over a metre in length taking up the kitchen floor.

Preparation is key I lay my catch on a bed of ice and work quickly especially as this is my food for later. Selecting inks, pastels. charcoal and a mixture of brush sizes - I lay out the ingredients for the plate/page. Picking up on a colour in the fish I decide that this is going to be the dominant flavour of the drawing.

The eyes glisten telling me how fresh it is, they are comical, ugly and other-worldly. I imagine the fish gliding through water. So I praise it by drawing it. Holding it up high to say thanks.

“Oh! What A Beauty I’ve Never Seen One Quite As Big Before”

Inspiration comes from many sources, moving near the sea it comes from the water and what lives and feeds us from it. Embracing a sustainable practice: I buy, draw, eat and sell my fish. A circular economy and hopefully a sustainable one.

This Gilthead Bream was bought locally, there is probably more to the story of this fine fish, it’s likely to be from the Mediterranean. It’s great to be able to buy from a local fishmongers and to ask how your fish got there. I also checked in at Cornwallgoodseafoodguide to learn more. This farmed Bream has come a long way to end up on my plate. Where has your dinner come from?

See my latest Catch Of The Day here