The Doodle Portrait art residency is going ahead! I had a lovely meeting with Ebony Paz, owner of Sonder Coffee last week and we set the dates and confirmed the plan.
Sonder
The name of the cafe - Sonder - is described beautifully on their our story web page. Here it is quoted almost in full:
"It is the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—filled with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once."
There is a lovely connection with doodly portraits which touch on that random vividness and trace it in a moment on paper. I plan to keep the work quick. I will do three 8 minute portraits of each participant. I've found the quick ones have the best energy and spirit.
Action
I will be in the cafe for about an hour everyday (except Saturday), for 3 weeks starting on Monday 23 January. The hour is divided into two half hour slots (one per participant).
Free Giveaway
As a thank you to participants, I will be giving each doodle poser a free A4 print (to be collected from Sonder Coffee the next day).
Art Prints
High quality (archival ink) prints will also be available in the shop. Through the partnership with art printer Contrado, I can also offer prints on various products. Watch this space...
Aim
My aim with the residency is primarily to connect with people and share creatively. It's no good working away in your artist's garret and never sharing anything in the real world! Much as I enjoy social media, life needs real world experiences as well.
Show
Like 'Open Studios' a residency is also a good way to exhibit work.
Sonder Coffee shop has just freshened up this January with a lick of deep midnight blue paint on the first floor. Ebony is hoping that some of the Doodle Portraits will fit in with her art selection for the walls, which include black and white street photography by a local photographer.
Full event details and booking
ShimmyShim.com/dpatsonder (link goes through to Eventbrite)
High Street Gate to Cathedral Close, just across from Sonder Coffee, Salisbury UK