I believe mark-making and drawing to be an empowering, enjoyable tool as both a process and an outcome to help investigations about the shared world we live in… as well as being really good for our human mental health. I find drawing to be an excellent way to explore and better understand my relationships with non-human animals, with the drawing materials themselves becoming active agents within the explorations.
Alongside Drawing
The drawing and mark-making alongside minibeasts within my practice research focusses on five categories: Feelings, Sounds, Movement, Meeting Places and Bodies. I use three main embodied drawing and mark-making processes: DWL (drawing without looking at the drawing whilst you make it), DES (drawing with eyes shut) and DMB (drawing moving your body).
A ‘non-containment’ model
Within my practice research I am developing the Alongside Model of Drawing and Mark-Making Practice as a ‘non-containment’ model. I am trying to evoke the agency of the minibeasts I encounter through my drawing practice. Within our encounters I am allowing the minibeast to dictate the terms of engagement as much as possible and am not capturing or containing the minibeasts I encounter.
Dr Kay McCrann: creative multispecies worlds research visual blog 