3rd August 2024

Still one of my favourite drawings. This came out of a residency I was doing with the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2012-13. I was recording rehearsals for a play called Step, performed by the Young Actors Company. I sat in on their process, sketching and taking photos for later reference, producing a series of drawings and sketches that eventually would eventually go on tour with the play. I did this drawing in response to a relaxation exercise the company were being led through - in character - and as they sat up had to name 3 things that made them happy and three things that made them sad. Which gave me the title for the drawing. I was way out of my comfort zone for this. I’d not had much experience drawing from life at the time, especially capturing moments that were gone in a second like this one. Even now, I look back on the experience as one of my prouder achievements.