“The Observational Drawing Club provides artists of all skill levels an opportunity to meet, share ideas, and learn off of one another. The Club’s dedicated representatives plan active and thought-provoking programmes which would draw out anyone’s innate love for art. Personally, I sought out the club seeking a place where I could communicate with other artists as I believed I had reached the limits of what my artstyle could achieve by itself. The club features numerous artistic methods, styles, goodies, and guest stars, along with a friendly crew who never fail to produce awe-inspiring artwork.”
– Murray Beers, Club Member
There are as many ways to draw as there are people. The Observational Drawing Club (ODC) aims to encourage the unique and individual act of drawing to understand and observe our surrounding environments. Exploring various mediums and forms, our club promotes a reciprocal space that fosters the exchange of ideas and skills amongst a creative community.
Our president, Jackson, founded the club late last year. “I had always intended to create some sort of group where people could come and share their passions for drawing and creating,” writes Jackson. “In the wake of the pandemic, it was this potential for creative engagement that fell by the wayside. I wanted it to be a safe space where anyone who wanted to try creating something new, at any level of experience, could come to develop skills through conversations and workshops”
The club initially started as a group that connected students undertaking the undergrad architecture degree; however, it soon expanded as students from other degrees started to join in our weekly sessions. Setting the precedent for this year, the club execs were astonished by the level of engagement at our O-Week stall, especially at those who participated in our “60 Second Drawing Challenge”. You can check out the amazing drawings from O-Week and our weekly sessions on our Instagram page @uon_odc!
With the days on Zoom behind us, and the return to face-to-face sessions this year, the club has been able to expand its capabilities to further establish its creative community. Jackson writes, “Drawing and any mode of creative practice is best nurtured in the company of enthusiastic and like-minded people which has made itself abundantly clear with every art-making session, guest appearance, and site visit we have hosted so far. We hope to continue providing a platform for people to build relationships and skills in their individual and wider fields.”
Interested in joining ODC? Our club is inclusive to all students from the University of Newcastle. We have an annual membership fee of $10 to assist with funding club events. With each membership, a free complimentary club t-shirt will be provided! For more information and to pay for a membership, please head to https://observationaldrawingclub.bigcartel.com/product/2022-club-membership-free-club-shirt.
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