In preparation for this week’s mark-making session with Jo Boddy, I dusted off my charcoal box. I haven’t used charcoal for quite a while.

During the session we were instructed to make marks and to think about the context of our practice whilst doing it. We were then paired up and gave each other instructions as to how to make further marks with a view to giving up control, something that I’ve been exploring myself recently. I was instructed to keep my charcoal on the paper and to vary the pressure. We then folded and creased our paper, again taking instructions for a second round of folding – fold an edge as if wrapping a present. This reminded me of our workshop with Christian Azolan in last year’s Low Res – I love how folding and unfolded adds a different dimension, creates shadows, particularly where I had torn the page from my sketchbook.

We took photographs of our piece and uploaded it to the miro board, giving it a title, taking it in turns to talk about it with the rest of the group. I called mine ‘Process’ because it evidenced my process – you can see where I exerted different pressure as I made my marks, how where I folded the paper the charcoal was smudged by my finger and the charcoal left a ghostly print on the opposite part of the paper.

The process felt totally comfortable.

After the session, I carried on doing some more mark-making.

I really enjoy using the charcoal on its side, moving it up and down and rotating it on itself. I used a thick stick as well as a thin stick of willow charcoal. Because I was able to press down harder on the thicker stick I managed to achieve a greater range of tone.

The one above reminds me of coastal cliffs.

I then got the plastic eraser out.

I really like the one above. It feels really dynamic. I really like the effect of using the eraser perpendicularly to horizontal lines of varying thicknesses. Doing it alternately, reminds me of Bakewell tarts or Missoni.