Isabella Mitchell on lockdown and escape

Reflections on lockdown, drawing and travelling by Isabella Mitchell. 

Up until April 2020, my practice was firmly rooted in drawing from life. I would take a sketchbook wherever I went, and draw what I could see, be that in a gallery or a park, sitting on a train, or in a pub or cafe. Needless to say, Covid-19 put an end to that; with my IRL subject matter reduced to the confines of my flat (and, thankfully, shared garden).

This shifted my focus back to my studio practice, which in my former fast-paced life, I had cheerfully neglected. Within the confines of four walls, I seized the opportunity to find and expand my horizons. From trying out new materials, to playing and experimenting with mediums I knew well. I took the blank pages of my calendar, and used them to create, learn and escape. I realised the value in drawing the same image multiple times, and using a new methodology or technique with each repetition. I witnessed what happened when I spent half a day on drawing, as opposed to half an hour, and learnt to relish working in a controlled environment, where I set the rules, and need never worry about rain or forgetting my pencil sharpener.

Now, in Spring 2021, and the easing of lockdown measures is in sight, it feels important to reflect back, and focus on the glimmers of hope which have come out of a deeply difficult year. A year in lockdown has given me the chance to make work I’m excited by, in ways I hadn’t before. It has opened my eyes, and filled me with ideas and inspiration which seem pivotal to my practice, and motivate me through my desire to take them further. In other words, I went on an ‘unofficial Drawing Escape’ without leaving my home, and I feel more confident for it.

So if 2020 was the year I seized the power of the studio, I hope that the next year is no different, except with an added “official” Drawing Escape, less collective isolation, more exploring new places, and invaluable time spent sketching in the sun.

​Isabella Mitchell March 2021