Intention setting in preparation for landscape drawing en plain air.

How I use 'sańkalpa' which is the yoga philosophy of 'intention setting' before starting a landscape drawing

My research looks at the similarities between a yoga practice and an art practice. Here’s a little snapshot of some of it without all the academic writing!

Before drawing, if I have time, I like to warm up. It’s similar to the activation of the body done before yoga practice. It loosens one up, helps one to notice areas of tension in the body which might be counterproductive to drawing and allows for experimentation of movement and marks. During this I intentionally use interoception, a skill honed in physical yoga practice of postures (asanas) to focus on muscles, breathing and emotional state. Below are examples of warm ups in a recent sketchbook:

Sketchbook page 2024 graphite, crayon, fibretip on paper 30 x 44cm.

Here I have used two hands and two materials to loosen up in pre-divided boxes. Materials are ones I use when walking to draw out in the landscape for example crayon, Inktense pencils (Derwent), fibre tips and graphite. It loosens me up and invites a sense of play.

After warming up I try to set an intention in line with saņkalpa in yogic philosophy. Examples would be that of connection, openness, enchantment, cultivation of perception of ‘now’, insight (vipassana), sitting back in the self as witness, contemplating the unconditioned ‘now’, noticing the ‘conditioned now’, observing mental and emotional disturbances (vrittis), noticing a feeling of flow and encouraging it, entering into the required state of openness, curiosity, mindfulness, awareness of senses and breath, awareness of sensory impressions, questioning what my focus is, drawing the landscape into the self (using the trataka technique), looking for connections of line in the landscape, a feeling of worship or gratitude (bhakti) or gathering of awe. There are a lot of choices here, but all related to philosophic yoga concepts or Buddhist meditation techniques. I try to choose one or two each session before I begin. I can create meaning for myself using this technique.

Notes to myself in sketchbook in preparation for the drawing above made leaning on a gate during a long walk near Chirk on a three day walking retreat in February 2024, graphite on paper 30 x 22cm.

Above is an example of me reminding myself of what intentions I could set before choosing.

Sketchbook page 2024 graphite on paper 30 x 22cm, sketches leading to further thoughts whilst adding colour back at the studio. In this case I am reminded of the concept of vrittis (mental disturbances) like ripples on water mentioned several times in the Bhagavad Gita.

In the above sketches my intention or saņkalpa was to notice the qualities of spaciousness, open-hearted union, harmony, the welcoming of nature and simplicity. I drew this over the past weekend out in Wales during a break in a fabulous singing weekend with a Natural Voice style choir taught by Susie Ennells near Llanbrynmair. The drawings, simple and quick as they are will remind me of the qualities of the whole weekend; they help to imprint the whole experience from the singing, the food, the nature of the attendees and the fabulous quality of the landscape upon me.

Do you see how this works? Could it be worth you trying? The finished product is of secondary importance - the experience is everything.

May the long time sun shine upon you!

A bientôt and comments welcomed!!

Love, as always, Clare xx