Craft Live Drawing and Mindfulness

Delivered by Karly Allen for The British Library

Take time to connect with one artwork from our collection, The Carrara Herbal manuscript (1390–1404), and be guided through drawing exercises and mindful meditation to develop close attention.

Drawing with mindfulness invites us to be more fully aware of the moment-by-moment sensations of looking at art and to tune into the movement of pencil on paper. Developing our present moment awareness like this can bring about a deeper aesthetic experience and have a positive effect on our sense of wellbeing.

Our session begins with a short meditation practice to settle the mind and awake the senses, then we’ll explore a 14th-century illustrated Herbal from our collection, through observational drawing and abstract drawn responses. The session ends with an opportunity to reflect on your experience of sustained, careful looking, before closing with a mindful pause.