Draw Together: Louise Bourgeois Heart Spirals

                                                                

                                                

                                                                      Heart Spiral Drawing Video

We are a DrawTogether Classroom! Our first Draw Together Activity is about art and relaxation... 

The Heart Spiral was inspired by cartoonist, writer and educator Lynda Barry. Lynda believes drawing spirals helps people get out of their head and into their bodies. (We strongly agree!) In this episode, we meet another artist with a spiral drawing practice: Louise Bourgeois. 

Louise Bourgeois, Untitled, 1970. Watercolor and charcoal on paper.

Louise made drawings constantly from her home in New York (and before that France) until she passed away at 98. Best known for her large scale installation and sculptures, she also drew, carved, printed and painted spirals using all sorts of materials She even created spirals using text. She said, “I love the spiral. It represents control and freedom.” Louise believed the direction in which you draw a spiral changes how you feel: when you draw outside in, you feel in control. Draw inside out, you feel a sense of freedom. 

Exhibition Installation “Louise Bourgeois: Spiral, Cheim & Read,” New York, 2018.

Louise Bourgeois, Untitled, 1947.

In today’s DrawTogether podcast, we explore Louise’s hypothesis. I’d love to know - did drawing a heart spiral change the way you feel? Did you notice a difference between the two? Let me know in the comments below. And I’d also love to see your finished drawings.