The Crying Games

Well it seems that the whole country has got Olympic fever.  It has defiantly made captivating viewing and artists across the UK have been inspired, myself included.  I have always enjoyed gymnastics as the closest you can get to dance (my second passion after art) in the world of sport.  However I have not gone down the obvious route of drawing the gymnasts in action, instead my attention was caught by the in between moments, when they were waiting anxiously for scores, crying, being comforted by their coach or celebrating with team mates.  With the live round the clock broadcast, it seemed to me that there was more coverage of these moments than from previous games where we probably received a more edited version.  This behind the action view provided fascinating TV, as I joined in the agonised wait for results, empathised and celebrated along with the athletes. The effort, dedication and hard work that had gone into their routines shone through in their faces and reactions, revealing individual personalities and moments with more drama than a year of soap stories.  It was this range of emotions that inspired me to create a series of drawings recording what the press have called the crying games.  

Here is a view of some of the work in progress. 

All Images © Bethany Y Milam