What drawings do we make when we don’t have to draw? What is the drawing we do when we’re not paid to draw, when it’s a slow day, when we take the day off?

For What We Draw When We’re Not Drawing, commercial illustrators Kat Chadwick and Oslo Davis have independently assembled bodies of work from their respective studios — drawings, sketches and objects — made not for a client or a particular commission, but for themselves. The result is two wildly heterogeneous collections of work, unshackled by the pressures of commercial obligation, yet skilfully imbued with life, frivolity and optimism. What We Draw is an atypical peek into the lives of two busy artists when they find themselves with some fresh air.

Alongside her illustration practice, Kat is a dedicated observational drawer. A fan of life-drawing classes and ‘Daily Doodles’, she finds getting lost in the ‘act’ of drawing an equally enjoyable experience to the hyper-conscious nature of drawing for a client. For this exhibition Kat observes details of her studio workspace, paying homage to the treasured, ever-evolving family of ephemera she has chosen to surround herself with. Sitting amongst this are things by, or referencing, artists and illustrators that interest her. All this ‘stuff’ inspires, amuses, and keeps watch, as she works.

Oslo presents original pencil works that are effectively ‘serious still life cartoons’. Formal drawings are subverted with pithy, self-referential comments, second-guessing the viewer’s opinion of them. Oslo’s keen interest in drawing botanical and domestic subjects is mixed with his passions of mischief-making and self-deprecation.

In addition to their exhibited works, Kat and Oslo have installed parts of their actual studios inside the Lamington Drive gallery. Viewers are invited to get close to the two artists’ creative spaces — complete with their drawing desks, selected ephemera, art materials and studio junk — to gain a sense of the quirks and interests that underlie and drive their creative practice more broadly.