![[Picture of sketch for Swing, 1977 dave devine]](https://davedevine.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/77swing1a.jpg "Swing 1977 felt pen on cartridge paper")
This is hysterical; back in 1977, I sketched up a picture I called “Swing” in my sketch pad using felt tipped pens for colouring. I tried various combinations, thicknesses, hues, and so forth until I found something I was satisfied with.
I was trying to get down something that captured what sport meant for me. I needed the court lines, the markings, the demarcations. I needed shapes that resembled basket balls, nets, golf clubs, footballs, snooker balls, cues, colours and the like. I also wanted it to be flat, but full of implied motion, and have a quality that allows it to be hung any of the four ways and remain sensible.
I also wanted to refer to swing, the jazz music — the rhythms and beats of sport. I needed to refer to staves, clefs, and musical notes and have jazzy colours too!
Anyway. I have several notebook sketches of “Swing”, and finally, eventually and recently, I painted it on in traditional oils on a large canvas.
It is now hanging in an office in Govan, and has even been filmed by the BBC!
Sadly, I do not have a photograph of the canvas, but I have a snap of my sketch from 1977 (see above).
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