Contemporary still life course diary 19-20 May 2018 We enjoyed a wonderful sunshine filled studio this weekend when a lovely group of students joined me in the studio to learn how to re-think still life drawing on the Contemporary still life course. Ability levels ranged from beginner to intermediate which brought a great mix of […]
3 word summary: “Experience, interesting, improving” Leonie I was happy to see the very first Sunday art class for children and teenagers begin on 18 March 2018. We had been working really hard to get all the foundations prepared in time, so were a little taken aback when Greater Manchester found itself amidst one of […]
Cityscapes: urban sketching course diary We had a small group of students brave enough to venture out into the outside elements after a really cold spell over the previous few weeks. The weather held out for us and we managed to get out to visit a few locations in Ancoats and New Islington during the […]
We started this 6 session course late in January on a Monday evening. The studio was full with 10 excited students willing to take the plunge and go beyond their comfort zones to improve their drawing and understanding of being creative. The course presents ideas about creativity and perception to make students question why they […]
Creative drawing: introduction What a fabulous course this was to teach this weekend – with a full studio of enthusiastic students from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, we all shared our experiences and stories which made the weekend that much richer and interesting. It’s what I love about teaching adults – everyone has […]
Last weekend I enjoyed a fantastic weekend with a full studio radiating energy, enthusiasm and creativity. We began by exploring mark-making and delving deeper into the artistic mark-making process. Creativity, playfulness and the willingness to play were the essential ingredients this weekend. It was heartwarming that 2 students traveled from Glasgow to attend my courses. […]
Tonight was the start of another Essential Drawing Foundations course. I only teach this twice a year at the moment, so I always look forward to it arriving. The course content is largely based on Heather Spears’s book ‘The Creative Eye’ which is a kind of training manual to help you change your approach to […]
Another sun-filled weekend in my studio teaching the very first Creative drawing: next steps course with 6 students. We enjoyed a very full weekend learning about ‘road maps’ to drawing, how to develop compositions, drawing exercises to improve how we ‘see’ objects more accurately, playing and experimenting with materials and the value of doing preparatory […]
We started another 6 weeks of the Art Elements course last week. This course has a really interesting mix of students ranging from in age from retired, to those in their 20s – 30s working in an eclectic mix of professions, from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities – it’s what makes teaching in a […]
What did the students learn?The Drawing techniques evening course allows students the opportunity to explore and learn ways of developing their drawing skills in a fine art approach to making art. The course questions creativity and why we often struggle to draw what we see in front of us – why is the simple […]
Mixed media Diary: 26-27 Nov 2016 The Mixed media: textures course this weekend was a really fun filled weekend of experimentation, exploration and a lot of interaction between the students comparing results, sharing ideas and techniques and learning from each other. I did lots of technique demonstrations for the students which them enabled them to go […]
The Art Elements Diary: Nov-Dec 2016 This course introduces students to all the Art Elements. It is based on my 20 years of teaching adults and realizing that there are certain things that are commonly overlooked or misunderstood about using line, tone, colour, shape, form, and pattern. This course tries to address the basics and ‘open the […]
Abstract Art Diary: 12-13 Nov 2016 The Abstract Art 2-day course this weekend was a vibrant, exciting and fun filled weekend of creativity and learning. I taught students the language of abstract art, understanding how all the art elements come together to create dynamic and exciting compositions. The Abstract Art weekend really is an exploration, a […]
Creative sketchbooks Diary: 29-30 Oct 2016 Discover what the students got up to during this course. The exercises, the experimentation, the finished drawings. The course enables students to learn how and why they need to keep an artists sketchbook. How it will help them develop creative ideas, develop techniques and discover new imagery to develop new […]
Discover what the students got up to during this Experimental Drawing course. The exercises, the experimentation, the finished drawings. This course helps students build up a wealth of mark making techniques which can then be applied to whatever their usual style of drawing is – abstract or representational. The course concentrates on abstract non-representational mark […]
