Classes taught in the Garden Studio
Very happy to announce that classes have resumed adhering to Covid-19 guidelines.
All my workshops and classes are designed to build on confidence and allow the creative juices to flow. I am a qualified teacher and have been supporting budding artists of all ages in East Lothian. I have very much enjoyed opening my garden studio up to those wishing to attend small, informal and fun classes. Please feel free to contact me with any enquiries as happy to put on bespoke classes/workshops for small groups.
Current Class
Painting Skies: 4 Week Block 21st August to 11th September
Friday 10 am to 12.30 pm £20 per person per session
Friday 21st August: Introduction to key artists notable for their skies. At this stage if you have an artist or artwork in mind, then please bring in whatever you prefer to share with the group and use in your own research/development. The intention is to start in easy and use an artwork of choice to copy. This has been a useful and enjoyable learning experience in the past for the group. Please bring in your sketchbooks or other material of choice to start building up your research.
Friday 28th August: A short introduction into the science of clouds. Just like an understanding of anatomy benefits those who like to do life drawings, understanding how a cloud is formed etc will aid the interpretation of it. More individual research time.
Friday 4th September: Quick studies of skies - different weather patterns so wispy summer, stormy, night and dawn or sunset... etc using different media.
Friday 11th September: Finishing up research or executing a single artwork to finalise the sessions.
Gift Vouchers available for purchase redeemable against classes/workshops and artworks.
Workshops in action
Environmental Art with Student Teachers
|
Over the past few years I have spent a morning at Redheugh beach in East Lothian with Postgraduate Students studying on Edinburgh Univeristy's Outdoor Environmental and Sustainability Education MSc. Having an interest in creating art from beach fragments and writing object biographies as part of visual culture, I have an affinity with their interest in using the beach environment as an educational tool.
The focus of interest is usually what does or does not belong in the environment. We consider what may be percieved as natural over un-natural or natural versus man-made. Time is also addressed - the tide marks the passage of time - this allows for further considerations to be made as to how some man-made impositions on the landscape such as footprints are eradicated quickly whilst others take longer to disappear. This activity is a precursor to the students delivering related topics to Primary school pupils. Suggested activities includes making sound maps; colour charts/maps; collecting samples from the foreshore, high tide mark and woodland and finally recording the contour lines found naturally occurring on the beach and the geometric lines of man-made objects in the area. All lines of enquiry follow the remit of belonging/not belonging. The idea of object biography is also introduced - the what/where/why/who line of enquiry or 'back story' of found objects. Evidence gathered in this way allows for further research conducted in the classroom in addition to being transferred to narratives for creative writing. They are also introduced to the practice of using viewfinders. These are readily made with strips of paper/card and staples and are easily prepared by pupils too. These are simple but effective tools to focus attention. |
|
