Courses & Workshops
Workshops and course are a great way to learn new skills and explore new ways to unwind and manage stress and anxiety in a relaxed environment. Below are a few of the in person courses and workshops I offer. It does not matter if you are a complete novice or an accomplished creator, I will help and guide you every step of the way.
The kettles always on in my studio, so come along, relax and discover the joy in creating.
I am proud to be an ArtMarks accredited practitioner. ArtsMark is the only creative quality standard for school and education settings, accredited by Arts Council England.
I have always believed and this is now being backed by science, the process of making is where all the wellbeing benefits are found. You don’t have to be “an artist or artistic” to achieve positive results. I see few limits to participation that explores creative play to promote positive wellbeing.
I use all of the techniques in these workshops and others in my everyday practice. When deadlines loom and I need to lighten up I go back to tried and tested ideas. They help me remember art and creating are supposed to be fun.
Mind Full to Mindful
Using a Sketchbook practice to manage positive mental health
I truly believe a sketchbook practice is a great way of managing stress and anxiety and have used this practice myself for years. My sketchbook is a place to play, relax and escape. There are no rules and no expectations. Its about letting go and being free.
This course is offered as a four or six week programme, delivered each week using the natural world and everyday items to inspire sketchbook pages. In sessions participants work through guided pages looking at specific aspects that affect mental health. Some are aimed at changing negative behaviours such as black and white thinking, this is explored with a guided page using only grey scale. Another considers managing being over whelmed, and how to make life easier to deal with. Students continue the practice at home in between visits, building skills and confidence.
My professional process is based around the fundamental belief that art and creating can help maintain positive mental health.
A regular sketchbook practice has helped me through stressful periods in my life and given me a tool to manage my mental health in a positive way. I now teach that tool to others. Each participant will end the course with a sketchbook made from recycled paper and practical skills to continue using throughout their lives.
An online version of this course is currently in the filming stage.
Print Making Basics
Mono, relief, paper lithography and eco printing exploration
In this course attendees learn the basics of a print making technique. Students explore either mono, relief printing, paper lithography or eco printing. These methods are nice introduction to print making and a simple way for anyone to achieve good results and build confidence.
The particular print making methods chosen, both connect with the environment and have sound principles. They involve simple techniques that are easy to use and can be explored and progressed further in your own time.
Workshops often begin with a foraging session, then move indoors for the printmaking. The chosen technique is then explored in detail. Soya based and other non toxic inks that are easily cleaned up provide the basis of the course. Finally, we explore the idea of enhancing prints and developing your own style.
All participants end the workshop with six to ten pieces of work printed on recycled or resource saving papers.
Make Your Mark
An exploration into the use of recycled and innovative material to explore mark making using handmade stencils, stamps and tools.
This course teaches a new way to look at incorporating found objects and recycled materials into the process of creating art. We firstly look at gathered recycled and found materials to explore other ways to reuse them. We learn how to turn these items into unique stencils and make a series of fun and interesting stamps. Next we explore the use of foraged items in mark making. Looking and creating unusual brushes & tools. We then move on to play with wax resist, cross hatching and pattern in the making of hand decorated papers.
Finally the many uses of these papers are investigated. Techniques for creating a homemade sketch or note book are demonstrated. Along with ideas for use. These include as wrapping papers and others involved in the making process. Finally the class create creatures both real and imagined as a way of exploring further uses for the papers created.
Attendees leave this course with a fun way to kick start creative thinking that can be used throughout your life.
Creative Collage
Using fabric and paper to create portraits and landscapes with added interest.
From its origins in China in 200 BC collage has provided a playful and expressive way of creating. Here students explore the use of recycled and hand made papers along with recycled fabric, to create a self portrait or landscape in collage. The act of removing paint and other media is a freeing experience for many attendees allowing them to engage with and explore a new process.
The workshop teaches the basic drawing principles of proportion and perspective in a fun and relaxed way.
Whilst the method taught allows for repositioning giving participants confidence that there is time to experiment and play without fear of making a mistake. These workshops are often filled with laughter and are one of my favourites to teach.
All participants end the workshop with a portrait or landscape created on recycled or resource saving papers.
Recycled Sculptures
Using recycled paper and card to create creatures from lizards to dogs.
A collection of recycled paper based materials are brought together to make a free standing sculpture of a chosen animal. In this workshop attendees learn the principles of sculpting with cardboard and paper. Full day workshops include how to make an armature from a reference photograph and varying construction methods. Whilst also studying techniques on how to achieve structural stability.
The method taught provides basic skills in sculpting with cardboard and can be adapted to meet varying skill levels and range of ages. By either following a pattern based programme for ease of use or a self driven more in depth course.
All participants end the workshop with a cardboard sculpture.
TESTIMONIALS
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Thank you for providing such a wonderful, engaging printing workshop for our Y5 cohort. The children gained both knowledge and skills in mono-printing and took a lot from the sessions. The work produced was beautiful and the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience, with many asking when you will be coming back in to work with us again. It was also really lovely that you brought your daughter along with you; the children spoke highly of her. Thank you for being so organised and for making the workshop so much fun for our pupils.
Teacher Review – Wath Central Primary School
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Thank you so much for your visit the other day – the children really enjoyed having the opportunity to experiment with a new technique that we wouldn’t have been able to do ourselves. The outcomes were really stunning. The children were really engaged by the session and it was accessible for all of our children. They enjoyed having time to experiment with the process and it was interesting to see how some of the children adapted their ideas after their first attempt.
Teacher Review – Wath Central Primary School
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It was really lovely to see all of the wonderful printing work done by the children during your workshop at their school. When your child comes home asking to do it all again next week, you know they’ve had a fantastic time. Thank you for using your expertise to provide such a valuable, positive experience for the children.
Year 5 Parent Review – Wath Central Primary School