Making Skills: Foundations for Further Study
This intensive four-day programme offers a practical introduction to the core making skills that underpin West Dean’s Higher Education pathways. Through focused, hands-on sessions, students will build confidence, technical ability, and studio familiarity while gaining a clear insight into the expectations and experience of HE-level study.

Designed for incoming HE students, those considering applying, and learners seeking a skills top-up, each course acts as a foundation and taster—supporting a smooth transition into, or informed decision about, further study at West Dean.

The focus of this painting course is the fifteen huge carved chalk stones created by Andy Goldsworthy in 2002 that follow a 5-mile trail from Cocking to West Dean College.

‘The trail is distributed along a network of Public Rights of Way, moving through West Dean woods via a combination of footpaths, bridleways and byways. Following the route takes you through rich countryside, including managed fields and woodlands, forests of larch and beech, hazel coppices, as well as designated nature reserves and open farmland. Climbing to various peaks along the Downs, there are views not only from West Dean but of the Cowdray Estate to the north.’ (Dixon, 2002)

The college minibus will drop us at the first chalk stone in Cocking, from where we will spend the rest of the day walking back to West Dean College, spending time at each of the chalk stones to paint/draw/photograph/write. Gathering reconnaissance material, which will be used to make paintings in the studio over the following days. The terrain may at times be uneven and steep.

The introduction of manmade features into the landscape offers a surreal implication. Huge chalk stones, echoing the shape of the moon, placed in woodland, farmland and manicured gardens, how do they relate? What are they saying? How can you make sense of these very different landscapes in the twenty-first century?

Throughout the course, you will be introduced to artists including René Magritte, Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, Ithell Colquhoun, Harold Mockford, Derek Hyatt, Flora McLachlan, Eamon Colman and Chantal Powell, all of whom bring to the attention esoteric detail, a sense of time and space, the weird and eerie by forging echoes of the past through painting the landscape.

For this course, you will need to be able to walk 5 miles over the course of the day. You will be dropped off at Cocking after breakfast by minibus and walk back to the College throughout the day. We advise comfortable walking equipment, including a rucksack, portable art materials, water bottle, carrier bag to sit on or portable stool, warm clothing/sunscreen and hat and camera.  You will be carrying your art materials and equipment with you, along with the picnic provided for lunch.  You will be back in time for supper. 

The emphasis on the course is the slow act of walking and painting, as well as being in nature, mindful of continuity observed through the cycles of the sun and the moon, the chalk stones symbolising the moon.

What students need to bring

Your preferred drawing and painting materials, including:

• Materials for fieldwork, including a rucksack
• Prepared surfaces to paint onto
• Sketchbooks
• Charcoal, fixative, putty rubber, ink
• Masking tape
• Preferred paint mediums, including if you have them:
• Watercolours, plus travel set
• Oil colours, including low odour solvents
• Brushes appropriate to paint medium
• Appropriate outdoor clothing for drawing outside, including for wet weather
• Camera/iPad or phone

Available to buy

Available from shop:

• Drawing surfaces and paper, a good selection of paints, sketchbooks, drawing materials, masking tape, fixative, paintbrushes and mediums

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear, i.e. no open-toes or sandals.

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

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