Ref: S5D35964
Have you ever wondered how to maintain the freshness of your sketchbooks while making a painting? Its not enough simply to copy. Instead, the sketchbook itself has to become the subject, a fresh source of inspiration, to be walked through like a landscape, to surprise and inform you, to pick and choose what you want from it. This course is suitable for those with some drawing and painting experience and a basic understanding of their materials, or those willing to experiment from the outset.
During this course, you will be working in the house and grounds of West Dean College. You will spend two days working directly into sketchbooks, followed by three days painting in oils or acrylics (acrylics are best for a mixed media approach, but please bring whichever paints you feel most comfortable with).
During the course, you can expect to fill a concertina sketchbook, and begin two or three paintings, working towards completion of some or all of them, if this feels appropriate. Or, with discussion, taking work away to complete at home.
You will be encouraged to experiment and take risks throughout, both in your sketchbooks and in your paintings. The aim is to bridge the gap between the freedom often felt in sketchbooks, being unprecious and immediate, and the constraints sometimes felt in the process of painting. By repeating exercises in the painting process, already executed in the sketchbooks, you will practise taking risks with your work, accepting accidents and surprises as a way of moving forwards, rather than following a predictable path.
Taking your sketchbook with you, gathering different viewpoints from around the location, layering, mark-making, using mixed media throughout the pages of the concertina book, you can transfer these different viewpoints from your sketchbook into your paintings, layering and changing as you go. You will work on three or more related paintings simultaneously, for the last three days of the course, treating them more like pages of a sketchbook than as finished paintings.
As with the tutors own practice, daily meditation and breathing exercises will be introduced. Connecting the breath and body to the art of painting will help loosen up, focusing on the process, rather than the product, and being surprised by what emerges.
On the first evening, you will start with a practical exercise in a miniature sketchbook to introduce the course. You need only bring a pencil and pen for this preliminary exercise.
A concertina sketchbook each and some acrylic mediums to share for painting
Materials to bring for sketchbooks:
Materials for painting:
Available from shop: A good selection of art materials, including willow charcoal, pencils, graphite, pens, water soluble pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels, black and coloured inks, scissors, glue (Pritt Stick and PVA), masking tape, plastic erasers, oil paints and acrylic paints, black and white gouache paint (acrylic paint if not available), gesso primer, a good variety of brushes from large to small and rigger brushes, palette knives, acrylic (Perspex) palettes 50cm square, linseed oil, Zest-it, gloss medium, acrylic paint mediums - medium, gel medium and retarder, a good variety of papers, card, boards, canvases and concertina sketchbooks
Available from tutor: A1 paper at 20p/50p per sheet and any additional materials may include oil bars and specialist pens, depending on availability
You do not need to prepare for this course, as all sketchbook work will be done on the first two days. You can come with nothing but the necessary materials. However, if you have previous sketchbooks you wish to refer to, or discuss with the tutor, you may bring them. Likewise, any paintings. These could potentially be worked on during the course if relevant, but are mainly for reference only. Please do not expect to work on them until after discussion with the tutor.
Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no open toes or sandals).
Arrival day
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included)
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential
Daily timetable
Course teaching 9.15am - 5pm (lunch included)
Dinner: from 6.30pm (included for residential students)
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
Course teaching: 9.15am - 3pm (lunch included)
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
Katie studied Anthropology and Fine Art. She teaches freelance and in 2014 she received an Arts Council Award for a residency at Turner's House. Working in charcoal and oils, her work has been shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize, the Lynne Painter Stainers Prize and the RA Summer Show.
Residential option available. Find out accommodation costs and how to book here.
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