Ref: SLW41032
Drawing inspiration from the beautiful surroundings of West Dean College and Gardens, this course will encourage a confident and expressive approach to your drawings. Working at a large and small scale, you will be in the studio each day following a short walk into the garden and arboretum. The act of walking itself is a way of connecting to the subject, and coming into your body. Mindful movement (Qigong) and meditation exercises will also be offered to reinforce the relationship between body and breath, the process of drawing, and the natural world.
Out in the landscape, you will make study notes as research - written and drawn (in a tiny home made field diary) - observing with all of your senses - flickers of light, textures in tree trunks, plant forms, sounds - looking for repetition and organic patterns. You will also be gathering fragments of things you find fascinating to bring back to inspire you in the studio - flints from the path, fronds of fern, pieces of bark, leaves and twigs.
Back in the studio, you will be guided through warm up drawing exercises each day, using gesture, rhythm and repetition to get the drawings started in a more abstract way. From here the drawings can develop as you allow your memory, and your research notes, to inform the drawing.
You will be drawing with charcoal and other dry materials (pencil, graphite, chalks), layering and changing the drawings over the three days. You can expect to go home with at least 2 finished drawings A1 plus size, as well as some smaller studies. These may be works in their own right or studies for a painting. This course is ideal for anyone who is fascinated with drawing from the natural world. The approaches would transfer to painting, printmaking and other projects you might work on in the future.
On this course the College will provide all materials including A1, A3, A4 cartridge paper and a 1.5 x 1.5m piece of Fabriano paper (to work with on the studio wall), a pencil, a plastic eraser, a graphite stick and a gluestick per student plus masking tape, charcoal and fixative spray to share amongst the group.
Notebook and pen/pencil.
Gardens Gatehouse Craft Shop: A range of art and craft materials are available from the Gardens Gatehouse Shop.
Available from tutor: Additional A1 paper at £1 per sheet.
Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes). Charcoal is messy so you can expect to get your clothes dirty. Please wear comfortable clothing and suitable walking clothes including hats, sunscreen and waterproofs depending on the weather.
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.
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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