The first evening your tutor will share her field trip sketchbooks, introduce her biodegradable soya milk binder to paint earth pigments on cloth she’has used for the past 15 years and demonstrate how to make the colourfast pigment paint.

The workshop aims to inspire an observational sketchbook practice sharing innovative and intuitive ways to visually document resources. Connecting to land, walking is fundamental to immerse yourself in place, slowing down to notice and experience the rhythms of nature. We will spend time outside looking, gathering, stopping to observe, geology, weather, shifting light and capture the nuances of the colours using watercolour paints. With a growing awareness of sustainable creative practices and using natural materials, students can experiment in the studio, painting with earth pigments in the soya milk binder to document their observations on watercolour paper and cloth, creating beautiful, muted palettes.

The course encourages everyone to be playful, curious, building up layers to create depth, movement, texture, using experimental mark-making techniques, stitch and found objects. We will make colour studies, looking at how artists achieve subtle variations of hue, tone, shade and notice the endless possibilities when you mix one tone of colour with a bit of ochre, grey, umber to get a totally different colour.

Group discussion to encourage the importance of narrowing ones focus in order to develop ideas, discuss evaluating outcomes to expand the understanding of processes and one to one mentoring guidance to help students move forward, identifying what interests and resonates with them.

The course is suitable for beginners or established artists who want to discover the joys of a versatile observational sketchbook practice, a private reflective space to record and develop ideas and an invaluable studio reference book.

Included

On this course the tutor will supply a small selection, cloth, threads, basic mark making materials and tools. Pigment and soya beans for binder

On this course the College will supply equipment to use for the course duration.

What students need to bring

• Working on small studies, you will not need large quantities of materials: off cuts are great
• Small container or tray to set up an ‘inspiration corner
• Spiral bound watercolour pad: A5 or 5” x 7” (13cm x 18cm)
• Papers: neutral, plain, various weights: cartridge, black paper - off cuts are perfect
• Notebook/sketchbook for notes
• Paints: small box of watercolours (pocket set is OK)
• Selection of paint brushes: fine, broad, chopped ones, spatula, foam brushes
• Any favourite mark making tools
• Pens: drawing pens various sizes (pigment/waterproof ink is great) – whatever you have
• Pencils (various leads) graphite stick – whatever you have
• Cloth: calico, linen - neutral colours to paint - ½ metre or smaller
• Thread selection: fine/thicker embroidery - DMC strand thread
  • Ecru/white grey/ black perfect
• Basic hand sewing kit: various needles, pins, scissors, (tweezers are useful)
• Scalpel or craft knives, an awl (if you have one) (Stanley knife, ruler & cutting mat is provided)
• Drop cloth: couple of old tea towel or piece of cloth to work on

Available to buy

Available from shop:

• A range of brushes and drawing materials
• A variety of papers
• Some fabrics: calico scrim
• Sewing equipment, threads & needles including ones for thick thread
• Sketchbooks

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes) and bring suitable all weather outdoor clothing for collecting resources in the West Dean Garden.

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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