Course Suitability: Suitable for all

Maximum Participants: 12

Course Description:

Day one of this course will introduce you to the natural beauty of mineral and earth pigments and reveal the art of transforming them from pigment into paint. You will work with red, purple and orange ochre foraged by the artist from within the UK, and learn the secrets of exotic lapis lazuli from Afganistan and the subtlety of green earth from Italy. The artist will bring raw samples to demonstrate the process and participants will be able to mull pigments into watercolour paint to experiment with the following day.

On day two Fiona will guide you through a workshop to draw and paint from exquisite natural objects using the paints you have made on beautiful handmade watercolour paper. This natural media is much more delicate than manufactured paints, requiring patience, delicacy and a variety of layering techniques which Fiona will show you.

Materials Required:

Materials will be provided within the session for a charge of £15 payable on the day. Please also bring:

Rounds small, medium and large.
Flats small, medium and large
One fan brush hogshair
Apron
Protective goggles only necessary if you wear contact lenses
Empty watercolour box if you have it otherwise don’t worry

About the artist: 

Fiona McIntyre ARE is an experienced tutor based in Gloucestershire. She trained in drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art followed by printmaking and fresco in Sweden, then an MA at Winchester School of Art in Barcelona. She is a founding member of The Arborealists and an elected member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. In 2022 she completed a six month residency at the Sidney Nolan Trust to develop a body of work for the exhibition ‘Dreaming The Land’, made entirely with natural pigments and inks. Fiona is passionate about sharing her knowledge of raw materials and teaches drawing as the backbone of good painting. She combines observational techniques with intuitive colour accessible at all levels. Fiona is a regular tutor at New Brewery Arts in Cirencester near where her studio is and has a loyal student following. She has exhibited in over 40 exhibitions in the UK, Gibraltar, France, Norway, Sweden, and her artwork is in the permanent collection of the Ashmolean and Bohuslan Konstmuseum Sweden.

Places are on a first come first basis.

To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.

All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 for non-members.