7pm – doors open to view the galleries
7:30pm – Finger Buffet
Talk starts just after 8pm
Haunted by the Last Tide is the collaboration between the Society of Wildlife Artists and the Vadehavet National Park to celebrate the wildlife, landscapes and people of the Danish Wadden Sea. Join writer, Colin Williams, and SWLA members Nik Pollard and Marco Brodde as they tell the story of the project and the wild and human life of the water marshes and sea.
Nik will introduce the evenings’ talk by giving a brief history of the society’s collaboration with conservation NGOs and how the society sees it’s role and the role of art in the protection of nature.
Marco, visiting from Denmark, and organiser of the Wadden Sea project, will talk about how an idea gew into two art residencies. three exhibitions and a stunning book celebrating the land and the nature in which he works and lives. A really fascinating talk bringing the best of wildlife art and conservation together.
This talk coincides with our exhibition ‘Sixty’, which is a unique display of 2D and 3D works celebrating the 60th anniversary of SWLA. There will be a chance to view this exhibition between 7 and 7:30pm.
An evening for all.
£10 per person.
To book a place on this talk, please click here.
FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 10
Course Description:
This course explores the wonderful and versatile craft of glass engraving with a drill. It’s an opportunity for beginners to learn the basic techniques and for those who have attended a previous course to expand their skills. Over the two days we will discover three different techniques, starting with surface engraving, moving on to intaglio (low relief) engraving and also exploring vitreography – printing from your engraving onto paper. You will work on both flat glass and vessels and you will come away with at least one little masterpiece of your own making! No previous experience or artistic expertise necessary to join in, but some manual dexterity is needed for this technique.
Materials List:
The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £20 which will be paid to the tutor by the participants on the day of the course.
It will be helpful for participants to bring along images that appeal to them, (drawings or photographs) to use as inspiration, and an apron or other protection for their clothes. If those with previous experience already have a drill that they regularly work with, they should bring it along.
Artist’s Profile:
Amanda Lawrence has been working with glass for over 20 years. She specialises in engraved and kiln formed glass, often combining the two. Her wildlife and landscape inspired vessels, sculptures and wall pieces are regularly featured in exhibitions around the country and she also works to commission. She is a member of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen and an Associate Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers. She has considerable experience of teaching both engraving and kiln techniques and enjoys passing on the pleasure of working with glass to other people.
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
Nature in Art’s annual Gift and Craft Fair will be held over the weekend of 28th and 29th October 2023, from 10am to 5pm each day.
The Gift and Craft Fair has been held for over 20 years and is always well attended. In 2022, we welcomed over 1,200 visitors across the two days and raised essential funds for the Nature in Art Trust. Here at Nature in Art we are extremely passionate about supporting local artists and craftspeople, helping to highlight the array of crafts available and the creativity of the people in the local area. Our event strives to have a large selection of stallholders showcasing a variety of crafts, such as jewellery, ceramics, stained glass hangings, needle felt, soaps, leather products, bead embroidery, metal work, crochet, candles, photography, blacksmith art, acrylic flood painting, prints, cards and MUCH MORE.
The fair will comprise of over 45 stalls offering a variety of handmade crafts. The stalls will be set out around the ground floor galleries of the museum, in the education centre, as well as in the garden, whilst the upper floor of the museum will remain open for viewing. The coffee shop and gift shop will also be open.
List of Stallholders: (alphabetical order by trading name)
A Crafty Moment
Alison Nash
Alison Sloggett Prints
Amanda Glanville: Maker of Tiny Glass Stuff
Ambling Press
Arts Majic
Becka’s Insects
Beverly Todd Ceramics
Chaaboo
Claire Billingsley
Cobalt Health (Charity)
Country Fabric Crafts
David Tinsley Photography
Decorque Ltd
Emma Bevan – FfolkyFfelt
Eva Glass Design
Evie Crawshaw Design
Fairy Fae
FfolkyFfelt
Field Fresh Skincare
Fire Iron Art
Funky Pheasant
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (Charity)
Ile.darasimi
Infinity & Illusion
Intricate Woodcraft
Jackie Cox
Kate Moby
Leatherwise
Maisy Make’s
Mindbender Puzzles
Natty Deco
Nature’s Inspiration
Nicole Iredale Designs
Off My Tree
Olwyn KW
RSPB Gloucestershire local group (Charity)
Silver Linings Jewellery UK
Stars Stripes and Snowflakes
Susan Lambourne
The Forest Collective
Treemendous Turning
There will be a raffle, tombola and two second hand book stalls run by Nature in Art. You can also meet Artist in Residence, Stephen Walton in the studio over the weekend.
Free parking
Location & Accessibility information
If you have any queries then please contact the Craft Fair Coordinator, Alice.
Image credit (left to right): Eva Glass Design, Natty Deco, Alison Nash
Due to cancellations there are now two places available on this course. Please email Alice to book.
Course Suitability: Beginners – Advanced
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
This is a two day course that will show you how to sketch winter landscapes with waterproof black ink pen and watercolour wash. Using photos supplied by the tutor you will be shown how to use the pen with watercolour paint both before and after painting. Techniques taught will include colour mixing, brush technique, how to paint snow, winter trees and skies, drawing with a pen and how to loosen up to achieve expressive sketches. By the end of the course you will have produced a few sketches to take home with you. Suitable for beginners and students with some knowledge of the medium.
Materials List:
Please bring with you:
- 1 x A4 or A3 (or equivalent) pad of ‘Not’ surface watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm
‘Not’ refers to the surface texture of the paper and is also known as CP (cold pressed) or
Bockingford - 1 x size 10 or 12 and 1 x size 2 or 4 round watercolour brush.
Watercolour paint, either tubes or pans.
If bringing tubes then you will need 1 white mixing palette or china plate
Basic set of colours:
Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Alizarin Crimson - 1 x black waterproof ink pen size 02, 03, 04 or 05
(I recommend one of the following: Pilot DR Drawing pen, Edding Profipen, Faber Castell
Pitt Artist Pen, Mitsubishi PinPen) - 1 x water receptacle (jam jar or plastic container)
- Tissues,
- 2B pencil,
- Eraser.
Artist’s Profile:
Jonathan Newey is an award winning artist with over 25 years of experience in teaching in adult education. He has experience in a wide variety of mediums and subjects including landscapes, wildlife and architecture in acrylic, watercolour and coloured pencil.
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 10
Course Description:
Painting can be very therapeutic, but the enjoyment can quickly disappear if you find yourself frustrated with what you produce. This class is about reintroducing you to the fun of painting, loosening your painting style and teaching you how to take the pressure off the end result. It will teach you how to be inspired to create relaxing abstract paintings but also how to feel relaxed when creating them.
Through guided exercises you will learn different painting techniques, as well as practical tips to free up your painting style. We will explore different materials, surfaces and subjects, painting to music and other ways to help you unwind and take pleasure in painting. There will be laughing as well as moments of calm and reflecting. A fun filled day learning something new and giving you the chance to relax. Suitable for all abilities, even those who have not picked up a paintbrush before.
Materials List:
The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £10, to be paid (in cash) to Christina directly on the day of the course. Please wear old clothes / apron.
Artist’s Profile:
Christina is an abstract artist based in Gloucester. Inspired by the natural world she works with inks and paints to create layers of translucent colours resulting in soothing and relaxing art.
Christina has had lots of experience in the arts and running workshops and at one stage was even the Education Officer here at Nature in Art.
She has exhibited work on the London underground, Saatchi Art and is represented by Wychwold Art Gallery. She had a pop up shop in John Lewis and produced artwork for Gloucestershire Hospital to improve their mental health in Crisis room.
Course Costs:
Members: £48
Non-members: £59
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
Booking a place:
Places will be offered on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £20 non-refundable deposit is required. If you would like to book a place, please CLICK HERE.
Here at Nature in Art we are extremely passionate about supporting local artists and craftspeople, helping to highlight the array of crafts available and the creativity of the people in the local area. Each month we host a two-day Mini Craft Market in the Education Centre, where five to ten crafters sell their unique handmade crafts.
Including but not limited to – nature crafts – paper crafts – woodwork – paintings-crochet/knitting – weaving – decoupage – cards – glass – silk painting – textile bags
- 10am – 4pm
- Education Centre
- Free to enter
The paintings of Nicholas Jones immerse the viewer in the vast space and luminous light of the Arctic. Capturing a world made up of the simplest of ingredients – ice, water, rock, and light, this exhibition offers a point of connection with the fragile beauty of this astonishing region of our planet, on whose well-being we all depend.
Nick is the 2022 winner of the Royal Geographical Societies Cherry Kearton medal. In 2018 he was the Scott Polar Research Institutes Arctic Artist in Residence, out of which these paintings were made. This exhibition will consist of around 40 of Nick’s Arctic paintings completed between 2018 and 2022. The paintings range in size from small works on paper to two-meter large canvases.
Nick’s paintings have always dealt with one main subject: the landscape. From the countryside around his Somerset home, to the Arctic landscape of Lapland, Greenland and Baffin Island, he seeks to evoke the world of nature, of hills, mountains, water, skies, trees, and above all, light.
When in 2018, Nicholas Jones was appointed as Arctic Artist in Residence with the Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute, he made a remarkable voyage along the coasts of Greenland and Baffin Island. The paintings in this exhibition are his response to the sublime light and landscapes he experienced in the Arctic, and visions of its beauty, power and simplicity. These paintings open our eyes to the beauty of nature, inviting us to a meditative contemplation of its wonders, and reminding us of the vital importance of preserving our shared home. It was for these works that the Royal Geographical Society awarded the Cherry Kearton medal, citing Nick’s “ability to ‘capture the uncapturable’: the ever-changing play of light on landscape.”
https://www.nicholasjones.info/
There is ONE space left on this course, please email Alice to book.
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Advanced
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
On this watercolour painting (or coloured pencils) workshop, Cath will take participants on an incredible journey into the secret world of ladybirds – To discover how their brightly–coloured bodies are design perfection; how they fit into ecosystems and how we all benefit from their essential presence in our lives.
As with Cath’s other courses, each student will have access to their own high-powered microscopes, as well as her large selection of ethically-sourced insect specimens and macro photos, to study and paint/sketch the hidden beauty of these much-loved bugs.
Participants will be guided by Cath’s tutorage to produce a detailed and unique painting, paying homage to the smaller things in life.
Materials List:
- Watercolours. any good quality water colours will do but Cath recommends Schmincke. Suggested colours: Titanium White; Payne’s Grey; Helio cerulean; Red Hue; Cad. Yellow; Permanent Rose; Madder Lake; Orange; Yellow Ochre;
- Brushes: – All the small ones. Brushes with short round bristles. Synthetic bristles are best: Sizes such as- 00, 000, 0000, 15/0 , 1, 2. Rosemary SER 307 and 301 are both good.
- Pencils: – 5mm HB propelling pencil for sketching in the details and shading on the leaf. 0.3mm Propelling Pentel pencil (HB) for leaf and ladybird outline. B 6/7/8 Graphite pencils for sketching in shadows. (If you can’t find propelling pencils, normal HB pencils and a sharpener will do!)
- Pens: – a range of fine line pens (back and white). Suggestions: 0.5mm “Black” fine line, water and fade proof (Mitsubishi) for a crisp outline, 0.1 “Sepia” Graphik Line Marker, lightfast pigment ink for outline and writing on the label, Uni POSCA Pen – “White” 0.7mm Mitsubishi (For the shine on the legs)
- Paper – Good quality watercolour paper. Suggestions: 100% cotton Saunders Waterford or equivalent paper. 14” x 10” 140lb. Hot pressed.
- Desk Top Easel, Palette, Jar for washing brushes
Artist’s Profile:
Cath Hodsman AMRSB, is one of the U.K’s foremost entomological artists, illustrators and teachers. Based in the Cotswolds, she has exhibited; showcased her art; or taught at many relevant esteemed venues throughout her career, including the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, R.H.S Wisley and the Natural History Museum, London. Cath believes that the best way to celebrate the importance and relevance of insects in a happy, healthy ecology, is to capture their micro beauty and anatomical intricacy. She uses microscopes in her work in order to capture beauty that is invisible to us.
Course Costs:
Members:£96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Beginners – Advanced
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
Monotype / Monoprint is an intriguing hybrid among printmaking techniques. It is neither a print nor a painting but a unique combination of both. It can be achieved by using oil paint, water based paint or printers ink, through a press or by hand burnishing. The characteristic of both processes is that no two prints are the same. This 2 day workshop is designed to introduce Mono printing to the beginner whilst allowing those who are familiar with the process to refresh their knowledge and further explore this medium. The Course will consist of demonstrations, group work and one to one tuition. At the completion of the course participants will be able to use the methods that they have learnt, at home or in their own studio. Participants are invited to bring any sketchbooks or source material of their own, however this is not a requirement.
Materials List:
The tutor will provide the required materials. The cost per person will be £10.00 which will be paid by the participants on the day of the course.
Artist’s Profile:
Nik Pollard’s paintings and drawings are generated from sustained, direct observation and are often resolved in the field. A period of dedicated study at single or related locations is a necessary part of his process. Drawing from all the senses, he investigates the rhythms and characteristics of a location and its ecology, resulting in a sense of time and place. Working with a range of mediums, he focuses on the essential aspects of what it is that has drawn him to the subject. Searching for a balance between figuration and abstraction he enjoys exploring the ambiguity and serendipity of mark making. When working in the studio he often turns to printmaking in order to pursue an idea further, substituting the thrill of the first-hand direct response with the magic of printmaking and the exploration of materials and processes that cannot easily be replicated outdoors.
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
This course has been cancelled due to Liz having an operation and will be postponed to Spring 2024. If you are interested in being contacted when a new date is arranged then please email Alice.
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
In this course Liz will teach a simple, modern interpretation of Sashiko stitching. Sashiko is a traditional Japanese decorative stitching technique, originally used to reinforce clothing. As an art form, it can be used to create a beautifully textured and melodic textile.
You will create a fabric panel of appliqued shapes with Sashiko stitching, which can be a stylised landscape or a repeat pattern of your choice. After the course, it’s up to you how you use the panel; it could be a centre-piece for a special ‘memory’ textile; applied to a cushion or a bag, or framed as a piece of artwork! These are great ideas for presents for others or a keepsake for you.
Materials List:
- Photographs of landscapes or patterns to take ideas from
- Cotton fabrics which you may like to incorporate into your Sashiko stitching to create a ‘memory’ piece.
The tutor will provide the rest of the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £5.00 which will be paid to Liz by the participants on the day of the course.
Artist’s Profile:
Liz is an exhibiting textile artist and teacher. She has more than 40 years experience of teaching children and adults in all types of educational and community settings. She delivers art workshops in her studio and further afield, including at national events. Liz is delighted to have been Artist in Residence several times at Nature in Art, including in October/ November this year. She has also lead large textile projects, with local and national participants, for a regional arts festival. Liz’s passion for natural landscape is expressed in her colourful and textural textile artwork.
https://www.lizrobertsontextiles.com/
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))