A rare opportunity to see a selection of original paintings and sculptures by members of The Society of Animal Artists (SAA) produced exclusively for this exhibition. Based in the USA, the SAA has members around the world who represent the best of today’s wildlife artists. CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS
To complement this display, another gallery will be primarily dedicated to larger works by SAA members taken from the Nature in Art permanent and loan collections.
A display of work by clients of the Independence Trust. The Trust strengthens people’s emotional and physical wellbeing to support them to fulfill their potential. This display, which includes interactive elements, features new artwork by some of their clients who have found art a real help and inspiration in life. On show in the Atrium of our Education Centre.
Gold has always been the symbol of wealth, affluence and status. As the noblest of metals, it has been utilised in many applications. This display presents a selection of nature inspired works using one of the oldest embroidery techniques – employing metal threads to create articles of beauty and sumptuousness.
Hear from Ben, an Independence Trust client, who has recently returned from volunteering in the Mapesu wildlife reserve in South Africa. Ben had never been to Africa and was very anxius about it all but with support and encouragement from the trust he took the plunge, had a really memorable experience learning about the wildlife, and gained many useful practical skills.
Doors open at 6.30pm for cheese & wine, 7pm talk.
100% of the ticket price is being donated to wildlife conservation.
Art Course
with Josie Brown 10am – 5pm
Maximum Participants: 12
This workshop will introduce beginners to the various different processes for laying a range of different metals, not just gold, for use with lettering, miniatures, paintings or on its own on. For those with some experience we will explore how to achieve different textures using contrasting mordants and debossing. Participants will produce a small project of their choice, whether a gilded initial, partly gilded painting or gold on a folded gift box.
Course Cost
Members: £42
Non-members: £55
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Advanced
ART COURSE BOOKING FORM
Materials List All materials will be supplied by Josie Brown, at a cost of £7 per participant,
payable directly to her on the day.
Participants are welcome to bring any suitable materials they already have that they may wish to use.
Artist’s Profile Josie Brown is a professional calligrapher, heraldic artist and illuminator and also an accredited tutor for the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society. She is an enthusiastic and sensitive teacher who specializes in using ancient techniques in contemporary ways, offering modern uses for gold and other metals.
Art Course
with Jill Moger 10am – 5pm
Maximum Participants: 12
The aim of this course is for each student to create in clay, a section of coral reef with marine wildlife, with a view to each piece of work being a sculpture in its own right but when all are placed side by side, a more extensive reef is formed which will be exhibited at Nature in Art in December.
I will show a variety of illustrations and pieces of coral and shells and will bring my own ceramic coral reef as an example of what may be achieved. I will demonstrate how to make a variety of corals and sea creatures e.g. hermit crabs, sea cucumber, starfish, turtle etc. with an emphasis on textured surfaces and the techniques of construction. Students will be encouraged to draw ideas for their own piece of reef before beginning to create it in clay.
At the end of the course, I will take the work home to my studio in York to dry out, prior to colouring, glazing and firing. Students may specify the colours they would like me to apply. The fired and finished work will be returned to Nature in Art in time for the exhibition in December after which they may be collected.
Course Cost
Members: £84
Non-members: £110
Course Suitability: Beginners – Improvers
ART COURSE BOOKING FORM
Materials List Please bring a full apron and any small tools that you might like to experiment with on clay.
All other materials will be supplied by Jill Moger, at a cost of £10 per participant, payable directly to her on the day.
Please note: for those who wish Jill to use her kiln to fire their finished piece, an additional charge of £6 will apply, payable directly to Jill on the day.
Artist’s Profile Jill is an established ceramicist of many years’ experience. She is particularly inspired by reptiles and coral reefs. She has work in the Nature in Art collection and is one of a select group who has had a one-person show at the museum. She uses stoneware and porcelain clays to create finely detailed work which is fired in an electric kiln up to five times to enhance colours and lustered glazes.
Art Course
with Holly Brookes 10am – 5pm
Maximum Participants: 12
During this two day course participants will be introduced to sandpaper aquatint printmaking techniques. Working with pre-prepared copper plates they will first be taught how to draw, scrape and burnish an image onto the metal using specialist tools provided by me. The latter half of the course will focus on printing techniques, including how to ink and wipe the copper, use the press and print in multi-colour. By the end of the course each participant will have at least one aquatint to take home with them. All techniques used have been carefully designed to be as safe and non-toxic as possible so should be suitable for the majority of people – small amounts of white spirit are the only toxic substance used.
Course Cost
Members: £84
Non-members: £110
Course Suitability: Beginners – Improvers
ART COURSE BOOKING FORM
Materials List Materials will be supplied by Holly. The cost per person will be approx. £20, which will be paid to on the day of the course. (Extra materials e.g. a range of cooper plates, will be available to purchase if course participants wish to use them. All basic materials will be covered by the £20 fee.)
Artist’s Profile Holly Brookes has been inspired by nature for as long as she can remember. She started drawing and painting the countryside around her as a child and never stopped. In 2014 she graduated from Aberystwyth University with a First Class degree in Fine Art, specializing in Printmaking and now works as a professional artist. She particularly enjoys exploring detail and texture in her work as well as sharing her love of traditional printmaking techniques such as etching and engraving with people. She was an category winner in the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2015 and was featured on BBC TV’s Countryfile in 2016.
An evening with artists Val Briggs and Trevor Smith
Meg Stevens died in 2012 and had had a long association with Nature in Art. She spent much of her life painting out of doors producing paintings that seem to be filled with the breath of fresh air. This retrospective is largely made up of work from the family’s collection. Some items will be for sale.
Art Course
with Sophie Buckley 10am – 5pm
Maximum Participants: 12
Join Making Needle Felted Animals author Sophie Buckley, who will guide you through creating a needle felt hedgehog using a special barbed needle and soft natural wool. Learn about needle felt tools and materials, techniques including shaping, adding legs, using a special spiky fabric, facial details, symmetry and how to make the hedgehog look realistic, as well as display ideas.
You will receive needle felt tools to take away, as well as lots of inspiration for your next projects!
Needle felt kits, supplies and signed copies of the book will be available on the day.
Course Cost
Members: £42
Non-members: £55
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners onwards
ART COURSE BOOKING FORM
Materials List Materials will be provided for a fee of £6.
Artist’s Profile During her degree in Contemporary Crafts at Falmouth University, Sophie Buckley found that as well as enjoying the process of creating, she also enjoyed sharing creative skills with others. After completing a course in workshop facilitation she moved to the Gloucestershire area where she met local creative Steffi Stern, and they have worked together ever since, writing the book Making Needle Felted Animals together which came out in 2015, and have created a business based around the book called The Makerss, through which they are able to share with others their enthusiasm for making, love of natural materials, and creative skills.