Over 300 items by members of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. Artistry and craftsmanship come together in wonderful items exploiting the varied qualities of wood. From the traditional to contemporary, a diverse show also incorporating colour,carving, texture and a mix of other mediums. Exhibition includes 118 items from the Ray Key collaboration project.
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We are delighted that the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain are staging this exhibition of turned wood with nature very much in mind. It offers a wonderful opportunity to see a host of techniques exploited to bring out the beauty in wood – art from the tree. The exhibition includes a large number of pieces, of varying scales, and is made up of three different sections.
The first is ‘The Ray Key collaboration’. This came about after many part turned pieces were found in the workshop of Ray Key BEM after he died in September 2018. Ray was the founder and president of the AWGB. The part turned pieces were sent out to turners from five continents for them to finish in their own style. 118 pieces were returned revealing a vast array of different techniques and styles representing a unique collection of work. These will all be exhibited at Nature in Art and at a later date auctioned, partly in aid of the AWGB.
Ray was a very influential turner who revelled in the beauty of wood. He said, ‘My work embraces minimalism; my quest is to produce objects of beauty and elegant simplicity. I am a great believer of the object as a whole; not a disjointed assemblage of different ones. ‘Keep it simple stupid’, ‘let the wood speak for itself’ and ‘if in doubt leave it out’ are my design bywords’. One of his great delights too was his sense that in his time this ancient craft is now accepted as an ‘art form’.’
A preview of the Ray Key Collaboration pieces can be seen on the AWGB website: www.awgb.co.uk/ray-key-collaboration
The second grouping is ‘The Masters’ which showcases the work of Ray Key (the first person ever to be awarded the title), Reg Hawthorne and Stuart Mortimer. All three were awarded the title of ‘Master Turner’ by the Worshipful Company of Turners. (The Turners’ Company is one of the oldest Livery Companies in the City of London. Its origins go back to early medieval times: the first reference to a London turner dates back to 1189.) Many of these Master pieces will be available for purchase at the exhibition.
The third section are by AWGB members and are a selection of the best pieces chosen from their international seminar which took place last October along with some additional pieces from local turners. Many of these pieces will also be available for purchase at the exhibition.
For the first week of the exhibition (2nd – 7th July) we will also have a lathe and demonstrations taking place in the studio.
The AWGB is a national charity which aims to promote woodturning to ensure the craft continues and to advance education in woodturning. It currently has over 3000 members, including makers abroad, and has 50 local UK branches, including in Gloucestershire. Phil Irons, who has a spectacular large vessel in the Nature in Art collection, was elected President of AWGB earlier this year.
These little garden bird mosaics are designed to interact with their environment, reflecting and refracting light so that they change throughout the day.
On this one day workshop you will produce a stained glass mosaic bird on a stalk to brighten up your garden. You will be able to make a bird of your choice from a limited selection of shapes.
Skills covered on the course will include mapping out of your original design, basic glass cutting, stained glass mosaic techniques, and grouting techniques.
This course is suitable for all levels although glass cutting skills are a bonus.
Discover nature’s pattern book in this course inspired by the shapes, colours and textures of natural objects. Take inspiration from Nature in Art’s extensive collection of shells, feathers, seeds, bark, leaves, and pebbles. We will begin by experimenting with creating textures and marks with acrylics, before creating original images inspired by your chosen object(s). Learn about mark-making, brushwork, paint application, design and composition. This course is suitable for those new to acrylics as well as those with more experience. For pattern enthusiasts it’s a must!
This 2-day course will cover basic bird anatomy, sketching methods and techniques, the use and handling of watercolour and composing a picture.
For the more ambitious, there will be the opportunity to have a go at sketching birds in flight, which is more of a challenge.
This course is aimed at a range of ability levels, with Trevor on hand to demonstrate particular techniques and to help you develop and improve your skills.
A fantastic opportunity to meet a variety of magnificent birds of prey, from owls and hawks to falcons and eagles. The friendly team at Walks with Hawks have an inexhaustible enthusiasm and knowledge of birds of prey and will be on hand to tell you all about them!
You’ll also have a chance to join in with some fun creative activities.
Tickets: £2 per person (excluding museum galleries but including artist in residence and craft activities)
No need to book, just turn up to have some fun!
Day One
You will learn about the various mosaic materials and techniques of cutting and setting. You will make a 25cmsq panel on board on the first (or only) day.
Day Two
You will make a 30cmsq mosaic slab for the garden on a concrete paver. The tutor will assist you to make sure you have a simple bold design to mosaic. The tutor has templates available to use if need be. You will mosaic the design in reverse during the day and, if complete in time, the tutor will assist you to set the design in cement adhesive on the paver. The tutor has run this workshop numerous times and everyone always leaves with a completed paver. However, if a student has not finished the mosaic in time they can take away a paver and adhesive to fix at home. Grouting will be demonstrated but you will need to complete this at home – grout and full instructions included. Please note the concrete pavers are not suitable to be transported home on a bicycle!
We see objects because of light and in order to create realistic images of plants we need to fully understand light and observe how it reacts with our subjects to describe their shapes. In this two day workshop Ann will show you how to interpret light and shade and to accurately capture these contrasting tonal values to create a true sense of three-dimensional form and volume in your work.
Ann will demonstrate ways of creating realistic highlights and sheen and help you choose convincing shade colours to create depth in shadows so that your work will come to life on the page.
You will be able to put all this into practice on a more finished piece with full support from Ann.
“Whosoever pulls this sword from the stone is the rightful King of England”
Wizards, Magic Swords, Knights in Shining Armour, and the Throne of England. There are fights to be fought, Knights to be knighted, and quests to be… quested. See for yourself exactly how Arthur became the most renowned King of England in this madcap, hilarious retelling of the legendary English story of The Sword in the Stone.
Following their phenomenal response from last year’s The Three Musketeers, IKP are back with another unique, tongue-in-cheek adaptation of a classic story. Excellent fun for all ages – with slapstick, physical humour, fast-paced multi-rolling, and a smattering of playful innuendo for the grown-ups, IKP’s The Sword in the Stone is an unmissable Outdoor Theatre treat this Summer.
Picnics welcome. There is no seating provided, so please bring something to sit on. This production is designed to be performed in the open-air and will continue in all safe weathers.
Grounds open 7pm. Play starts 8pm
The Course will focus on botanical painting, giving the learner the opportunity to work in either watercolour or gouache. The course will be taught by Simon Williams SBA.
Gouache and watercolour are both water soluble mediums and can produce stunning paintings. Gouache is an opaque form of watercolour and is not an inferior medium to watercolour. For much of the time it is used for illustration, book design and publishing for its fantastic reproduction and vibrant colour. Throughout the course you will be guided in colour mixing, botanical accuracy, brush techniques to render fine detail and the most important skills to gaining 3 dimensional forms to botanical studies.
This course is open to people that have some drawing/painting experience, improvers and advanced levels to a precise rather than loose style of painting. Please visit the tutor’s website to see samples for the style of painting.
Focusing on joyful expression through art, this art workshop is all about discovering and reconnecting with your creative side. Offering you the chance to loosen up creatively, without expectations, in a nurturing, fun and relaxing environment. You will have the opportunity to experiment with many different art mediums, with expert tuition from Frances.
We will be experimenting with lots of different materials, and producing a great many artworks if you choose to.
Join me and discover the joy of creating something new and unexpected.
