What’s On

May
7
Tue
Willow & Hazel Garden Structures with Helen Lomberg
May 7 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

FULLY BOOKED

Course Suitability: Beginners – Improvers

Maximum Capacity: 12

Course Description:

On this one-day course, you will make plant climbers, plant supports, trellises and decorative Garden Hurdles, all out of willow and hazel grown in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Helen will guide you through each stage of the process, whilst introducing you to the different varieties of willow/hazel which you can use to make your creations unique.

By the end of the day you should have been able to make 3-4 items to take home to put in the garden.

Materials List

The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £12, to be paid to the tutor on the day of the course. (Please try and bring the exact change)

Artist’s Profile

​Helen Lomberg has been making Baskets and using Willow and other Hedgerow materials for many years now. Twelve years ago she set up The Gloucestershire Arts and Crafts Centre in Westgate Street, Gloucester.

Course Cost:

A £25 non-refundable deposit is required on booking. Full course price is:

Members of Nature in Art: £55

Non-members of Nature in Art: £69

 

 

May
9
Thu
Private View of Animalia
May 9 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Join staff from Gallery Pangolin and photographer Steve Russell to view ANIMALIA, a stunning display of sculpture by Anita Mandl, and photographs by Steve Russell.

FREE, but donation appreciated.

BOOK HERE

If you have any trouble booking using the above link, please call 01452 731422 to book your place.

May
11
Sat
Resin Scenes of the Natural World with Emma Byrne
May 11 @ 10:00 am – May 12 @ 5:00 pm

   

Course Suitability: Beginners – Advanced

Maximum Capacity: 12

Course Description:

Create a bird’s eye view of the natural world using cruelty free non-toxic resin and materials from the natural world to make masterpieces free pouring onto mdf. You will have the opportunity to experiment using texture on a board to create dimensions of natural scenes from photographs or your creative minds! Perhaps an ocean atoll, wetland, riverbank environment, botanical garden, forest or a beach, the choice is yours.

We will explore creating dimension with both UV resin and epoxy to create a depth to the pieces. Adding botanicals and foraged natural elements. Over this two-day workshop you will get to experience making at least two pieces of art to take home.

Materials List:

The tutor will provide all materials at a cost of £25 (cash) per person, to be paid to Emma on the day of the course. Participants may bring home grown or locally foraged dried materials to put in their creations (i.e. sticks, shells bark, sand, dried flowers/leaves). These must be dried to put into resin to avoid mould occurring and humidity within the pieces.

Artist’s Profile:

​Emma is a self taught mixed media artist who discovered resin during being furloughed in 2020 when she set up Nature’s Inspiration. She has experimented with many techniques and resins so can answer your queries on which is best to use. Having spent a huge amount of time of time growing, nurturing and drying botanicals she uses many in her resin work alongside those she forages locally within the countryside code.

Emma is part of a collective at Gloucestershire Arts & Crafts and The Beckford Collective and teaches workshops around the county in The Cotswolds, Worcestershire & Oxfordshire.

Emma was also awarded the LuxLife winner of Best Nature-Inspired Vegan Resin Art & Gifts 2023 – South West England under the The Perfect Gift Awards 2023 category.

www.naturesinspiration.co.uk

Course Cost:

A £25 non-refundable deposit is required on booking. Full course price is:

Members of Nature in Art: £110

Non-members of Nature in Art: £138

To book a place on this course, please click here.

May
18
Sat
Mini Craft Market
May 18 @ 10:00 am – May 19 @ 4:00 pm

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. On various weekends throughout the year we host a two-day Mini Craft Market in the Education Centre, where five to ten crafters sell their unique handmade crafts.

Previous crafts have included:  nature crafts – paper crafts, woodwork, paintings, crochet/knitting, weaving, decoupage, cards, glass,  silk painting,  textile bags,  jewellery, resin art,  flood painting…

  • 10am – 4pm
  • Education Centre
  • Free to enter
May
20
Mon
National Garden Scheme Opening
May 20 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

On Monday 20th May 2024, we are opening our Sculpture Garden as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS).

The garden at Nature in Art is an expression of the art found in nature. A space that continues to evolve over the years and has been a journey of transformation. Dedicated volunteers have created a haven for wildlife with several ponds, a heritage apple orchard, championing old local varieties and beautiful flower beds.

Specially for the opening, find some new sculptures in the garden, inspired by Nature. Metal artist MissFire, Blacksmith Joanna Williams (FireIronArt) and contemporary artist blacksmith, Jenny Pickford. Jenny has previously exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

There will be a plant sale and book sale in aid of the charitable Trust that runs Nature in Art. (Please bring some cash!)

There will also be a chance to find out information and ask questions about beekeeping (with the beekeeper who looks after our hive) and compost (with the local Master Composters).

MissFire will be artist in residence. The museum gift shop will be open and the coffee shop will be serving hot and cold drinks and cakes.

Entrance Fee: £6.50 for adults. Children are free. This includes entry into the museum and artist’s studio. Please pay on the day in the shop.

All entrance money will go directly to NGS, who have donated over £67 million to nursing and health charities over the years and in 2022 donated £3.11 million to their beneficiaries including: Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Parkinson’s UK, Carers Trust and The Queen’s Nursing Institute. https://ngs.org.uk/

 

   

 

May
21
Tue
Painting Birds & Butterflies (oils/acrylic) with Lucy Burton
May 21 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

FULLY BOOKED

Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Advanced

Maximum Capacity: 12

Course Description:

Together we will work through a stage by stage process to create a painting of a bird or butterfly in Oils or Acrylics- using an ‘islands to oceans’ method of working.  We are aiming to make the eyes come alive and create a painting full of energy and vibrant colour.  I hope to inspire you with some new ideas and techniques to take away with you and apply to your own work.

Images will be supplied for you to work from …but if you want to work from your own image please bring it as both a photo and a print out (see below). For good (free to use) reference images see www.pixabay.com

The better the reference image – the better the painting!

Materials List:

What will be supplied:

  • 8” x 8” gessoboard

What to bring:

  • A colour photograph of your image on an ipad/ tablet. Or printed off at least 5” x 5”.
  • A black and white print out of your square cropped image as large as you can make it on an A4 piece of paper eg:
  • A selection brushes eg. Rosemary Ivory Short Flats nos. 2,3,5, Ivory Filbert size 0
  • A selection of artist quality paints oils or acrylics eg. Daler Rowney starter set.
  • Palette knife – eg. Winsor and Newton size 22
  • Paper Palette and a box to take your work home in.
  • Oils only: A jar and some low odour thinners/ white spirit substitute for cleaning your brushes, some rags or plenty of tissues to wipe brushes clean.

Optional extra items

  • ‘Liquin’ painting medium if working in oils
  • A ‘Stay-wet’ palette if working in acrylics

Artist’s Profile

​Lucy is an oil painter and teacher, living in Leamington Spa.  Whatever the subject matter, Lucy encourages students to apply the paint in a dynamic and interesting way: focusing on colour mixing, brushwork and composition. She paints commissions, sells her work and exhibits locally with ‘Leamington Studio Artists’ and has also worked as the ‘Artist in Residence’ at ‘The Artroom’ Gallery in Leamington, painted live at ‘Blenheim Palace Flower Show’ , been a wildcard artist on ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ and exhibited with ‘Warwickshire Open Studios’. Find out more about Lucy at www.lucyburtonart.com

Course Cost:

A £25 non-refundable deposit is required on booking. Full course price is:

Members of Nature in Art: £55

Non-members of Nature in Art: £69

 

May
25
Sat
TWASI
May 25 – Jun 2 all-day

 

The annual selling exhibition of the Wildlife Art Society International (TWASI). Over 320 works both 2D and 3D. The society provides a focus for the interests of wildlife artists, painters, sculptors and photographers both professional and part time.

TWASI was founded in 1992 and has grown to be one of the leading Wildlife Art Societies in the UK and continues to grow in recognition internationally.

The basic aims of the Society are the promotion of the wildlife art genre in its own right, whilst providing a focus for the interests of all wildlife artists, painters, sculptors and photographers whether they are professional, serious amateur or leisure artists.

There will be demonstrations everyday.

The exhibition will be held in a marquee on the front lawn. Free Entry.

Words of the Natural World
May 25 – Jun 2 all-day

An exhibition of work by Gloucestershire Lettering Arts embracing diverse calligraphy and lettering on the wall, in books, on boxes, pots and textiles. A wide range of styles and techniques transforming words into beautiful works of art. Demonstrations every day.

The group began life as Glevum Scribes, founded in 1991 by professional scribes, sculptors, engravers and tutors, who wished to form a group for people to share their lettering-based interests and to learn from each other. It continues to flourish with a membership of over 60 people.

This exhibition will take place in the Atrium of the Education Centre. Free entry.

Origami – Spring Into Action with Tony O’Hare
May 25 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

COURSE CANCELLED

Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Improvers

Maximum Capacity: 12

Course Description:

This fun & interesting one day course will provide an introduction to making origami wildlife – animal, birds, insects, flowers, fungi and other natural forms, including “action models” that jump, flap, fly or just look beautiful.

Origami is the Japanese art of paper-folding, and this course is suitable for absolute beginners through to improvers. Tony will introduce students to, and explore with them, a range of basic and more involved origami techniques, styles and paper types and their application to the art.

Tony has a particular interest in “upcycling” paper products such as tourist leaflets, flyers, post cards, old magazines etc, and these materials will be used whenever possible and appropriate during the day. Expect a hands-on and fun course and leave with a boxful of paper creations, and ideas to explore further.

Materials List:

The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. *The cost per person will be £3 per person (cash) which will be paid to Tony by the participants on the day of the course.

Artist’s Profile:

​Tony O’Hare is an origami artist living in Monmouth. He has folded paper since childhood, and was Chair of the British Origami Society (BOS) from 2016-2022. He has created hundreds of his own designs on a variety of subjects, and has had 4 booklets of his original work published by the BOS. Tony tends to focus on the natural world and subjects close to home, often with a humorous angle to them. Tony’s origami motto is “Keep folding, Keep Smiling”.

See Tony’s website www.smiley-origami.me.uk or his Facebook page www.facebook.com/smileyorigami for more information.

 

 

Jun
1
Sat
Watercolours for Beginners & Aspiring Artists with Marion (Maz) Ferraby
Jun 1 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

FULLY BOOKED

Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Beginners

Maximum Capacity: 12

Course Description:

We will be exploring different techniques in watercolour painting including loose watercolour, wet-in-wet etc. This course is suitable for the beginner so come along and have fun. We will aim to produce a painting of an animal of your choice.

Materials List:

Please bring with you a front facing picture of an animal or bird of your choice.

The tutor will provide the rest of the required materials for course participants. *The cost per person will be £10 (cash) which will be paid to me by the participants on the day of the course.

Artist’s Profile:

​Maz is a retired primary school teacher and has been painting and crafting with nature for about 10 years. She regularly sells work at local craft fayres and is a volunteer at Nature in Art where she assists with the teaching of children and adults.  Maz has previously run a beginner watercolour course  at Gloucester Arts & Crafts Group.

Course Cost:

A £25 non-refundable deposit is required on booking. Full course price is:

Members of Nature in Art: £55

Non-members of Nature in Art: £69

To book a place on this course, please click here.