Pigments into paint with Fiona McIntyre
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.
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Join us on this exciting course, exploring the artistic skills and techniques of sketching buildings with pen and wash. Over two inspiring days, you will delve into the fusion of pen techniques and watercolour washes, learning skills such as perspective, proportion, colour mixing and how to loosen up. Led by an experienced tutor, the workshop offers hands-on guidance in capturing the essence of buildings with precision and expressive flair. From foundational drawing skills to the harmonious blending of watercolour hues, attendees will discover a versatile approach to urban sketching. Suitable for beginners and students with some knowledge of the medium. www.jonathannewey.com
Materials Required:
Materials will be supplied by the tutor at a cost of £30 to be paid on the day.
Should the students wish to use their own tools and materials rather than buying a set from the tutor then they are welcome to bring them along.
A full list of what is needed can be obtained from the tutor jnewey210@gmail.com
About the artist:
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.
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 per day for non-members
Mosaic Chicken with Erica Bibbings
Join me on a Mosaic Chicken Workshop. You will learn to cut and shape tesserae and how to position them for best effect. Learn about adhesives and the grouting process. Experiment with glass, ceramic, china and mirror to create a colourful mosaic on an MDF base. 
Suitable for all abilities. All tools and materials are provided.
£20 materials charge to be paid on the day.
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.
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Join artist Jamie Boots for a two-day exploration into the nuanced world of graphite pencil art. This workshop delves beyond basic sketching, offering insights into the subtle techniques that breathe life into your creations. Participants will discover the art of manipulating pencil sharpness, pressure and tones to convey the fine details such as skin textures and expressive eyes.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session.
SORRY, THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL
Please note that all courses are £59 per day for members, £75 for non-members, and a £25 deposit is required upon booking.
Glass Engraving in Black & White and Colour with Amanda Lawrence
Suitable for Beginners to Improvers
10 places available
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 introductory course to expand their skills. Over the two days we will discover several different techniques, including surface engraving, creating a 3D effect with intaglio (low relief) engraving, and a couple of different ways to include colour in your engraving. 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.
There is a £20 charge for materials, to be paid to the tutor.
£118 for members / £150 for non-members
Watercolour with John Horton
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
I found, early on, running courses, that a good structure was the most beneficial format. We explore colour mixing using a limited palette and the use of different brush types to develop the painting. I will go through creating the picture stage by stage and although we are all working on the same composition , because of the wonderful nature of watercolour, no two pictures will be the same. Exciting things happen!
www.johnhorton.co.uk
Materials Required:
I supply a sheet of A3 200 lb Two Rivers handmade watercolour paper with a composition lightly marked out with 4H pencil. Cost £4 per person. PLEASE BRING: Palette: Ideally 2 large white plates to build up areas for colour washes. Brushes: Wash brushes up to 5cms width. and a variety of watercolour brushes. I favour Pro Arte riggers. 0 to 6. Paint: I use artists quality Winsor and Newton paints: permanent rose, permanent magenta, cadmium yellow, cadmium lemon and cobalt blue. If you don’t have these or don’t wish to buy them bring cobalt blue (sky colour) a red and a yellow. Miscellaneous: Hair dryer, kitchen roll and a few scraps of watercolour paper to test colour mixes. Supplies: www.jacksonsart.com
About the artist:
I have always been fascinated as an artist by being able to take a flat piece of paper and create distance and light in that space. I have worked with watercolour as my favourite medium for over 40 years, the last 10 years running courses in my studio and with art societies and groups. I have a passion for the natural world in all its forms. Birds are my favourite subjects often in a landscape setting. A number of years I have been artist in residence at Nature in Art (Feb. 11th. To 16th. 2025) and organize and take part in The Wildlife Art Society International annual exhibition in a marquee on the lawn at Nature in Art over spring bank holiday. (May 24th. To June 1st. 2025.)
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, £75 for non-members
Sketching birds with Trevor Smith
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
A one day workshop aimed at introducing and exploring the subject of sketching birds. Suitable for anyone with an urge to draw!
The day will include:
• A look at simple avian anatomy, focussing on the movement of the skeleton and feathers and their effects upon form and structure.
• Simple sketching techniques for capturing an image.
• A brief discussion on suitable materials for use in the field.
• A brief look at foreshortening effects.
• Adding colour to a sketch.
• Putting it all into practice using reference material.
Participants will need to provide the following materials:
1/ A good quality pad or book of cartridge paper, or loose sheets.
2/ A selection of B grade pencils, charcoal, or graphite drawing pencils.
3/ An eraser.
4/ A colour medium; for example: Watercolour, coloured pencils, pastels etc,
for applying colour to sketches if desired. (one medium is enough)
While colour can be applied onto cartridge paper with good results, watercolour, or pastel paper or board may be preferred by some participants.
NB – Reference material will be supplied on the day, but participants are advised to bring photographic reference of desired subjects, if the intention is to draw a particular species.
About the artist:
Trevor is a wildlife artist whose inspiration comes from British wildlife; working from life wherever possible.
Sketching in pencil and watercolour, his sketchbooks provide a unique connection to a living subject that is of great value to him; they provide a record of his encounters with wildlife and, acting as aide memoirs, allow recall of past events with clarity.
The immediacy of watercolour makes it his chosen medium with which to achieve this.
Trevor is self employed and has spent much of his career working in wildlife conservation.
‘Britain’s wildlife and wild places are under threat as never before. As wildlife artists we are better placed than many to witness this decline, but can also be influential in highlighting the loss of biodiversity by helping to shape opinion to reverse that loss’.
Trevor has taught fellow artists and novices alike to sketch birds, for many years now, specialising in passing on his experience of sketching from life, in the field.
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
Painting still life with Lucy Burton
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
In this workshop we are going to consider lots of compositional ideas and guidelines, arranging and lighting our fruit on a transparent plate with different coloured backgrounds. We will be looking to create interesting and unusual compositions, shadow shapes and colour relationships. We will then sketch out our composition on canvas, before applying the paint in a dynamic and interesting way: focusing on colour mixing, brushwork and how to paint shadows effectively.
What will be supplied:
A selection of fruits (or vegetables)
Coloured backgrounds
What to bring:
A canvas or board min A4, max A3, rectangular or square
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
A black sharpie and a ‘fine liner’ pen (or similar)
A spotlight or anglepoise desk lamp
Palette knife – eg. Winsor and Newton size 22
Paper Palette and a box to take your work home in
A phone or IPAD for taking photos
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
About the artist:
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’
• Exhibited with ‘Warwickshire Open Studios’
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
Book here – £118 / £150, £25 deposit required to book
Course Suitability: Absolute beginners, Beginners, Improvers
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Everyone has their favourite season. Winter is often overlooked because of the harshness of winter weather at times and shorter daylight hours. However, Liz wants you to look at Winter through a different lens: softer colours and light; deeper, dramatic contrasts; extraordinary views ‘through’ a wooded landscape; the ‘other-worldly’ quality of snow and its effect on a landscape.
Liz always aims to provide a really accessible course for all levels of textile art experience. She will teach you several textile techniques which feature in her own textile artwork, including; fabric painting, wet felt making, needle felting, applique of considered materials, stitch and collagraph printing. You will use a selection of these techniques (or all!) to create a Winter landscape of your choice.
Please bring along any photos, sketches, dried or fresh plants that you would like to use as inspiration. Additional materials will also be available.
Materials Required:
Please bring a variety of Winter landscape photos to inspire the artwork you’ll produce during the course.
You may wish to bring an apron and gloves as we will be using paint.
Liz will provide the required art materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £5.00 which will be paid to Liz by the participants.
About the artist:
Liz is a textile artist and teacher. Her textile artwork is exhibited in galleries, community settings, including Gloucester Cathedral, and featured in a national publication. She has 40 years experience of teaching in all types of educational settings. She delivers art workshops in her studio and further afield, including at national events. Liz is delighted to have been Artist in Residence at Nature in Art, including in September this year. She has also lead large textile art projects, for a regional arts festival, arranging and featuring in UK-wide exhibitions. Liz’s passion for natural landscape is expressed in her colourful and textural textile artwork.
Papercutting with Sarais Crawshaw
Course Suitability: Suitable for beginners and improvers
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Learn about the origins of papercutting and its spread worldwide. Look at how to simplify images in positive and negative space, and make networks of joins to hold a papercut together. Experiment with different tools and types of cuts, folders and tears to create different effects and to use contract or colours to enhance the images. Create a one or two-layer papercut picture.
What to bring:
A materials list will be supplied, alternatively students can order from the artist.
About the artist:
I have always been curious about the natural world and my work reflects this fascination with wildlife and wild places. Since 2000, I have been developing my own ideas in papercut, alongside my other artwork in acrylic paint and pastel. I try to capture the behaviour and character of animals, and to picture them in their wild habitats. I am President of the Wildlife Art Society International.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
£59 per day for members, £75 for non-members