The Studio has been a place of creativity during the short winter school holiday break. Workshops with a number of different topics have been held - an introduction to oils, experimenting with watercolour and playing with ink.
Participants have enjoyed trying new mediums and techniques, and the emphasis has been on playing rather than producing a perfect artwork. All too often we set ourselves such high expectations that all too frequently we find the result disappointing. I'm reminded of this video where Ira Glass talks about creativity - it's good to watch it again.
Participants have enjoyed trying new mediums and techniques, and the emphasis has been on playing rather than producing a perfect artwork. All too often we set ourselves such high expectations that all too frequently we find the result disappointing. I'm reminded of this video where Ira Glass talks about creativity - it's good to watch it again.
Introduction to Oils
The workshops are a good way to explore an unknown medium without incurring the cost of buying all the equipment. The oils workshop included all the necessary paints, supports, mediums and brushes. After the workshop, I wasn't surprised to find that most of the artists are now working in oils. Perhaps my love of the medium is infectious!
Strata - oil on canvas 760mm x 760mm ©2015 Carol Lee Beckx
Playing with Ink
I have been collecting various inks - both those suitable for use in fountain pens as well as some acrylic inks. Previously I have used the FW acrylic inks made by Daler Rowney and my newest acquisitions are some made by Schmincke. These are intended for use with an airbrush but are wonderful when used with a dip pen. The Speedball range of calligraphy and poster nibs encourage bold use of line, as well as a fearless approach to randomly created lines - these nibs tend to be slightly uncontrollable!
Painting 'Bootcamp'
The last workshop was more of a painting 'Bootcamp'. The artists came to the studio to paint for three days running, leaving other responsibilities behind for a while. A couple of them were new to working in oils so this was an ideal opportunity to work on technique and become familiar with the medium. I must confess that I worked them quite hard and I think they were rather shattered at the end of the three days!
Now, all too soon, the holidays are over and the regular weekly classes have started. Most days are fully enrolled but there is space available on Thursdays and Saturdays this term. Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about the Studio or if you would like to attend a future workshop.
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