Today, the last session of 2014, we had fun creating group accordion books. We only had an hour to create five books - each person had to create five images (one in each book) and had only 10 minutes per image. But we did it! How talented you all are, I was so impressed. Really well done, everyone! Thank you for a lovely end of year session, with some really lovely food too! And thank you for all your hard work, participation and support over this year. I have sincerely enjoyed every single Wednesday afternoon with you all, you are surely the best art group on earth, I am so lucky.
11 December 2024
4 December 2024
27 November 2024
Today we started exploring making concertina / zigzag books and we will continue for the next couple of weeks so there is plenty of time to be having an experiment with ideas.
We have a beautiful, tall and elegant sunlit book, drawn with pens and coloured pencil. We have a finished collage book with collage on both sides, experimenting with colour and composition. We have some more of the ‘fishy book’ coming along nicely, the images so far being drawn in pencil and pen. There are some more paintings on paper that will be pasted into a book. There is a rough plan of some geese flying across a landscape, one of a series of preliminary sketches for a book. And some more of the collage that is being made from tiny pieces of papers and fabrics.
Thank you, everyone, for an absolutely fabulous afternoon!
20 November 2024
We continued with our handmade artists’ books today using: observed drawing, design, pattern, stencilling, printing, figurative narrative and poetry.
We started a journey through the seasons and went down the garden path. We saw the beginnings of an unfolding cat.
Media used was: graphite pencil, collage, food dye, posca pens, watercolour, sprayed ink, coloured pencil, pen, gouache. This project certainly allows for an opportunity to play with a range of media.
Thank you, everyone for another fabulous afternoon.
13 November 2024
Hello everyone, we continued with our artists’ books today, by getting down to the part of actually creating artwork in them. People are using different methods. Some are working directly into the books. Some are making their artwork before folding and creating the books (and have worked out a plan for what will be the front and back etc). Some have used existing artwork already on a sheet of paper to create ready made abstract books, and some are going to mount artwork on the pages. Everyone’s books are different and it is such fun to see them all. I didn’t get photos of the insides of everyone’s books, apologies.
We also have watercolour painting with lovely rhythmic composition and expressive drawings of leaves as well as chalk pastel drawings with great use of composition and colour, and finally a collaged building with the beginnings of a lovely blue sky behind it, which is what we had at the hall today and is very welcome after all the cloud (apologies for the scaffolding making things a bit darker than usual). Thank you everyone for another great afternoon. We will continue with books next week!
6 November 2024
Only a few photos from this week’s session, but you can see the beginnings of our artists’ books and sketchbooks. It was a very focused session as we each wrapped our minds around the making of these books! We will make more next week, as well as begin to fill them!
23 October 2024
Today we drew and painted jugs, vases, bottles, containers, and vessels. And I feel that this blog post may be the most orderly and serene post within our blog collection. If you are ever feeling like life is getting too much, just come and look at this post, and breathe :)
We drew and painted from life and from the artist examples. We used watercolour, gouache, inks, salt, acrylic paint on board, graphite pencil and water soluble pencil. The jugs and containers have been carefully observed, resulting in images of such character, liveliness and interest. Each appears to have a story to tell. How amazing you all are. Van Gogh ain't got nothin’ on this. Very beautiful work.
Well done everyone, and thank you all for a lovely afternoon!
9 October 2024
We had a really fun session drawing and painting the musical instruments that we had brought in.
We did observational drawing with graphite and coloured pencils. We also did observational drawing using water-soluble graphite pencils, really effectively showing the highlights and shadows of the brass metal of the cornet. We also did abstracted work on pre-prepared musical sheet paper with acrylic paint and posca pen. A red bugle on a black & white piece of sheet music using chalk pastel created a dramatic piece of artwork, befitting to a bugle.
Many of the artworks used expressive mark making to suggest sound and movement. We used free and expressive black charcoal and red sepia contes. Watercolour and pen has been used in gestural ways to suggest music sounds and movement.
And finally we have a ‘horizon line’ of all the instruments on the tables, drawn in a continuous line with the non-dominant hand and without looking at the paper, with bright ‘musical’ colours added using felt-tip pen. We have expressive use of colour to great effect, again indicating great energy, movement and music.
Thank you everybody for brining in your beautiful musical instruments, and for really fun session!
18 September 2024
Well done everyone on a really wonderful open studios event yesterday. I really enjoyed it and I hope that you all did too. You all exhibited your work at your tables to such a high standard, I was so impressed! And I really enjoyed seeing some work that I never seen before; you sincerely are all such a talented group of people. And such hard workers, so prolific; really well done on all your hard work, participation, and creativity.
I hope you all enjoy a good rest now. Ready for next term…
11 September 2024
Today was the last session of our ‘Own Projects’ and we have definitely gone out with a bang this afternoon. Thank you everyone for all your wonderful artwork and for your energy and enthusiasm. I have really enjoyed seeing your work evolve and progress over the weeks.
4 September 2024
We had an absolutely fabulous time on the canal boat and at Standedge Tunnel today, and inside the beautiful music building also, where the staff were so friendly and inviting. It was all so lovely. Thank you, Jennifer, for the idea and to Mike for the fabulous boat ride opportunity. We will come again! And thank you everyone for making it a really enjoyable afternoon. You all produced such beautiful artwork. Unfortunately Linda B wasn’t there to take good photographs so you will have to put up with mine!
28 August 2024
Continuing with our ‘Own Projects’ again this week.
21 August 2024
We were back in the studio this week, carrying on with our ‘Own Projects’. Some of us worked with the word for the month, “Hidden”, creating some unique and unexpected artwork.
Some students responded to the image on this week’s brief (the Carol Douglas exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture park), to explore their own abstracted compositions. I brought the Maudie Lewis book in, “Pictures for Sale”, and there are some artworks based on her work also. Another student was inspired by an artist of her own choosing (Angie Lewis’s flowers). I also brought flowers into the studios and they too were used as a starting point for artwork. A variety of media was used, including: watercolour, ink, stencils, pens, Posca pens, charcoal, gouache, graphite pencil, coloured pencil and watercolour pens.
14 August 2024
We had such a wonderful time in Diane’s garden again (third time we have been fortunate enough to come and visit this beautiful garden). The weather was perfect, how lucky are we?! (Raining today, only one day later).
Everybody that came really did have a fantastic time. There was so much to draw and paint (two hours wasn’t enough!): we have a marvellous, textured drystone wall with dancing flowers and plants done in water soluble coloured pencils, plus the beginnings of a magnificent orange wheelbarrow.
We also have a graphite pencil drawing of an arching apple tree, portraying good depth and composition, plus a small wooden table: the drawing shows its wonderful character.
A large scale acrylic painting, using a slightly abstract style, and on a pre-prepared green blue background, is alive with reds and whites from the flower bed.
A complex scene, delicately drawn, and with great depth of a shed, cold frames, and raised beds, drawn with a mechanical pencil (0.5); lots of different marks express the differing textures.
And as if that isn’t enough, we have a drawing of a pear tree yet to come (wasn’t quite finished).
A huge thank you to Diane for her generosity in allowing us to visit her incredible garden again. And also to Linda and Alison for their welcoming and friendly hospitality (including the warm scones - so delicious!!). And thank you to yourselves, the best students ever, for coming along and participating with all your bravery, and making art! A perfect afternoon, thank you everyone.
**UPDATE: I have added Linda B’s pro photos from the afternoon. Thank you Linda!
7 August 2024
Today we carried on with our own projects. Some of us took on the challenge of the word for the month, “Hidden”, and produced artwork in response to it, including hidden parts of pea-pods and rose-hips, as well as hidden doors. We have a hidden face and possibly a hidden book. There are tree roots that were once hidden after a forest fire but that are now sprouting into new, fresh green life.
A wide range of media was used during the session including collage, watercolour, ink pens, gouache, coloured pencil and graphite pencil.
A very creative and imaginative session, thank you everyone
24 July 2024
17 July 2024
It was a beautiful day today at the Robert Ashton Memorial park in Meltham. We drew and painted the scenery around us, using pen, graphite pencil, inktense pencils, pastel pencils and watercolour.
It was absolutely lovely to be outside as a group, generating a special and supportive energy whilst drawing and painting the life around us. I didn’t get photos of everyone’s work, so apologies for that.
Thank you, everyone, and thank you to the weather!
10 July 2024
3 July 2024
We did have one brave soul who went out and drew around the hall today, well done! And then we have a mix of work from all our ‘Own Projects’. Collage, watercolour, watercolour and pen, mixed media, coloured pencil, and pastel. And a range of subject matter from sampling to abstraction, to still life, portraiture, landscape, mark making, and composition making. A really enjoyable afternoon, thank you, everyone!
