Short Courses

Course dates: January 21st & 22nd 2019 (Monday & Tuesday)

This exciting two day course will investigate drawing in relation to sound. We will explore ways in which noise, melody, pace and rhythm can be translated into colour and marks. The workshop will cover lively and mindful experimentation across drawing from the acoustics of materials, sonic environments, sound walks, musical notation and lead into making a moving image piece.

Dates - January 29th - 31st 2019 Tuesday - Thursday

Cost includes includes some specialist materials

Initially exploring the beauty of grounds, the first part of the course will involve a number of different materials including paper, canvas and board. Starting with the support and then applying the ground, we will be examining how these elements dictate the paintings appearance, playing with different absorbency and touch.

We will then be looking at how you build surface through different textures, layering paint through the repetition of pared down marks, gestures and techniques. The inspiration for these marks could come from a drawing, a print, a small painting, a photograph or even a piece of music. Something that would inspire a movement, emotion, atmosphere or the rhythm of mark making.

Finally we will be looking at pattern and the layering of surfaces, using a combination of collage and paint. Exploring different processes like casting, printing, stencilling and lovely possibilities especially in conjunction with collage.

Over the 3 days you will have created a series of experimentally layered paintings along with a set of skills and techniques to inspire future work.

February 2nd & 3rd 2019 (Saturday & Sunday) 2-9 pm each day..

This is a magical experience painting in the soft, winter, afternoon light as it fades into dusk and then darkness. The setting is Rackham Village hall with its large windows looking out to the Downs. A sumptuous still life will be set up in the space for you to work from: lit by candles that will glow with light and enliven the shadows as the daylight fades. You will start work in the afternoon working from observation making drawings and paintings on paper and canvas. As you get to know the subject the light starts changing whilst you carry on painting. As you work in the near dark unexpected colours and marks overlap to create new work that is charged with the atmosphere changes in your work to unfold. "When you can't see what you are doing, you have to simply trust in the process!" Your finished paintings will be done freshly, fast and spontaneously to capture the magic of the moment.

(Each evening there will be a simple supper provided for you, to finish off the day with good food and good company cooked by Emily)

Course dates: February 18th - 20th 2019 (Monday - Wednesday)

This course has developed from the exciting work done by Seawhite students on previous Painting and Pattern Courses. We will continue our exploration of Congolese Kuba cloth following in the footsteps of Klee, Picasso and in particular Mattisse. We will also look at what its role might have been in the development of modernist abstraction and later process based abstraction. There will be slidehows of relevant historical and contemporary artists each morning and discussions reflecting on the development of studio work at appropriate points throughout the course. On this 3 day practical course we will start by making drawn and painted studies directly from my collection of Kuba Cloths before developing the abstract, material and spatial qualities into exciting new and personal paintings. The emphasis will be on experimentation and breaking new ground rather than the creation of finished work.

This is a stand alone course but can be done in conjunction with Painting and Pattern 1.

February 25th - 27th 2019 (Monday - Wednesday)

Designed to give confidence in abstraction, the course will explore the amazing possibilities within the language. Rather than being too conceptual or tied down to a particular subject matter we will be liberated by ‘the stuff of paint’ and it’s wonderful qualities. This will essentially allow us to focus on the fundamental elements of how paint behaves, it’s surface quality, the texture, opticality, rhythm and colour.

Underpinning the course will be a number of talks simplifying the key elements of the abstract language, it’s processes and systems. Giving you the freedom to create your own dialogue with abstraction.

The course is suitable for all open minded artists and we will be working with paper and canvas.