Summer School - Online

Summer School - Online

In the height of summer the days are luxuriously long. With the dawn at 4.45 am and the sun finally setting at 9.20 pm I always feel that I want to make the most of the light and be outside as much as I can. I wish these long days could continue but Nature has its own pace and rhythm governed by the sunrise, sunset, the seasons and the weather. These long days will shorten and the summer will become a longed for memory again. So while it is here what better way to celebrate and honour it than to make the most of the long days by painting and drawing in those quiet magical times when the birds are waking up or the sun is sinking towards the horizon giving long shadows and rich colours. This summer school is about being immersed in those magical moments. Many of us are having to spend much more time at home, not travelling and staying safe. This means that it is possible to get up early and, whilst still in pyjamas with a mug of tea, go outside and draw before the rest of the world wakes up. If you are more of a night owl than a lark then perhaps your preferred time would be as the day draws to a close. Or both of course.

So what are you drawing and painting in these times of day? Your outside space might be a garden, may be a patio, pots on a balcony, a window box, a borrowed view of trees across your neighbours fence, a wild and weedy plot, a well tended garden full of treasures, a shed and lawn, a haven to sit in, a place to watch the birds, a source of food. The light as the sun comes up or as the day closes is so different that it changes the feeling of the space. The sounds seem heigthened. You are drawing and painting about the things that you can see but selecting too. You are gathering material to compose your visual poem about the early morning, the summer evening, full canopies of trees, deep long shadows, the road, the view from your doorway or window, what you notice, what you like.

What do you do during the day when the sun is high? If you got up that early you may need a siesta by the middle of the day but if not you can continue to enjoy drawing and making studies of your chosen place. On a hot day you can sit in the cool shadows and respond to the sleepy stillness, the extremes of light and shade. Notice the difference from the morning light. Perhaps write and look.

What do you do if the weather is grey and rainy? It may not be so pleasant to sit outside but it is still an inspiring subject. Even if you have to linger in the open doorway or window so you do not get wet. The soft grey light will alter the glow of the colours.The longer you sit and look, draw and re-draw the more you will see. All of the studies you make will be materials for paintings.

For this course you will be sent a series of short films a week before the course starts. These films give you processes and exercises that you can use to make studies in your chosen outside space or landscape. We will use these studies to inspire paintings during the live workshops. There will be 4 live online workshops through the week. On each day of the course there will be a tutorial for either an hour or two hours. I will demonstrate how to use the studies, start the paintings and take you through the stages of a painting. Each afternoon you will continue on your own, in your space applying the processes and making your work. At the end of each afternoon you will email me two photos of work that you have done that day. These will be uploaded to our course gallery so that you can see what everyone has done. I will give feedback during and after the course.

Event Details

Start Date 28-Jun-2020 3:00 pm
End Date 03-Jul-2020 4:00 pm
Price £160.00
Course Details summer-school-online.pdf

We are no longer accepting registration for this event