Warm and welcoming
A review of our Autumn Creative Course
Dear Reader,
I’m delighted to announce that Pippa and I will be running our collaborative Creative Course again this Springtime. It will be running Friday 5th - Saturday 6th April 2024 at Lowenek Art Studio, St Martin, Lizard Peninsula.
If you want to hear more about the first time we ran it in Autumn read on…
A review of the Autumn Creative Course
On Friday 3rd of November a small but eager crowd gathered at Lowenek Art Studio for our first 2-day Creative Course, a collaboration between myself and Pippa Alston. It was a blustery Autumn Day, sunshine and showers were scheduled but the light was bright, the fire lit, the kettle on and Pippa had bought a pack of the ‘good’ biscuits.
Watch the video below to give you an overview.
Once hellos were said and teas and coffees distributed we moved over to the workshop area where I welcomed and introduced the group to my sketchbook practice. Time was given to explain my story and share the development and then I invited everyone to sit at the table and the course got under away.
Day One
We started with drawing exercises, and getting warmed up for sketching on location. I introduced the group to a range of techniques and materials that I use in my sketchbook and we were inspired by a range of prompts to get going.
We then created our own sketchbooks and prepared the paper with inky splodges and background textures that would serve as a base for our outdoor sketching.
After a crackling fireside lunch in the studio nook we wrapped up warm and took a short walk up the farm track into the adjacent field. Here we made a series of sketches in our handmade sketchbooks guided by our previous experiments.
Although a chill wind did blow we were not deterred and managed to spend a good hour outside capturing the many different areas and features of the field. Oak trees, fir trees, old barns, hedgerows, wind farms, telegraph poles and clouds.
With plenty of inspiration we headed back to the studio for a brew and a biscuit and then finished the time designing and sketching thumbnails in preparation for the next day of creating.
Day Two
Pippa introduced us to working with clay and showed us how to wedge, roll and cut the clay ready for our designs. She then took us through mark making and creating texture with a range of homemade and DIY tools along with stencil cutting and masking.
Once we had decided on our final piece we were introduced to painting and transferring our sketches using underglazes and slips.
After a another fireside lunch and chat we spent the remainder of the afternoon completing our designs, adding finishing touches and getting the pieces ready to fire whilst the rain bucketed down.
The firing happened a few weeks later and all the pieces have now been sent out to the satisfied participants.
At the end of the workshop everyone had created a beautifully unique clay creation along with pile of sketches and drawings all inspired by the local landscape.
All in all a successful outcome and Pippa and I are delighted to announce we will be running the course again this Springtime. It will be running Friday 5th - Saturday 6th April 2024 Lowenek Art Studio, St Martin, Lizard Peninsula. If you’d like to book on just click the link here. If you travelling from afar we can recommend some local B&Bs to stay in, just send a message.
Hope you enjoyed this review and it gave you an idea of what we got up to in the course.
I did this course, it was amazing. I really cannot draw but I can do limited pottery, it was so lovely to have had the chance to do both and combine them. The way Melanie taught us to draw was truly inspirational and what I achieved was beyond my wildest thoughts. And then to learn more skills with the clay just brought it all together. Both Pippa and Melanie are amazing and work really well together. Both excellent in their own art and knowledgeable in each others too. A thoroughly enjoyable weekend. I highly recommend. 🙂 Karen x