This week I have been preparing for my three workshops which take place next Thursday at Horton, Dorset. I’ve chosen to use three areas of interest as the themes & they are areas that feature strongly in my work. I will outline each of the workshops with what  you can expect from them. They are aimed at those with some art experience but beginners will also benefit from the information covered & hopefully will inspire participants to look at painting in a more experimental & fun way.

The meaning of the word ‘Abstract’ can be debated until the end of time. This will be the first workshop of the day & I will start it with a brief outline of how I view abstract art & how it figures in my work without being encumbered by the technicalities of definition. I will give a brief practical demonstration of the initial setting out stage of my piece, looking at how to simplify an abstract painting to get straight into the work without deliberating for too long. Then it will be your turn to work on your own piece using the basic principles discussed so far. We will work through various stages adding more ideas as we go so that by the end of the session various principles & methods will have been put into practice.

The second workshop of the day will be ‘Painting Without Brushes’. Making the initial underlying marks is an important part of a piece of artwork but an area that is sometimes overlooked. This workshop will start by looking at some of the tools that can be used to make marks without using traditional brushes & you’ll be encouraged to have a go with different items. This will encourage loosening up and experimenting in a way other than the usual methods. We will then introduce paints to the mix & see how we can develop a picture by applying principles whilst using these mark making tools.

The third & final workshop of the day will be ‘Using Colour For Drama & Impact’. This will look at how colour can be used to create an impact on the viewer & will cover the subject of colour perspective along with using complimentary and contrasting colours. We will start by looking at certain colours which have an effect on the eye & how they can affect our concept of shape & distance. You will have plenty of opportunity to try your hand at the principles we’ll use to apply to your own painting.

Places are still available on all of these workshops so if you’d like to book a place please visit the ‘Workshop’ page & find the one you’d like to attend. Please get in touch if you’d like any more information.