Workshops
Teaching watercolour and other arty, crafty activities to adults and children
After several months off all things arty (while I have been getting to grips with writing a novel) I have launched back in to the world of painting with not one but two workshops and a completed commission.
Workshops are one of the most exciting parts of my job. I am an extrovert who loves to chat, so although I thoroughly enjoy sitting in my studio, painting (or writing), after a while I find myself craving the company of other humans. And as much as I love them, preferably the company of people who I have neither married, or given birth to.
That’s where workshops come in, giving me both the chance to talk about one of my favourite things, and the opportunity to meet and teach some incredible people. Some of my latest attendees even signed up to this newsletter! Welcome to you all.
At the start of the month, I ran a workshop funded by one of the local groups in my town, to demonstrate how to paint a cupcake in watercolour. This is my third time running this particular workshop, so apart from completing a quick reminder painting the week before, this one did not take a lot of preparation. Except baking the cupcakes. Which as preparation goes is a lot of fun. There were some very serious quality control checks during every stage of baking, mostly conducted by my three children. Thankfully the cakes, icing and chocolate egg decorations all passed inspection.
The workshop took place at The Alexandra Art’s in Rugby. What was once a pub is now a fantastic art venue in the heart of my town centre. It holds exhibitions, is the location of the studios of four local artists, and runs workshops like mine, both free and paid. It all stocks plenty of art work, prints, cards and locally made fantastic-ness of all kinds.
More than 25 people, both adults and children, showed up to paint and then eat their cupcakes. The paintings created were fabulous!
Last weekend I was commissioned to host a children’s art activity for Rugby Food and Drink festival. This one also had to be food related, and would take place in a gazebo, so needed to be something easy to set up and clear down, not too badly affected by any adverse weather conditions (wind, always problematic when painting outside), and needed to be completed in a fairly short amount of time, so that the kids (and their grown up’s) could get back to the main point of a food and drink festival. The yummy edible treats.
I designed some cute ice-lolly characters, to be made either with cardboard for the littlies or painted in watercolour for the older children. I am aware that ice-lollies, even the paper variety, were a brave choice at the end of April in England. They were either going to be perfect or ironic, depending on the weather.
Thankfully the sun shone all day, with 78 paper ice lollies made, and 57 watercolour paintings created.
I love teaching. In my life before having children I worked as a primary school teacher, so workshops definitely give me the best of both worlds; working on art and teaching people new skills.
My next big plan for my art business is to branch out into the world of longer form, pre- booked workshops, rather than the drop in type I have been creating for the past few years. This would give me the chance to really go over different techniques, and paint more complex pictures.
What do you guys think I should demonstrate in my first long workshop? I was thinking perhaps a local building, or a cute animal of some kind, but I am open to any suggestions or ideas.
For now, hope you’ve all had a lovely April and have lots to look forward to in May. I have plans for a new personal painting that has been bubbling away in my head for a couple of years. I think it is time to put brush to paper.
All the best,
Sam xxx