I had a thoroughly delightful morning at Mill Meadows delivering a 2 hour art class that had been gifted as a birthday present. The weather could have been kinder, starting with high, blustery winds and ending in driving rain bursts, but we were fairly sheltered on the covered veranda. My students for the morning are a lovely couple in their 80’s and a friend from next door. For privacy’s sake I will refer to them as Mum, Dad and Friend.
It had been Dad’s birthday recently and as he had had some passion and skill in drawing and painting at school, but had been unable to pursue that path, his son thought it would be nice for him to have an art class. Mum and Dad are less mobile these days and so are looking for more interests to fill their days. What better than engaging with the nature around them and in their garden by letting it inspire painting and drawing.
The focus for our couple of hours was to loosen up their hand and engage in seeing with a different eye upon their subjects. Allowing the forms to arise through shadow and tone, seeing the light at play.
Dad was working with a whole new palate as working with chalk pastels was something he’d never done. The idea with this was to strike out of any limitations and move away from defined by lines. The lines and details can be added in once the form has taken its shape via colour and light. Naturally he has a good hand, even though he might feel a little uncomfortable with a less defined and more messy result. Today, though, is not about producing good work or an end piece, but in developing a free and fluid hand with an eye for catching the light and it’s subtle tones into shade.
A part from recently venturing into trying to capture the splendid structure of the Horsechestnut’s candle flowers with pastels, Mum mostly colour in printed colouring books. So it was an absolute pleasure for me to see her develop her own free hand skills in such a short time. By the end of the session her forms were bolder, bigger and more confident. And even though very arthritic, her hand was more fluid, capturing the essence of the forms with simplicity and depth.
The friend went in leaps and bounds, with some pointed instruction on a few subtle changes to her approach and an artist was released. Her questions were very insightful and enabled me to give some useful instruction. Sometimes we take for granted the things that we already know how to do and rather than being aware of how we do them, we just do them.
I thoroughly enjoyed guiding these delightful people on a journey with colour and light. My aim was to enable them to find joy in sketching and painting again, by relieving them of their inhibitions and invoking a loosening of their eye and their touch.
If you would like bespoke classes or workshops delivered for you, your family, friends or guests, you can book me by the day, half-day or hour. For more information take a look at the Facilitator.
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