March has been such a relief of brighter weather after the long winter months. It’s felt like everything is waking up after a long sleep. There have been daffodils and blackthorn blossom to enjoy. Even when it was greyer and slightly mizzly yesterday morning, I was greeted by so much different bird song on my walk – like they were all celebrating the Spring! The usual bluetits, robins and goldfinches were joined by the sound of the chiffchaffs returning for the summer.

I’ve been experimenting with printing again this month. This time I’ve been playing with an intaglio technique called drypoint. Intaglio printing is where an image is scratched into a plate (in this case the inside of an orange juice carton!) The ink is then rubbed into the scratches and then rubbed off the shiny surfaces. The plate is then pressed onto the paper using a pasta machine. It’s a bit fiddly to get a good print but that’s half the fun and the results can be very detailed which I love. I’m going to run a workshop teaching this technique on Saturday 21st June so you can give it a try if you’re interested. Details further down….

We’ve also had some fantastic clubs and workshops this month. I ran watercolour sessions at Dungworth Village Hall and at the Plough at Bradfield with some great artists who learnt to use watercolour techniques to create a greetings card.

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Coming up in April…

Adult Art Club at Dungworth Village Hall

Thursday 24th April , monthly, 7-9pm

This group is very friendly and open to everyone with or without prior experience. The sessions focus mainly on drawing and watercolour painting techniques but I like to throw in other processes such as printing occasionally! Each week is a stand alone session so don’t worry if you can’t commit to each one but if you do attend regularly, you’ll really start to notice your skills improve over time.

I provide stimulus and gentle instruction so you don’t have to worry about knowing what to draw. I also provide paper, drinks and usually homemade cake! I can provide a sketchbook, graded pencils and watercolour paints or you are welcome to bring your own. Sessions are £9 each.

Book here

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Summer dates booking now…

Art Club at Dungworth Village Hall

Thursdays, monthly, 7-9pm

Booking is now open for the Summer Term. I limit numbers to 16 to ensure everyone has the space they need so sessions must be pre-booked.

Individual sessions are £9 or all four sessions can be booked for the early-bird discount of £32.

Thursday 22nd May – Birds
Thursday 26th June – Landscapes
Thursday 17th July – Household Objects
Thursday 28th August – Shells

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Printing with Packaging Workshop

Saturday 10th May, Dungworth Village Hall, 1-3pm

Learn how to create intaglio prints using packaging like orange juice cartons. This method creates fine detailed prints which are pressed using a pasta machine.

This session is suitable for adults and families with children over 7. All children under 16 should attend with an adult who is also participating in the class. It’s a great way to learn alongside your children. All materials will be provided and you will leave with a small art print which you can frame.

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Watercolour Landscapes Workshop

Saturday 21st June, Dungworth Village Hall, 1-3pm

This session will introduce and develop your knowledge of watercolour painting techniques. You will learn about colour mixing, creating tone and how to develop perspective in landscape painting. You could bring along a photo of a favourite landscape to create a final painting.

This session is suitable for adults and families with children over 7. All children under 16 should attend with an adult who is also participating in the class. It’s a great way to learn alongside your children. All materials will be provided and you will leave with a small art print which you can frame.

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Other great things to do in April!

• Get out and explore either near or far! – The weather is better and you’re likely to have some time over the Easter break to get out and explore somewhere either close to you or maybe somewhere further away. For those of us with children and working in schools, April includes not 1 but 2 holidays! We’re off to Morocco on a family adventure which we’ve had planned for a while. But you don’t have to go far to explore – you could visit a nearby city that you have always wanted to or even somewhere that you regularly visit but try to see it with the eyes of a tourist. Maybe take a journal or sketchbook, sit in a cafe with a view and enjoy a quiet moment sketching what you see with a coffee.
• Enjoy the Sheffield Brick Festival – A different kind of creativity will be on display in Sheffield on 6th April when lego enthusiasts show off their creations!
• Watch this – Dr Who – the Fifteenth Doctor – Series 2 – Ncuti Gatwa will return as the fifteenth doctor on 12th April. I’m a massive Dr Who fan and I’ll be honest I was slightly disappointed with the first series of this reincarnation of the doctor. Whilst I love Ncuti, I found the stories more tame, there was less of the dark, scary and linked storylines that I love. That said, I still love it and I’m hoping that the second series will be more edgy.
• Paint this – The woods will be carpeted in bluebells towards the end of this month. There is nothing quite like it. Why not try to paint ‘en plein air’. Take your sketchbook, paints and either some water brushes or a little tub of water and remember something to sit on. Taking time in nature is shown to reduce stress and enhance wellbeing so it doesn’t really matter what your painting turns out like, the act of being there and painting is the most valuable thing.

Thank you so much for reading this and supporting me! If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter and want to stay in touch with upcoming workshops, ideas and tutorials, please add your email below to subscribe and why not share this with friends who you think might also fancy something creative in their lives?!