Well, well, well, what have we got here? We have summer. A summer that seemingly appeared from nowhere if, like me, you feel like the days are falling through your fingers. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. One thing that I believe makes time feel well spent is climbing the constant mountain of learning; whether it be a new skill or a course, we must keep climbing and stretching our brains before Instagram, Google, and all those other pesky fellows take them over. You never know where it could lead, but at the very least, you could just feel a little proud of yourself, and there is nothing better than a quite self-congratulatory pat on the back.
Join tutors Alice and Lilia for an in-depth look at three iconic dresses featured in the NAOMI exhibition to reveal the pattern-cutting secrets behind each one. Follow along step-by-step to gain all the skills you need to draft a NAOMI-inspired design for yourself.
Price: £15
Experiment with modelling in wax and create an artwork to be cast in pewter metal. Pewter is a silver coloured alloy which melts at a low temperature and can easily be cast on a gas hob. The pewter we use for this course is lead free and has a high tin content which makes it soft to work and very good for hammering and shaping after it has been cast. Traditionally pewter has been used for cups and plates but it can also be used to cast metal sculptures and is very good for making fine intricate work. It also works well combined with wood or stone.
Price: £500
Pewter Casting With London Sculpture Workshop - 4 Days
How to work with sheet copper to make three-dimensional forms. You will learn how to anneal copper so it becomes soft and malleable. You will work with hammers, stakes, anvils and other improvised tools and look at hammer techniques. You will also learn how to join copper by brazing.
Price: £175
Introduction To Coppersmithing - Make A Copper Candlestick - The Urban Crafts Foundation
Learn how to grind and purify natural pigment and turn the finished pigment into beautiful, planet-friendly paint with environmental artist Polly Bennett. Discover the fascinating origins and different types of pigments, from mineral to metal, plant to animal. Polly will then guide you through the basics of pigment making, including binding, grinding, sieving and purifying. You will leave with a hand-painted colour wheel, watercolour paint and purified pigment that you can continue to purify more at home.
Price: £75
In this workshop, suitable for improvers, you will be venturing out to explore the beautiful downland landscape in the famous Downs Country Park surrounding Charleston Farmhouse to create resource material in the form of compositional sketches and photographic reference. These resources will be used back in the studio to create a landscape painting in oils.
Price: £160
Monotype prints are entirely unique and created through a process of oily inks being pressed and transferred from a flat surface onto paper. This particular process is very favourable to those who prefer a more painterly effect to their prints, as gestural and textural marks can be achieved through the use of a wide variety of tools which can either remove or apply the ink to your plate. Through these tools, you will explore the boundaries of mark making with Monotypes.
Price: £81
Join them at Lyde Green Pottery where over 5 days you will work together to build a small cross draught or ‘anagama’ style kiln which will be capable of firing up to 1300 degrees celsius and produce flame and natural ashing effects. This type of small kiln has not been built in the UK before, as most anagama kilns are large and extremely costly. This course aims to highlight what can be done on a more modest budget with great effects!
Price: £350
Five day project based session in which you will restore a piece of furniture. The techniques you learn will depend on what is wrong with your object, but might include dismantling and reassembly, fixing joints, replacing losses with fillers and timber patches, working with veneers, removing and replacing finishes, and repolishing. Nearly all materials are included in the course fee.
Price: £655
Designed for beginners or those with some experience. During this course you will be given a hands-on introduction to etching on Copper. You will be shown how to make your own prints using a variety of techniques under the guidance of an experienced tutor. The aim of this course is to give you an idea of the possibilities of the medium and a thorough introduction to working with hard and soft grounds (line, pattern and texture) as well as Aquatints (tones).
Price: £243
Their leisure courses are a ‘bring your own project’ format, a chance to work on a prized piece of furniture you’ve been meaning to fix up forever, or an opportunity to learn some upholstery skills on something new. Over 18 weeks, their teachers are on hand to help students bring a piece back to life. They teach absolute beginners to advanced students and attendees can work on a variety of different projects during a leisure course, or just tackle one. You will be taught all the tips and techniques of this amazing trade relevant to your project. If you don’t have a piece of furniture in mind, we can help you to decide on or give advice on pieces that would be suitable.
Price: £1,350
Join them for a short, exciting, glassblowing experience suitable for complete beginners. They’ll gather the glass for you, you’ll design and apply colours, and then blow the bauble up. The glass has to be cooled overnight, so it will need to be collected from 48hrs after, or can be sent
Price: £45
There’s nothing better than drinking out of a glass you made yourself. In this 1 day class you’ll be able to design and create a small set of drinking tumblers for your favourite cocktail or refreshing summer cooler, or just celebrate variety and make a random few. Learn to gather glass, colour it and blow it into a mould!
Price: £390
The world renowned Speronella Marsh is going to host a one day course on block printing. During the class, she will be focusing on beautiful hand-carved blocks and printing techniques, often using her own mixed paints. All students will begin by printing wrapping paper and then, after a delicious lunch in the main house, move on to print their own fabric which master the art will make into a beautiful cushion and return to them.
Price: £160
Join them on this 6-week online course to study the buildings and interiors of the Tudors and early Stuarts, c. 1500 – 1650, a time of great change socially and politically. Lectures will cover royal palaces, London and country houses, paintings, tapestries, furnishings and church monuments. Learn from their world-class experts wherever you are, whenever suits you: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time. You can experience the full breadth and depth of the V&A's collections with 12 hours of study over 6 weeks.
Price: £130
12 week project based upholstery session, taught by Pia St John. The term fee includes nearly all structural upholstery materials but not top cover or trimmings. There is a week’s break for half-term on this course.
Price: £655