WHO I AM

GALLERY

ARTISTIC VALUES

Inspiration and Creativity

Everyone needs mental and physical space to dream, to create, to inspire and to be inspired. At Arts' Studio, this is understood. All artistic expression is encouraged in this therapeutic Arts' Studio where people come and create  freely. If you cannot attend in person (are on the other side of the world), send me your dreams via email and we can work  across space and time together.

Use your dreams to heal

Reinterpreting line

I will help you let your hand take lines for a dance or a quiet stroll. The hand is an extension of the body and soul and with pencil you can achieve precision or illusion. I can teach you proportion and perspective if that’s what you want but free form drawing is also a wonderful thing.

Pencil

There is incredible depth to pencil drawing if you use the full range of tonality. There are many techniques from repeated line, stippling, to the more traditional shading. I will help you develop your own style and find solace as well as joy in it.

Charcoal

This is one of the most ancient means of mark making. A piece of burnt wood at the camp fire becomes a medium with magical momentum. If you don’t mind a bit of smudge on your hands, then you won’t mind it on the paper. Smudges can become hints of reality; they are perfect for working on shadows and indeed even the Shadow Self. I can show you how charcoal can be a blend of line and smudge if you want a little definition in the mix. It’s a wonderful medium for portraits.

Pen and ink

A nib line of ink on paper can take you back in time to monastic scriptoriums where monks bent over a page of manuscript. With this remarkable medium I can show you how to let line and even accidental spills become an expression of the soul.  A small brush and some water can add a painterly effect. This is a great medium for landscape. Black or Sepia (brown) are the best colours, especially on a cream background to add a touch of age if that is what you want.

Painting

​Oil painting: can be done on stretched canvas or primed board. However oil and turps wash paintings can be done on any thick paper or card. Oil painting achieves a glow and depth that is hard to replicate in acrylic, one can work into and over layers of oil paint by scratching out what is beneath or glazing over the top. It takes a little time but the satisfaction of seeing it emerge over sessions is unparalleled. It’s best to work standing at an easel so that you can use your whole body and full arm’s length as well as stand back to see it from a variety of distances. This is a medium I relish in, it’s no wonder the great artists in history loved it so much. No other medium can achieve such depth of shadow or contrast of light, in my opinion. I can show you how to do all of this.

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Acrylic: This is a water based paint that is great for designing, patterning and illustrating. It’s fantastic for hard edge work. It is quick drying and satisfying especially if you have a plan. Having said that, it’s also fun to mess about with and do finger and hand painting  so there really are no rules.

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Watercolour: This is a medium of love. I have come to appreciate it more as I get older. The best approach is to be swift with the brush and not try to ‘fix’ something but let it be. Watercolour sea and landscapes work incredibly well. A touch of watercolour pencil can be added for extra definition and this adds a dimension that is very satisfying. I can help you get the most out of this medium by guiding you through the techniques I’ve learned over time. Good paper and brushes are essential.

Three Dimensional work

Clay/ wood/ found objects

Some people are happier working around a whole form so that it has meaning from the top, bottom and sides. Creating something to exist in space needs a different approach to painting and drawing but it sometimes helps to do some drawings of what you have in mind. Alternatively, just go with your own flow.  It may be that you want to keep to one material (like clay) which is one of the most therapeutic materials to work with; it’s best immersing yourself in the process and allowing the clay to take form in your hands. If you want to create something in wood, or with objects you’ve collected, or that I have in the studio, this is all possible and depends entirely on your own goals and needs. 3-D work takes a time and patience, sometimes things just won’t stay, hold or hang as you had intended and this means listening to the material, letting it do what it wants to do is best sometimes.

Reinterpreting Figures and Memories 

Card making and Collage

Cards: In an age of internet conversations, it may be time to make cards that you know a friend will appreciate. Combining elements like little shells, seeds etc with some watercolour work or pen and ink creates a wonderful effect. Then you can write your message with a calligraphy pen to create a professional but personal result.This is a truly rewarding exercise especially if you are reaching out to someone.

​Collage: We used to call this ‘mixed media’ in my young days and it’s the joy of using up things in your studio to create a surprise work of art that has a depth in the relief work (not quite 3-D but coming out of the surface – so not 2-D either). If you have some frustration that you need to work out, it’s a great medium; all you need is a good size piece of durable card or board.With plenty of craft glue and a mixture of images, objects and paint, the sky’s the limit.Great for abstract expression.

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Subtle touches in watercolour

Thread in thread out, breathe in breathe out: Embroidery

This is an art that helps you relax and results in an object of beauty and care. I will help you draw up your own design and teach you some of the most useful stitches. The rhythm of stitching is like the breath: in and out, in and out … . It’s a simple but wonderful art form that can become a framed piece, a bag, a cover or whatever you have in mind. I can help you with the sewing of the final product too.

Symbolic words/ Creative writing

I regard creative writing like drawing; it is just that you’re taking your hand and line to different places. Like drawing, it’s possible to move towards a focal point or drift off to the shadows and edges. Words can be like little droplets of ink and indeed it is lovely to illustrate your writing with images. Nonetheless my approach with creative writing is to have just one idea or theme per piece and work around that. It’s drawing out of the soul what needs to be said.

Dream making in four dimensions