Welcome • New Artists • Artist News • New Media • Fact Sheet • Comments
WELCOMEWe hope you have enjoyed the marvelous weather May has brought and hope that you have been greatly inspired by the blossoming flowers and returning migrant birds. (or indeed by anthing else that caught your eye!)
May has been hectic here and we are looking forward to our July break. It will again only be a couple of weeks but enough to give us some breathing space and recharge batteries.
We have 3 new artists on our site of which 2 offer residential courses.
There are also some activities going on - it seems like everything is Scottish this month! If you are in another part of the UK and know of some interesting exhibitions or art related activity you want everyone to share, please let us know and we will add it to our newsletter.
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NEW ARTISTSOrkney Stained Glass : For stained glass courses with a difference. Accommodation and delicious food provided. Beautifully located on Shapinsay - Orkney. Click here to visit Orkney Stained Glass.
Hilltop Weavers : Workshops in spinning, weaving, dyeing, feltmaking and braiding. Sue and Bill offer one-to-one workshops for all abilities. They also have a wide variety of materials for sale. Click here to visit their page.
Lyn Ball :Lyn organises quilting retreats which include accommodation and workshops in various quilting techniques. Click here to visit Lyn's page.
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ARTISTS NEWS
From Joanne B. Kaar (click on the thumbnail for details)
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NEW MEDIAThe following media have been added to our list:Quilting: Making the most beautiful quilts using various techniques and original patterns, it is a craft which has been used for centuries and is still ever so popular.___________________________________________________
FACT SHEET
HOW TO FIND A WORKSHOP THAT FITS YOU!
By Rosalind Smith
If, just like me, you are craving to join those local painting classes, or would LOVE to have a try at that glass fusion course but feel that you are not skilled enough and would only embarrass yourself, read further !
I have found that it needs some encouragement from family and friends to actually attend a workshop or a course and with this article I would like to make it easier to get over the initial hurdle so you don't have to rely on supporting relatives.HOW TO FIND A PROPER COURSE/WORKSHOPWorkshops are usually run for shorter periods such as a week or weekend whereas courses may be spread over a school term, a year or until the material has been fully studied.
If you are not sure about the art or craft you would like to take up, I suggest you attend an "open doors" event near you. Most artists will allow the public to have a go themselves and some will even run taster sessions which will allow you to try your new hobby before purchasing expensive equipment and materials which might end up on E-bay a little later.
Any Art or Craft requires A LOT of practicing and some courses may require home work and studies. Art and/or Crafts should be a pleasurable activity and remain that way throughout your course so make sure you have enough time allocated or choose shorter workshops.
If on the otherhand you are planning on making this your new way of living and are thinking of a career or commercial activity, you can either subscribe to as many workshops as you can, or you can attend a full blown course at a college. It will certainly help to have some certificates in your pocket before approaching funding bodies to help you start up your business.
POINTS TO CONSIDER
* Qualifications of the tutor:The self-taught artists on our site offer you the same high standard tutoring as the accademically trained artists. The difference is subtile and will depend from artist to artist.
Some self-taught artists will only be able to teach you to make what they have been making for many years and will know have information about a style or technique you are looking for. Others may have learned a wide variety of skills and will gladly help you further although they are not using that particular medium now. eg. someone may have been very good with pastels but may have discovered the joys of oil painting...
You may find it less intimidating to work with an artist who openly claims not to have Art college qualifications but who is more then willing to share his/her skills with you.
The quality of the course provided has nothing to do with the training of the artist rather then with the capability of passing on that information to a student in a professional way.
Art graduates on the other hand will have tackled lots of different techniques and have studied a myriad of art related subjects. This might be a better choice if you are looking for specific training or if you are on an advanced level.
Depending on your confidence, it may feel very daunting to work with some highly qualified tutors but do not fear! The fact that these artists, whether self-taught or academically trained, are running courses, means that they want to share their skills with you. Each artist will normally state which level their courses are meant for. If not sure, contact the artist.
* Choosing a one-to-one or group workshop/course:
If you don't like people watching over your shoulder while you work or you don't feel confident in a group situation then a one-to-one workshop is the option to go for. Also, if you want to learn a particular skill, e.g. turn wooden goblets for a particular project, then a one-to-one is the most viable way.
It means that you most likely will progress at your own pace and that you will learn more specifically what you ask for. Discuss this thoroughly with your tutor to avoid surprises.
A group workshop/course is mostly for a maximum of 10 attendants and allows you to learn from the tutor as well as from the different approaches by the other students. You can exchange ideas with others and share some of your own skills. However, when teaching is done in a group, the course subject will be aimed at fitting all students and a more personal approach might not be possible.
A word of warning here: popular courses are sometimes overbooked and although every self-respecting artist will prevent overcrowded courses, unfortunately there are some who prefer to make money once and who take
on more then they can possibly fit in their studio/workshop. This means that there might not be enough materials available, or not enough workstations resulting in taking turns and even not getting a go at what you really wanted. If possible, ask around and try to get some feedback from other students.
* Making agreements and sticking to them:
It is nice for the artists to be able to count on the number of students that will show up so they can prepare materials, workshops space, snacks and drinks (where offered). To this purpose most artists will require a deposit when you book a course.When making agreements with the artist, check in advance whether food and/or accommodation is included in the price, if their are extra costs for materials, postage costs for sending works afterwards, etc. Find out which materials you have to bring yourself.If you have special dietary requirements, discuss with the artist what your options are and make sure that your tutor/host is well informed before you get there. Telling your tutor at the table that you are allergic to wheat when your host has prepared the most delicious plate of pasta is definitely not the right moment.When attending a group course and if are allergic to certain food groups you may want to consider bringing your own snack and/or meals to be on the safe side. In that case you may discuss a discount with your tutor.If a course is set to start at a certain time, BE THERE! Or in case you are delayed for some unforeseen circumstances, call the tutor and inform them of your delay.
It is not very considerate to have others waiting for you without knowing for certain that you will be there.* HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A WORKSHOP?
If possible, find accommodation within a short distance from the place where the workshop is being held. Having to travel that extra distance after a long training day is not advisable.
Although attending workshops is great fun and very enjoyable, it is also very tiring for the brain - some workshops such as sculpting and engraving being even physically tiring. So it is better not to plan any strenuous or demanding activity after a workshop.
Safety at the workshop does not only apply to the studio equipment and materials but also to you being rested enough to concentrate on what you are learning. Make sure you calculate enough time to travel to and from the workshop place. (all over the UK, a short straight line on a map may mean lots of curves and single lane roads which can double your travelling time. Ask your tutor for information on access routes). It can prevent a lot of unnecessary stress.
If this is the first time you attend a workshop and you feel nervous, don't. There is no need to be nervous or panicky. Your tutor is there to help you feel at ease, to make your creative intentions into a success! Even the best tutors get nervous themselves so you may have to help him/her to break the ice!
Attend the workshop with an open mind. Even if you have read lots of books about your chosen subject, even if you have seen others at work, remember that this artist is good at what he/she does and is willing to share it with you. Some of their ideas and techniques maybe totally different from what you read but that does not mean that they do not work (they may even be better as a result of years of experimenting and testing).
Use your eyes! See what the tutor is using, little tricks and tips that you may not finds in books as they are very specific to the way the tutor works. Be all ears, if you have a short term memory like me, write down as much as you can/want so you can let it digest at a later moment.
Do not expect to create a masterpiece from your first attempt! Most of the tutoring artists have had years of experience and have practiced, practiced and practiced to obtain the results they are showing you now. There are only very few artists born with their specific talent (maybe you are one of them!!) so do not get discouraged at any time!
ENJOY...
Enjoy every minute of the workshop.
Let your creative self take over and go wild (as a matter of speaking).
Let the art bug bite you and open new horizons for you as it did for me!
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