The Lure of Wabi-Sabi, Pattern and the Vessel

Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th May  from 10am  – 4pm each day

Storth Village Hall,   Milnthorpe,   Cumbria,   LA7 7PH

This 2 day course will be an exploration of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi in relation to the intimacy of the vessel and the inherent beauty of pattern.

The three stages of wabi-sabi

I am so pleased to be able to offer this course as a 2 day workshop. I recently developed this course for my ‘Monday group’ and we all got so much out of the whole process. Our investigative creative process moved through drawing and painting, developing pattern and motif, creating collage papers and then using these to create our own 3D vessels. I love the fact that we came full circle and, in doing so, honoured the cyclical nature of wabi-sabi with its focus on emergence and submergence.

Drawing from the collages

If you love the idea of developing your own gestural drawings, patterned papers and vessels while learning the art of the gelli plate then this course is perfect for you.

We will be literally diving headlong into the creation of expressive drawings using charcoal and ink full of gestural marks and rhythm; think calligraphic marks, texture, fluid washes, expressive line, rhythm and repetition.

We will then develop a set of acrylic painted and printed collage papers inspired by our drawings and vessels, before creating large collaged pieces for making cylindrical vessels perfect for botanical displays in your own home.

So if you would like to join me working with curiosity from from ‘vessel to vessel’ then do register your place below…

Student Work

This course is perfect for you if you are an adventurous beginner or more experienced but wishing to shake things up.

Day 1  The morning will be packed with exploratory exercises as we develop drawings and patterns using both dry and wet media, really exploring the potential of your vessel colours, shape and motif.  The afternoon will be spent developing your colour palette before printing and painting your own textural printed collage papers.

Day 2  is your opportunity to create a set of collages using your own papers in preparation for the vessel making session in the afternoon.

I will be on hand each day to demonstrate, guide and inspire you as you work towards developing your own contemporary wabi sabi inspired vessels and hopefully send you home with more ideas for using these as part of your creative process.

I will supply a variety of basic drawing materials, drawing boards and cartridge paper . You will need to supply your own acrylic paints and coloured inks, brushes, palettes, acrylic matt medium for gluing and of course your curiosity 🙂

A full list will be sent out 6 weeks before the course.

Student Work

Booking Terms 2023

• In order to book your place you will need to pay in full when requested on the booking page – you can use a credit or debit card. Alternatively you can pay by BACS by selecting ‘Pay Locally’ and I will then send you the payment details over in a separate email.

• You will receive an email confirming your booking.

• In the unfortunate case that a course you are booked on needs to be cancelled for any reason, I will be in touch before the course start date and refund the course fee in full.

• If you find that you are unable to attend the course for any reason let me know as soon as possible :
  – with 6 weeks or more notice from the course start date I will refund the course fee – less a non-refundable element to cover admin of £25.
  – with less than 6 weeks’ notice I will try to fill your place. If  I am able to fill your place then you’ll receive a refund less the admin charge. However, if I am unable to fill your place unfortunately your payments will be forfeited . You may wish to consider taking out insurance to cover this eventuality.

• You may swap your place with anyone you like but please do let me know in advance.

General Course Information

• My courses start at 10am, though everyone is welcome to arrive a little earlier in order to set up and be ready for a 10am start. Finishing around 4pm.

• Coffee and tea, biscuits and cakes are included but you do need to provide your own lunch. (There is a Booths supermarket nearby with a good selection of lunch items)

• I will send out a materials list around 6 weeks before the course. Any materials that are included in the fee this will be mentioned on the course page.

• Some of my courses involve time working in the local countryside. This will be made clear in the course details. Please do make sure to bring suitable clothing, footwear and maybe a small bag to carry your kit along with something to sit on.