23-24 May
This weekend Schoolhouse for Art workshop offers time and space to explore drawing in the relaxed and beautiful setting of Russborough House working between the indoor studio and outdoors on the grounds, drawing from the landscape, plants, and natural forms.
The workshop will begin with an informal look at how different artists approach drawing from nature, setting the context for students own explorations. A key focus of the weekend is the idea of drawing as a way of paying attention—how the act of seeing and drawing can help us understand the world around us in a new way.
Throughout the weekend, we will work with a range of materials such as charcoal, pencil, and ink pen, and experiment with techniques including line drawing, shading, and different forms of mark-making. We will pay particular attention to the way that each approach brings its own qualities and possibilities.
Sessions will include simple warm-up exercises—gesture, movement, and expressive marks—to loosen up and become more responsive to what we see. Participants will work on both large and small scales, allowing time for slower studies as well as quick impressions.
As part of these exercises, students will make their own concertina sketchbooks to bring outdoors for a drawing walk, using them to gather observations directly from the environment capturing changes in pace, atmosphere, and attention.
We will finish the weekend with a short group discussion, offering a chance to share work, talk about process, and reflect on what has been learned over the course both days.