16th and 17th September, 10.30am to 4.30pm – Woodland Walk/Pavilion Lawn
To celebrate the Leeds Castle estate during our Festival of Craft & Design, we are hosting two free nature art workshops where you and your little ones can get up close and personal with the natural forms and textures across the estate.
On 16th September, join our two artists in a workshop of your choosing:
- The first will be with artist Gemma Gottelier, who will lead you in creating flowers, birds and insects out of clay. During the activity you will roll, cut out and add natural materials, such as petals, leaves and sticks, to create markings, features and feathers.
- The second workshop will be with artist Andy Evans, who will lead you in creating 2D and 3D twig sculptures focusing on plants, birds, insects and native animals to the Leeds Castle estate.
On 17th September, join our two artists in a workshop of your choosing:
- The first will be with artist Gemma Gottelier, who returns for a second day to lead you in creating flowers, birds and insects out of clay. During the activity you will roll, cut out and add natural materials, such as petals, leaves and sticks, to create markings, features and feathers.
- The second workshop will be with artist Laura Thomas, who will lead you in a nature rubbings session using gelli printing techniques to create images from leaves, bark and natural materials.
At the end of the workshop you will be able to take your creation home.
About Outdoor Studios:
Outdoor Studios provides artist-led workshops for creative experiential learning exploring environment, landscape, and place.
It is a mobile resource, offering Full and Half Day and Bespoke art workshops in and around Kent, with a focus on environment. Groups benefit from the use of creativity to learn about and respond to geologically and historically rich landscapes, from forests and coasts to town and urban settings. We have experience of working in diverse settings and our workshops can be adapted to any location.
Creative workshops in the forest provide access to an experimental and safe environment for participants to learn about the forest environment through its natural materials. Groups are encouraged to explore tools and techniques through practical, hands-on experience. This is particularly valuable to those with limited access to natural environments.
www.outdoorstudiosarts.com
About the artists:
Laura Thomas
Laura is a practising artist who uses photography and printmaking. She has a BA in photography from Brighton University and a MA in photography from LCC. Laura has an interest in nature, human presence & relationships; her work can be found in the millennium photographic library and she has been exhibited at a number of galleries across Kent & London. Laura is trained to Gold level in delivering Arts Award to young people and works regularly within schools delivering these courses. Laura worked with Stour Valley Arts for 15 years, delivering workshops and managing projects. Laura runs ARTmoves organisation offering monthly art and photography workshops to adults and children.
Gemma Gottelier
Gemma is passionate about working in and taking inspiration from the natural environment. “In a world dominated by technology, it’s a rare and valuable opportunity to share the experience of being creative in nature, bringing people together in a magical way.” With a background in Fine Art and having developed her skills to embrace more craft-based mediums, Gemma enjoys working with a range of techniques, including drawing, printing, painting, collage, model-making, ceramics and appliqué. In her career to date, Gemma’s been devising and delivering creative workshops and projects – as well as coordinating them – for a wide range of audiences, gaining a grounding in Museum and Gallery Learning – often working with their outside spaces. Gemma’s led sessions regularly with children from Early Years upwards, schools, families, Young People, Older People, Vulnerable Adults, people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s, stroke victims and community, Special Educational Needs, ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Blind and Partially Sighted groups.
Andy Evans
Andy works across the fields of Architecture and Landscape, as a designer, artist and educator. He studied Architecture at Manchester Metro University, followed by a post graduate diploma at KIAD Canterbury, which led to 10 years of working within the profession. With a strong interest in the landscape his professional practise has since focused on ‘place making’ projects, working with both urban and natural environments. As an educator, his emphasis is on engaging people in the landscape through ‘hands-on’ art and design exploratory experiences.
This is included in the price of your admission ticket, however we do require all those interested in participating to sign up free.