Autumn Floral Watercolours - an immersive painting day

A wonderful, immersive, day of exploring and working with watercolours, focusing on floral watercolour composition. An introduction to abstract floral watercolour painting led by Yorkshire artist and designer Justine Hardisty. Join artist and designer Justine Hardisty for a day of floral watercolour painting and leave with a beautiful and unique piece of art, interpreted and created by you! You will delve into the history and origins of this versatile medium, which dates back as far as the Middle Ages, and explore how artists over time have used watercolours to produce paintings in a range of styles. Throughout the day you will learn valuable skills and techniques that we would love you continue to develop at home! Watercolour paints can be used to create the most amazing effects and there are endless techniques which can be used on their own or combined with others. The studio will be filled with fresh flowers and foliage for you to interpret and paint using any number of the skills that will be taught and demonstrated. What makes watercolours so fantastic is that they can be controlled by the artist or allowed behave freely on the paper, both resulting in a unique piece of art. In this introductory workshop Justine will use her 35 years’ experience of using watercolours to demonstrate a wide range of techniques to enable you to create a stunning interpretation of the floral arrangements surrounding you. Within the workshop you will be exposed to the floral works of several artists over time and compare the anatomical with the abstract! There will also be a section on colour mixing as well as plenty of time to practise the techniques you have learned prior to starting your finished piece. Participants will be shown demonstrations and will have guided one-to-one help and advice on how to achieve the best results. You will also be provided with a handout on the day containing a range of skills and techniques to support the demonstrations and to further develop what you have learned at home. A view finder will also be available for you to select a certain aspect of the arrangement to paint should you wish. The workshop will involve: • Introduction to watercolour paints, origins and a brief history • Looking at watercolour artwork by different artists and in a range of styles • Learning how to mix colours to achieve a wide spectrum of hues and tones • Learning and experimenting with colours and techniques • Understanding how to build a floral composition and interpret the subject including the use of a view finder Skill level: Beginner- no painting or drawing experience necessary. Cost: £65 per person – all materials and equipment use included.