Ref: SLW33444
Explore the timeless art of capturing everyday objects in an abstracted and modern light.
This course will encourage you to look closely at fruit, vessels and cut flowers and simplify them to their core components. The aim is to distill the subject to a flavour - to not overly describe a thing, but to suggest it.
• Experiment with expressive mark-making, colour combinations and a mix of materials. This course will ignite your creativity, expand your visual language and deepen your understanding of composition, colour and form.
• Explore collage and mark-making as tools to simplify shapes and add dynamic elements to your compositions. Discover how to use these techniques to infuse your work with spontaneity and energy.
• Learn how to arrange objects in a compelling manner and master the interplay of light and shadow to create depth and atmosphere in your paintings.
• Dive deeper into the world of colour theory and texture as you discover how to infuse your still life paintings with vibrancy and dimension. You'll learn how to evoke mood and emotion through your choice of colours and textures.
Throughout the weekend, you will experiment with techniques to get into a flow state and free up your process to discover avenues for creative expression. You will work on board in a range of media including oil paint, ink and pastel.
Inspiration will be sought from investigating artists such as the Bloomsbury Group artists, Ivon Hitchens, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, as well as contemporary artists whose work is concerned with still life.
Through feedback and critiques, you'll refine your techniques and develop a greater sense of confidence in your artistic expression.
By the end of the course, you will have combined all you have discovered in the creation of your own contemporary still life paintings.
Arrival Day - this is the first date listed above
Courses start early evening. Residential students to arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm.
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included).
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential.
Daily timetable
Classes 9.15 - 5pm, lunch is included.
From 6.30pm: Dinner (included for residential students).
Evening working - students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with their tutor's permission and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.
Last day
Classes 9.15am - 3pm, lunch is included.
Residential students are to vacate their rooms by 10am please.
(This timetable is for courses of more than one day in length. The tutor may make slight variations)
Lara studied at Hastings College and Oxford Brookes. After a period of teaching art abroad, she returned to Brighton in 2000 and established her studio and gallery. She predominantly works as a painter, best known for her characterful abstract still-lifes and large-scale colour-field paintings.
Residential option available. Find out accommodation costs and how to book here.
Take the next step in your creative practice, with foundation level to Masters in Fine Art study.
Depending on your experience, start with an Online Foundation Certificate in Art and Design (one year, part-time), a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design made up of 10 short courses taken over two years (part-time) or advance your learning with our BA (Hons) Art and Contemporary Craft: Materials, Making, and Place (six years part-time). All will help you develop core skills, find direction in your practice and build an impressive portfolio in preparation for artist opportunities or higher-level study. See all degree and diploma courses.
