Ref: SWE35833
Learn sensory drawing approaches with natural materials to deeply observe trees, your relationship to nature and to your drawing media. Create evocative drawings that amplify the trees and their meaning to you. Discover some of the mythology and stories that can inform your own narratives and interpretations of trees.
Forests feed the imagination and the body as vertical beings that stand and breathe, and hold space, light and dark for us and many creatures. Drawing is a means to observe deeply what is seen and experienced. Sensory tree drawings can express a more primal response that helps to loosen control in drawing, and encounter more meaningful ideas and imagery in the work you make.
On this course you will: • Work with a variety of senses to respond to trees and woodland spaces through drawing • Be encouraged to enter the imaginal realm of the forest through nature connection exercises • Discover how the qualities of drawing media can be used in sensory ways to create more evocative and expressive artwork • Discover some of the myths and cultural values of trees and how this relates to you personally • Let your soulful imagination and intuition inform your decision-making in developing your initial drawings back in the studio • Take inspiration from the work of Meinrad Craighead, Odilon Redon, Pavel Tchelitchev, and more
The course is structured with a combination of immersive sensory walks in different woodland spaces and visits to specific trees, walking up to three miles on uneven ground on each day. Drawing exercises will be introduced throughout the course with demonstrations, and the tutor will encourage you in the development and review of your own work and ideas through feedback and discussion. Studio research will support you to reflect, write about and interpret the drawings to identify emerging themes and to develop a series of drawings.
By the end of the course, you will have gained a deeper sense of place and self, developed your ideas and imagination through drawing, learnt how to connect to nature in meaningful and intuitive ways using a variety of senses and be more confident drawing in the forest.
On this course, the college will supply willow charcoal, charcoal powder, cartridge paper, gum Arabic, masking tape, drawing ink and fixative shared amongst the group to get started.
Available from shop: A good variety of art materials, including sketchbooks in landscape format – minimum size A5, charcoal, plastic rubbers, black brush pens, soft, water-soluble pencils/sticks/paint, and water-soluble graphite sticks (soft), black fineliner pens.
Bring clothing/aprons suitable for the outdoors and the studio. If you have any media you prefer to work with, you can use this to develop the final drawings, including any water-based paint or inks.
Arrival day
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included)
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential
Daily timetable
Course teaching 9.15am - 5pm (lunch included)
Dinner: from 6.30pm (included for residential students)
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed
Departure day
Course teaching: 9.15am - 3pm (lunch included)
Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required
Programme Coordinator - Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Tiffany Robinson studied interactive media for her MA (2005) making art films and immersive sci-art installations on perception and nanoscale. She is currently a tutor, mentor (The Art of Enquiry) and walking artist making intuitive drawings using natural and digital media. Her work deals with a post-modern estrangement from nature towards a being more than human through alignment with nature.
Residential option available. Find out accommodation costs and how to book here.
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