Winter Art and Craft Courses

Wyndcliffe Court is hosting a variety of Art and Craft Courses over the winter months in its Oak Ballroom. The courses run on Mondays and cater to a wide variety of skills and levels, with courses ran by local professionals. Courses include Floristry, Chocolate making, Sculpture, Painting, Crochet, Art History plus many more. Please see: website link for a full schedule and booking details.

All day courses are inclusive of morning coffee and homemade cake break, sit down light lunch and afternoon tea and biscuit break.

Monday 4th November:
SEASONAL FLORAL WORKSHOP
Seasonal floral workshop with Louise Kennedy from Lulu K

Louise Kennedy is the owner and creator of lulu K Flowers and Events and is based at her shop in Chepstow, known for it's vibrant window displays and distinctive flowers. Originally from a medical background, 'London girl' Louise has always had a natural flair with flowers and a keen eye for design, and draws on her experience and interest in millinery, sculpture, painting and fashion in all of her creations.
Louise's style is refreshingly informal and organic looking, blending unconventional colours and textures.
The lulu K one day courses will give an introduction to the principals of floral design, the choice and preparation of materials, and the practical instruction and inspiration to realise your own arrangements. Each day will have a seasonal 'theme' and will work on two different projects, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Step by step you will create your own floral masterpieces to proudly take home at the end of the day.

Plied with homemade cake and a delicious lunch the day will be spent beavering away in the stunning and unique surroundings of the Ball Room at Wyndcliffe Court, with the opportunity to source some plant materials from the beautiful gardens.

Whether as a treat for yourself, a day out with friends, or as a special gift for someone, come and enjoy a fun and relaxed day making something a bit different.
No previous experience or knowledge of flowers necessary, and all materials will be provided. You need only bring a cheery disposition.

Monday 4th November (9:30am-4:00pm)
'Berries, Autumnal Leaves and Fireworks'
(contemporary basket and vase arrangements)
£75

Places will be limited so please make sure you book early.
For bookings and enquiries contact: Louise Kennedy (Tel: 07771 280693 or by email: Click to email)

Monday 4th November for 10 Weeks
- EVENING CLASS 7pm-9pm -

BRITISH LANDSCAPE ART
Gainsborough to Goldsworthy - A chronological exploration of visual representations of Britain
with Ruth Barnes

This course will explore the variety of visual works that artists have produced in response to the British Landscape. It will provide a historical framework against which these works can be placed, exploring differing ways of looking at the landscape. Teaching is informal and friendly and begins by looking at the works of Turner and Constable, before moving on to the influences of various British artists colonies and associated art movements. The work of contemporary artists such as Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy will be explored, alongside lesser known photographers, sculptors and filmmakers.

No previous knowledge of art is required, just a genuine interest in the landscape that surrounds you.

Over the past eight years Ruth has worked as a part-time tutor in various colleges and community education establishments in the South West, delivering a selection of courses based around Visual Literacy and Art History. She completed her Masters in Contextual Fine Art at the University of the West of England in 2005 and her creative practice has been in photography and more recently, printmaking. She has worked on art projects in the U.K and Europe, and has shown work in a wide range of settings. She graduated this year from the University of South Wales with a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education.

10 Week Course. Starting Monday 4 November, 7-9pm.
£120.00 for 10 weeks.

On week nine of the course there will be a visit to a gallery. Students are responsible for any entry fees to exhibitions.
Students are required to supply a notebook to keep as a reflective journal for the duration of the course.

Monday 11th/18th/25th-27th November
PORTRAIT BUST COURSE
with Christine Baxter

Course details: As well as learning the fundamentals of sculpting, moulding and figurative design, you will create your very own cast stone bust to take away with you. All materials are included; you will have a stand, a turntable, an armature ready made, plenty of clay and some modelling tools. We will also have a model sit for us.

The aim of the course is to gain familiarity with clay as a modelling material, learn the use of traditional methods of measuring volume, shape and angles, and to achieve a likeness of the model. It is quite intensive, and you will find it totally absorbing. Modeling in clay from life observation is a discipline that improves your drawing skills, increases your awareness of gravity with the use of materials, develops your concepts of volume as well as helps to develop your critical aesthetic eye. I use traditional teaching skills that I learnt at Camberwell School of Art London in the early 80’s. I was lucky to be one of the last students of my generation to benefit from a formal teaching regime that had been developed over the previous 200 years and that is sadly now not taught in UK Art Schools.

We work direct from a model, using caliper gauges and plum lines. You will learn about the making of armatures, the limitations and possibilities of using clay and drawing in 3D with clay. I will give demonstrations on a piece that I will produce along side the class so you can see basic techniques that you will master. The second part of the course is the mould making and casting. This is an optional extra, some people are happy to have the piece cast for them, whilst others would like to learn this new skill so that they can cast their own pieces at home.

We will make a plaster two piece mould from your sculpture, then we shall cast ciment fondue into the mould. Then chip off the mould revealing your finished weatherproof sculpture. Lastly we will apply a patina.

The three day course is priced at £80 per day

Course dates:
Monday 11th November
Monday 18th November
Monday 25th November

The bust casting days for each of the courses will be on Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd December. (These additional days are optional, if you would like your bust cast for you by Christine this can be arranged at an additional cost of £200.) The courses start at 9am so you may want to arrive a little beforehand. There is ample parking on site.

The total cost for the 5 day course is £400 which includes all materials, model, tools as well as morning tea and
homemade cakes, a light lunch and afternoon coffee and biscuits. (I accept a 30% deposit of £120.)

Each Sculpting course has a limit of 6 students, and at the end of the 5 days, you will have your very own ciment fondue cast which is weatherproof and suitable for display in your garden. You do not need to bring anything with you, the only requirements is that you wear old clothes you don’t mind getting dust/plaster on – also if you can please let me know of any dietary requirements for your lunches before hand.

Each Sculpting course has a limit of 6 students. For bookings and enquiries please contact Christine on Click to email or call on 07763485638

Monday 2nd, 3rd and 4th December
THREE DAY PAINTING MASTERCLASS
DRAWING, COLOUR AND PAINT
with Painter Alex Brown. Three day course covers the three key stages towards making a painting.
Day 1 Drawing and Composition, day 2 Colour and Mixing, and Day 3 Painting in oils or acrylic.
Alex Brown has devised a short but intensive 3 day course covering all the key skills that you need to create a successful painting, be it life and portraiture, still life or landscape. Held in the Oak ball room at Wyndcliffe Court with the large light windows looking onto the garden.

On the first day Alex will take you through a foolproof drawing technique that will allow you to easily create accurate drawings with good composition, prior to starting your painting. The second day will be learning about the theory of light and colour. Looking at the use of colour in art history through the Old Masters, The Impressionists and The Realists. With practical demonstrations and paint mixing exercises. The third day will be putting the work you have done on the previous two days into practice, working on your own still life painting in oil or acrylic with guidance and help from Alex along the way.

£75 per day (£225 for the three day course)

Cost of the course includes the following materials and tools: all paints, brushes, paper, canvas, tear off pallets, drawing materials, easels, turps, rags. Please bring clothes you don't mind getting paint on and if you have your own easel please feel free to bring it along.
The course also includes a morning tea break wit homemade cakes, a light lunch and afternoon coffee and biscuits. Alex Brown studied painting in London Camberwell School of Art in the 1980's and has had a successful career teaching and exhibiting since, visit his website for see more of his work and CV - website link

Monday 16th December
CHOCOLATE MAKING FOR CHRISTMAS
with Susan Casas (Cafe manageress at Wyndcliffe Court)
A fun day making chocolates! By the end of the day you will have a variety of lovely, professional looking chocolates to take away with you, to keep yourself or give as Christmas presents. Throughout the day you will learn the techniques of Tempering, Enrobing, Dipping, Detailing, making ganache, truffles, and using moulds.

The day will start with a chocolate tasting, exploring the different types of chocolates available and their uses in Chocolate making. The day will end with you packaging up your chocolates using a variety of basic packaging items provided. (additional luxury packagings is available to purchase on the day)
The day course includes all ingredients, packaging, course notes and recipes as well as morning tea, cakes, a light lunch and afternoon coffee and biscuits.
£80 per person

The course is limited to 8 students, ensuring quality tutoring and one on one help. You do not need to bring anything with you; the only requirement is that you wear clothing that you don't mind getting chocolate on, you will be provided with aprons on the day. Ladies are advised not to wear nail varnish, and to tie back long hair.
Can you please advise us of any dietary requirements/dislikes for your lunches beforehand.

For further information and booking details please call on 01291 621242 or email Click to email