Join Marie Ekerholm for a guided painting experience combining colour, music and nature-inspired meditation. You will build a personal, layered painting, experimenting with marks, movement and flowing paint, allowing unexpected patterns to become part of what emerges. With pauses to reflect along the way, the workshop invites you to loosen your attachment to a planned outcome and discover where curiosity takes you. Whether you paint regularly or are trying something new, there is no right or wrong, simply space to explore and create something uniquely yours.

Tutor will provide everything (including aprons)

Charge for materials on the day is £10

Please bring your own lunch but HACG will provide tea/coffee/milk.
Venue: Dunsden village hall

Workshop format:
We will have time in this class to do two wreaths one traditional and one using a slightly different method of construction.

Tutor will provide:
I will have lots of Christmas bits and pieces to share with you -for a small donation to HACG.

I will also provide the items starred at a cost of £5.00 with an added £2.50 if I provide the material, Christmas or otherwise.

Please let Irene know if you require the foam ring and/or the poke frame at least ten days before the class, to give her time to order.

Also, let irene know if you would like her to provide the fabric for the poke wreath – see below for details

Participants to bring:
1. Traditional wreath ring requirements
• *12” foam ring. Preferably not with plastic base, but it will work
• *Wide Christmas ribbon-preferably with a wired edge
• *Florists stub wires
• Scissors-to cut flower stems
• Secateurs
• A selection of evergreen foliage e.g. spruce, Cupressus, holly, tree ivy, box, hebe. Three types of foliage will be enough. I tend not to use holly as it is rather hard on the hands. If you do want to use it, bring some gloves or just use the berries. I will have extras so don’t worry if you can’t get enough
• Any other suitable berries. Could be fresh or imitation
• One wrap of flowers of your choice, if you want to have fresh flowers in your wreath. They will last till Xmas if looked after carefully. Roses carnations or gerberas work well
• A selection of Christmas bits e.g., baubles, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, stars, Christmas picks, cones. Have a look in your Christmas box and see what you can find! Stores like Poundland sell Christmas baubles really cheaply and in a variety of colours, and I will have bits on offer as well
• Table cover

2. Poke wreath requirements
• *Poke wreath frame
• Christmas patterned material. However, you may want to make your wreath for another occasion, say a new baby or a wedding. The material will be cut into 2” squares, and you will need about 100-120.I am happy to provide all of the material ready cut but please let me know whether you want Christmas themed or otherwise, and in plenty of time for me to get the cutting done
• Glue gun
• Scissors to cut material-I hope these will be different from your flower scissors -you will ruin your dressmaking scissors if you cut flower stems with them
• Knitting needle with sharp point or an awl-I will have plenty of items to use
• Health & Safety note: If you are using a glue gun and intend to share it with others it should be PAT tested. You can borrow mine-it is PAT tested or just use your own and don’t share it!

Please bring your own lunch but HACG will provide tea/coffee/milk.
Venue: Dunsden village hall

Workshop format:
We are making a free-standing series of 3D shapes in a boat shaped container. Contrasting forms of natural dried/drying materials and some string lights [sort for small Christmas decorations]

Tutor will provide:
• Craig’s inspiration from an artist/s who work with paper/fabric to create sculptural forms, Craig will give you a short presentation on his laptop purely as inspiration.
• Cane and wet strength tissue paper at cost.
• Wet strength tissue paper and some cane lengths/ medillino/type sticks, these are supplied at cost.
• Materials charge on the day - £5 cash please.

Note that the day is sampling the technique to create such sculptures, you can see some photographic images of a previous workshop.

Participants to bring:
• PVA glue [ with small pot to decant into]
• Paint brush 1” or artist brushes similar size
• Old floral foam in a weighted container and large clothes pegs to hold forms while drying.
• A few hairdryers around the room to be used by all participants will aid drying.
• Something to protect the table with which needs to be strong enough to stop you glued pieces sticking to the table.
• A container – Low boat shaped container, filled with floral foam to position your forms, this can be covered by sand, gravel, lentils or whatever you like to give texture and cover the foam. This is a temporary fixing for a day workshop.
• A string of decorative lights not too long, the sort for a vase or small sculptural form.
• Some dried/drying seedheads of Alliums, agapanthus etc can give you extra textural contrast to the forms you will create. As they are dried or drying, they will provide a long-lasting form for your winter sculpture.

Please bring your own lunch but HACG will provide tea/coffee/milk.
Venue: Dunsden village hall

Discover the magic of suminagashi , where ink, water, the environment and of course you, combine to create mesmerizing marbled patterns. This ancient Japanese art is relaxing and suitable for absolute beginner and experienced artist alike, but be warned it is quite addictive! This is a very mindful art form, so perfect to calm your brain ahead of the busy festive season.

In this day workshop we will cover:
The history and meaning behind suminagashi, the tools, the inks and papers you'll need. Step-by-step instructions to create beautiful marbled patterns using traditional and more modern techniques. How to avoid common mistakes and more advanced pattern-making. In the afternoon we will develop ideas of how you can use your beautiful marbled papers. You will come away with five greetings cards and we will mount one piece on a small wooden painting panel and finish it ready for display.

What to bring:

Please wear old clothes or bring an apron as ink stains.
Scissors.
An old paint brush for painting the side of the panel and applying glue.
Something to cover your table and some newspaper to dry your marbled papers on.

The marbling bath, rice paper, oriental brushes, ink, glue, wooden painting panel, sealant, hair dryer and card blanks will be supplied. There will be £6 materials charge payable to the tutor on the day. Please bring exact change!

Please bring your own lunch but HACG will provide tea/coffee/milk.
Venue: Dunsden village hall