A Pre-recorded Course . Once registered, students have access to the films for as long as you need.

A 3 day course during which you will ‘construct’ three large (A1+) paintings( on a choice of supports- stretched canvas, MDF or ply board, or Heavy duty paper), using visual material gathered from a variety of sources. You will be asked to choose an outside space as your subject matter or resource, such as your garden, a local park or nearby wood. This visual material will include the making of quick drawings and paintings on paper, recording interesting forms, light and shadows, and the collecting of any objects and artefacts that would present interesting shapes and forms to work from. This accumulated visual matter will then be used as the starting materials and basis with which to embark on the three larger paintings, which will be made by employing a whole variety of methods, including- collage, experimental mark making, glazing, and paint transfer methods.

A selection of 8 short films for inspiration (To use in the same way that you would dip into an art book).

John Skinner has been a visiting tutor at the Seawhite Studio for the past 15 years. Twice a year he teaches a Master Class to artists who are serious in their search to find ways to move their work forward and become more poetic. He always generously shares his experience, thoughts and feelings about painting. We have 8 short films made by John available here for you to purchase. In these films John explains his philosophy about the process of making paintings and where his inspiration comes from. Some of these are selected recordings of past talks given by John during the Master Classes, some are poetic films that he has made in France exploring the subjects that fascinate him.

Once registered, students have access to the films for as long as you need.

A pre-recorded online 5 day course

Once registered, students have access to the films for as long as you need.

This year more than ever we have been confined to our homes, many of us turning to it as a subject matter, for its familiarity, and personal significance - whether comforting, or claustrophobic. But if you are finding drawing yet another tea pot just a little uninspiring, this 5 day course will give you a fresh way of looking at the everyday, and aims to encourage a regular practice on a small scale. All the work will be done in a sketchbook, with guided exercises and suggested self-study throughout. It can be seen as a way into a new subject, making you see your home life with new eyes, maybe inspiring more work to develop from it. Or, it might help you rediscover the joy of keeping a sketchbook as a visual diary, for no other purpose than the process itself, a record of these times. There will be 5 sessions, which you can choose to do in 5 consecutive days, or, take your time, and see how much work can come out of each online session, let the sketchbook fill up over days or even weeks.

Experiments in Watercolour - Pre-recorded

Once registered, students have access to the films for as long as you need.

Experiments in Watercolour is a three day practical course led by Simon Carter. The course aims to have a fresh look at the medium of watercolour and how it might be used in an expressive, experimental and contemporary way. The course will not be about technique, but will seek to use watercolour in a bold and painterly manner.

As we are more confined to our studios in the current situation, we will gather a group of natural objects to construct a surrogate ‘landscape'. You will need to gather together a group of natural objects prior to the course starting (further instructions below).

For each day there is approximately an hour and a half long video where Simon practically demonstrates and talks about the processes that can be used to explore your subject and build paintings. These demonstrations encourage you to be bold and experimental in your approach.

Coming to your Senses

A 5 day online pre-recorded sketchbook course for working freely and experimentally outdoors - on holiday, in the landscape, by the sea.

Come to your senses - and spend time being creative in the great outdoors in this 5 day prerecorded course led by Katie Sollohub, inspirational teacher, artist, and experienced yoga and meditation practitioner. This course will give you a fresh way of looking at the everyday, and aims to encourage a regular practice on a small scale. There are 17 short films ranging from approximately 10 minutes to an hour long.

Once registered, students have access to the films for as long as you need.

Now Offered as an Pre-recorded Online Course - Once registered, students have access to the films for as long as you need.

A Handful of Objects is designed as a three day course led by Simon Carter, looking at how you can create energetic and inventive compositions based around objects and activity in the studio. There are 3 films, plus a short introductory film, that last for an average of 1 hour. Working in your own studio you collect a group of objects together that you will start making paintings from using direct observation, seeing how inventive you can be while staying true to the familiar objects. You will then look at constructing larger pieces in a process of collaging and building, looking to find big compositions based on still life but with the lyricism and breadth of landscape.

Gather a group of favourite objects: two man-made things, two natural things, two patterned things and reproductions of two favourite paintings. For the first 2 sessions of the course it would be best to work with acrylic paint on paper, painting, collaging, glueing together, building an image. Looking to make something large, dramatic, disruptive and daring. Making paintings from this dymanic collage could be done in oils if you prefer

Now Offered as an Pre-recorded Online Course - Once purchased you have unlimited access to the recordings.

Drawing and painting self-portraits, looking at yourself in the mirror, is a grounding, challenging and invigorating experience. You are in good company as many of the great painters in history made Self Portraits. You are free to invent and take risks, as there is no one to offend or judge the likeness other than yourself. It is a chance to contemplate, scrutenise and explore how to capture more than just a likeness; to convey with feeling the mood of the gaze, to enjoy the sculptural qualities of the subject and materials. During this 3 day course Emily will have a large mirror in her studio so that she can draw and paint herself, live on camera, to demonstrate and also work alongisde you. She will lead you through processes that help you become confident at manipulating the materials so that they become the subject. She will suggest ways of layering marks and shapes taken from observation to help you invent more expressive ways of making the features of the face. A fleeting glance, the tilt of the head, rubbing through, redrawing and editing provide a fertile ground, with its layered materials and moments, to offer you powerful images that hold your gaze.

By the end of the 3 days you will have lots of drawings and painted studies that will be full of good material for many paintings. You will also have begun at least two paintings. Emily will encourage you to continue these paintings after the course has finished.

Artists’ work that might inspire you: Matisse, Picasso, Chantal Joffe, Maggie Hambling, Stephen Chambers (‘The Court of Redonda’ series), , Bonnard self portraits, John Skinner, Frank Auerbach, Katie Sollohub, Francis Bacon, Dennis Creffied, David Bomberg and the Rembrant late paintings.

Course Dates May 8^th -  10^th  (Wed - Friday) 2024

On this three day practical course we will explore how digital photography can be used as a valuable resource for landscape painting. Unless you are a plein air painter it is likely that you are making paintings in a studio away from the landscape, in this case photographic sources can help with what can be a visual deficit. One of the great advantages of digital photography is the ability to zoom in, and to be able to explore the subject in ways that are rooted in its image. By zooming in and cropping the photograph we find image possibilities of which were unaware at the time we took the photograph. Bolder, simpler compositions may often be found, but also the experience of entering into the image has its own rich reward.

Course Dates May 13^th - 15^th (Monday - Wednesday) 2024

Experiments with close up observation, collage, spatial arrangement of forms, and layering and glazing methods.

Please be aware that oil paints and associated solvents are not permitted on this course.

A three-day course in which you will make a minimum of 2 large scale collages informed by research and resource drawings and paintings, made prior to commencement of the large scale works. The course will start with making a succession of drawings from close up observation of either house plants or some gathered flora and fauna or foliage in the garden. The drawings are done in order to establish shapes and forms which will then form part of a process which scales up these intimate details, shapes, forms, and spaces. They will then be used in different stages as ingrediants for making components for larger works, constructed through collage making processes and incorporating painting and glazing techniques. The goal will not be to produce ‘finished works’ but rather to think about new approaches to making images that artists can then take back into their own practice.

Course Dates May 15^th - 17^th (Wednesday - Friday) 2024

Drawing with all your senses, using pencils and coloured pastels in the cathe-dral itself, you will be encouraged to make expressive and experimental stud-ies on a small scale as you directly experience the immensity of the building. Your drawings may be filled with gesture, colour, sound, the cool air, the touch of stone, the echoes of footsteps and organ music…. We can spend the whole day there, with one to one guidance, and group discussions about how we tackle such an enormous subject. Taking these back to the studio, you will have 2 more days to experiment, scaling up your marks and observa-tions onto large rolls of paper, letting the drawing grow and expand, as if you were the architect and builder constructing it in space.