Expressive Painting: Figure, Fashion and Fabrics

Course Dates: 18^th-20^th January 2023 (Wednesday - Friday)

A 3 day course in the Seawhite Studio painting from the clothed figure, inspired by colour and pattern as much as form and flesh. Celebrate the way fabric adorns the figure, how pattern changes as it wraps around form, glimpses of flesh, the features of the face emerging from folds and frills.

Whilst Katie will be the tutor for this course, Emily Ball will be resident artist for the week as this is a subject very dear to her own heart. This will be an opportunity to follow the guided exercises given, but also to be inspired by seeing Emily in full flow, as she takes her own work forward over the course of the 3 days; a chance to work alongside other artists, to inspire and be inspired.

On day one you will make a series of quick studies from the figure in movement, reacquainting yourself with the body as a subject using the fluidity of paint to express the lyrical qualities, dance like. In other guided warm up exercises you will use the language of paint to describe the texture, direction and weight of cloth, how it shrouds, conceals, and reveals the form underneath. Starting to find compositions within these quick studies, you will be encouraged to play and experiment, not relying simply on observation, so that the paintings you begin to make will be fresh and exciting, open to change as you continue to work with them on day 2 and 3.

We will look at artists including Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard, Chantal Joffe, Alice Neal, and Jennifer Packer for inspiration.