Grounded - Drawing on mud primed surfaces

A 2 day course using earth as a primary material for working with, as a mark, a colour, and a surface for drawing and painting onto. Getting your hands into the earth is one of the most primal sensations we can experience. Reminiscent of child's play, cave painting, gardening or working with clay, it is a process that can be extremely satisfying, as long as you are prepared to get your hands dirty! Using the materials of the land to draw the landscape is nothing new, as pigments and charcoal, ink and chalks all originate from natural materials.

On the first day you will be gathering materials and visual information from the nearby landscape. Making marks with mud whilst on location, as well as quick studies in charcoal, ink, pen and pencil. Bringing handfuls of earth and studies back into the studio, you will experiment with the earth, mud and PVA, pushing it into different kinds of paper, board and canvas to create beautiful surfaces upon which to draw and paint. Day 2 will develop these images, as both drawings and painting, with a return trip into the landscape where necessary.