Weeks 1-6

Saturday 13th February

This week our activities are focused on creative self-care and some gentle introductory wellbeing activities. For those who missed it, the full newsletter can be viewed here

Artist Sarah O’Boyle guides you through some relaxed, free-drawing activities in her video; and this is supported by our free drawing worksheet which can be viewed below or downloaded here.

Why not take a walk this weekend, get some fresh air, and have a go at drawing your walk?

(If you are unable to get out and walk, you could go on a virtual walk like this one instead)

Saturday 20th February

Our theme this week is Relaxation. For those who missed it, the full newsletter can be viewed here

We have selected two mindful activities for you to try at home that focus on circles and repetition. These simple creative processes can be explored in one sitting, or you may want to just keep returning to them when you are able to find a quiet moment. Whichever way you choose to work, enjoy the simplicity of these gentle activities that have been designed to encourage a sense of relaxation and wellbeing.

Our circle activity worksheet can be viewed and downloaded here

Saturday 27th February

This week we are going to introduce you to mark making. This is the term used to describe the many different lines, patterns and textures found on a surface that adds visual interest. Once you start looking you'll find them everywhere! The full newsletter can be viewed here

Working in a relaxing yet playful way, the aim is for you to create a visual vocabulary of marks that can be used over and over again in a variety of different ways. Continuing with the Repetition theme that has been explored in the previous two weeks, we hope that you will find this topic just as relaxing and mindful as our earlier activities. 

Our video with Sarah O’Boyle guides you through the activity in black and white and at a larger scale, and is supported by the worksheet which can be downloaded here

Saturday 6th March

View this week’s newsletter in full here

As the days are getting longer and we approach spring, we are going to take some time to explore Nature through our wellbeing activities. Our theme for this week is Mandalas. You can download the worksheets here

A ‘Mandala’ is a geometric design that holds a great deal of symbolism in Hindu and Buddhist cultures (‘Mandala’ is Sanskrit for circle). This week’s activities explore their connection to pattern, repetition and mindfulness. Our activity worksheets introduce you to the simple organic shapes that are commonly used in mandalas, and show you how to turn these into a simple mandala design. We also explore the work of Andy Goldsworthy, who creates site specific sculptures from nature- why not have a go yourself at creating a mandala using natural objects?

Don’t forget to share images of your work with us- its great to see your responses to our activities and we would love to share them in our online Community Gallery!

Saturday 13th March

View the newsletter in full here

This week we are continuing to take our inspiration from nature by introducing you to a flower doodle activity and a step-by-step drawing from nature video delivered by our very own Peter Stanyer (Stan). All of this content is designed to be accessible for anyone, even if you are completely new to drawing. Our artist focus is the wonderful British printmaker Angie Lewin.

The worksheet activity (download here) explores how to simplify flower drawing by focusing your attention on the basic shapes found in nature. The work of Angie Lewin is a perfect example of how this style of doodle illustration can capture the whimsical essence of a scene and recreate it on paper by building up layers of overlapping natural forms.

In his video, Stan will teach you how to explore the character of the object by looking for examples of repeating patterns and detail found in all natural objects. You may recognise links to the visual vocabulary and repetition of marks explored in earlier weeks.