Weeks 7 - 11
Saturday 1 May
We have now come to the end of this month's landscape topic so you may want to take a little time to pause and reflect on all that you have achieved. We have experimented with the Frottage technique, explored ‘A Sense of Place’, Collage and Expressive Drawing. We really hope that this topic helped to support your sense of wellbeing as we gradually move towards the summer months.
This week we have a simple free writing activity to help you reflect. You can download the worksheet here.
Saturday 24 April
Welcome to Week 11 where we are going to use an expressive drawing style to create landscape illustration. A demonstration video by artist Sarah O’Boyle will guide you through this technique and the landscape inspiration images will support you in this activity.
This style of drawing is focused on reacting instinctively to a subject matter and transferring this personal and emotional response directly onto paper. The process can be quite energetic at times and is great for capturing the essence and sense of rhythm and movement in either a scene or object.
You can download the inspiration images here.
Saturday 17 April
Welcome to Week 10 where we are going to explore collage and create a landscape illustration. We are sharing some composition worksheets for you to use as a starting point for this activity and then we have a video by artist Jennyanne Smith that demonstrates the process step-by-step. You can download the worksheet here.
We’d also like to check in with you to understand a bit more about what you’re enjoying about Wellbeing at the Weekend and how we could improve your experience. Please could you spare no more than 10 minutes to take part in a short survey? It will help us to shape the programme to better your needs.
Saturday 10 April
Welcome to Week 9 where we are going to focus on the theme ‘A Sense of Place’. Emma Decent will introduce you to a mindful writing activity that encourages you to focus on the present and explore ‘Where I am now?’ and, continuing with our frottage theme, we have a simple landscape activity for you to try. Download available here.
Saturday 3 April
Welcome to Week 8 where we are going to take the time to focus on the mark making technique of Frottage, first explored by the artist Max Ernst. This traditional technique is a great way to create interesting and often unexpected details and textures that can be used to create wonderful illustrations.
This week we have a worksheet to help you to explore the technique using items from around your home and a video from Sarah O'Boyle where you'll experiment with the frottage technique using different colours and papers. You can download a copy of it here
Saturday 27th March
This week we are taking a moment to pause and reflect on the activities we have explored since February. Use this week as an opportunity to look back over the work you have done, revisit activities you have enjoyed, and reflect on your wellbeing journey so far. Week 1-6 content can be accessed here
If you are new to Wellbeing at the Weekend, take this opportunity to explore the previous content and try some of previous drawing and making activities.
This week writer Emma Decent has provided writing activities to help you record and reflect. You may like to read this worksheet to familiarise yourself with Free Writing as a process, before following Emma’s Reflecting and Recording Activity.
Reflecting and Recording
Spend a little time looking back at the drawing, collage and nature-inspired activities you have done.
How did it make you feel? Which pieces do you like best? Which did you enjoy doing the most? Which were more challenging?
Were there any surprises?
On a clean piece of paper begin to write freely using the topic / title
Exploring Nature
Write anything that comes. Give yourself 5 minutes to do this. You can use a pen or pencil or colours as you prefer. If you get stuck keep writing ‘Nature’ over and over until something comes. If you find your free writing is turning into free drawing, that is fine too.
Read back what you have written, noticing especially how any of the activities may have helped or supported you in any way, and those you would like to return to or repeat.
If you would like to, spend a little time repeating any of the activities you have enjoyed, or developing the pieces. You might want to add words, or write about the pieces, or free write about nature itself, choosing your own topic.
For example:
Fallen leaves
My garden
The wind in the trees
What are the birds singing about?
Use free writing at any time next week to explore your ideas and reflect on what you have done, including the challenges.
