If you have spoken with me about this you will know that I am a strong believer in giving some creative time to ourselves each week. Time in which we can play, experiment, switch off from the outside world and frankly make a mess, without any pressure about exactly what is going to come out of all of this…

It is about trying new materials, methods and genres without actually trying to achieve anything other than letting our creative side loose. It is about being free from embarrassment or fear of not accomplishing what you (think you) set out to do. When you let go of the worry about what other people might think, and forget the stress of trying to ‘make something’, your mind can move into the creative zone where you can explore answers to questions you didn’t know you had.

Then we add in some hand/eye/brain co-ordination – how to get those creative thoughts into a physical form… We will use structure, medium and method as the bones of our playtime – to get the creative brain warmed up and to give us starting points for our experiments. And as we practise these methods they become simply a medium for setting down ideas or editing them into something further.

Our first Art Club course will focus on sketching. Yes, it will include some use of sketchbooks and pencils, but yes, it will also take us much further than the standard idea you might have of sketching. If you have become ‘stuck’ with your art, or even bored with traditional sketching, perhaps we can help you revive your inspiration. Or, if you think you are rubbish at sketching, this might prove you wrong!

If nothing else, give yourself some creative time each week – and if you would like to share that time with us, we would love to see you.

Click here to read about the Sketching Club