STUDIO WORKSHOPS with Christine Russell 2012
1. Sat. 25th & Sun. 26th Feb. ~  Drawing for Beginners  (2-days - £100 ~ All materials included)
Let’s get back to basics. Drawing is the underpinning of successful figurative art and, contrary to popular belief, is a skill that can be taught. Through a number of interesting and challenging exercises, this workshop will help you to 'see' and to draw with confidence and with an understanding of drawing techniques – painlessly!  
2. Sat. 24th -  Mon. 26th Mar. ~ Oils: Painting with Knives!  (3-days - £150 ~ All materials and equipment included)
~ For this course we are really going to be exploiting the wonderfully expressive nature of oil paint. Working on landscape, seascape and possibly other subjects, we will be looking at the application of undiluted paint with painting knives (the cranked handle variety, often wrongly referred to as palette knives) - no brushes allowed for this one! If you have ever wished to 'loosen up', now's your chance; it's impossible to be too tight working in this way. In addition, we will explore colour mixing, both on the palette and directly on the board, employing the use of a colour wheel, some basic colour theory and a limited palette. This course is suitable for all levels of experience. N.B. You may like to bring one or two of your own photographs from which to work, although there will be a large selection available.
3. . Sat. 21st  - Mon. 23rd Apr. Capturing Texture in Pastel  - (3 days - £150 ~ All materials included)
How do you get that piece of old carpet to look threadbare and moth-eaten? How can I make my trees, rocks, roofs and rhinos appear textured and 3-dimensional? There are a number of elements to explore when considering these questions: the quality and direction of the light source; the nature of the surface being portrayed Come and find out how to tackle this and other textures, e.g. glass, wood, fruit, fabrics, stone, in fact, almost any surface.
4. . Mon. 6th – Wed. 8th Aug. ~ Pastels: Exploring Shadows (3 days - £150 ~ All materials included)
Everything, no matter how small, produces a shadow. Light and shadows are the ‘yin and yan’ of tonal painting. Without light there are no shadows. Without shadows our paintings would be flat and lifeless. Understanding the way light falls on an object or landscape is vital in being able to convey substance. This course will examine shadows cast from different light sources, both artificial and natural. You will learn how to portray lovely, luminous shadows using soft pastels, making your pictures come alive. We will be working from still life subjects and landscape. If the weather is kind to us, we may also spend some time painting outside.
5. Thurs. 9th – Sat. 11th Aug.  ~  Coping with Detail (any medium)  (3 days - £150 ~ All materials included)  
There is nothing wrong with very detailed pictures, indeed there is much to be said for them! However, a picture in which every detail is explained can be rather flat and boring and can even pull the eye away from the main focal point. Successful pictures that give the appearance of being highly detailed can still contain areas that are only suggested. Knowing what to include and what to leave out is an art in itself, as is giving just an impression of detail. In this course we will look at elements of composition, as well as methods and tips that can be used to control detail in your chosen medium. So, unless you really enjoy painting every brick in a wall, or every leaf on a tree, come and learn a few shortcuts!
6. Sat. 20th & Sun. 21st  Oct.  ~ Still Life in Oils, Pastels or Acrylics (2 days - £100 ~ All materials included. Please indicate which medium you would like to use)
We will begin by looking at the setting up of a still life, in particular at the choice of subject matter, composition, lighting, colour and tonal balance. A choice of interesting still life arrangements will be set up from which to work. Following an initial demonstration, one-to-one guidance and further 'mini' demonstrations will be given as necessary. The opportunity to work on a subject over 2 days will afford the time to work on those all-important finishing touches. 
7. Sat. 3rd Nov.  ~ Paint a Winter Landscape (any medium) (1 day - £50 ~ All materials included. Please indicate which medium you would like to use).
Need an image for this year's Christmas card? Why not come and paint one and impress your friends! Working from photographs we will be looking at ways in which the chilliness and beauty of a winter landscape can be conveyed. Trees can be far more interesting when they shed their leaves. Heavy skies, mist, snow-covered fields, puddles – a limited palette and a move away from endless greens – all help to capture this time of the year. I will be providing photographs from which you might like to work, but for something truly personal, please feel free to bring your own.

All Workshops

Packed lunch (tea, coffee & biscuits provided). Please also bring an easel.  Chairs are available if you prefer to sit rather than stand.

The courses will run from 10.00 – 4.00 daily. You will be guided at every stage through the use of demonstrations and one-to-one tuition. Examples of the tutor’s and other artists’ work, both contemporary and traditional, will be displayed and used for analysis and inspiration. Maximum of 10 people per course, so plenty of individual attention.

To secure a place on a course, please send a deposit of £50 (per course). If you ring the studio to make a booking, your place will be held provisionally for 5 days, pending a deposit. If no deposit is paid, your place will be given to someone else. The balance must be paid at least 4 weeks before the start of your chosen course. I regret that no refunds will be given for cancellations made within 14 days of a workshop, unless the place can be filled. Please make cheques payable to Christine Russell and send it with the tear-off slip to: The Laurels Studio, Stone, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, GL13 9LD.

In the event that the course has to be cancelled, due to very bad weather, or other unforeseen circumstance, I will make every effort to arrange an alternative date for the course to take place. Alternatively, your course deposit and fees paid to me may be refunded in full, if you so wish.

For further details, I can be contacted at the studio during the daytime, Mon. – Fri., on the following number: 01454 269268, or

E-MAIL: christinerussell61@gmail.com

Website: www.art-christinerussell.co.uk 

PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FROM TIME TO TIME, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO ANY FURTHER ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS. DUE TO OTHER FIXED COMMITMENTS IN 2012, I AM UNABLE TO MAKE FIRM DATES AT PRESENT, BUT MAY BE ABLE TO FIT ONE OR TWO IN AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES. THESE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE.

From the Bristol direction head north towards Gloucester on the A38 (or turn left from the M5 motorway J14 slip road, then right onto the A38). *Go past The Gables Hotel on the right and the UK petrol filling station a little further along on the left. Take the second left turning where you will see Stone village green and the church set further back. **Follow the lane which takes a sharp bend to the left. The first driveway on the right past the bend is The Laurels. (George Taylor TV sign on wall outside). When you are level with the driveway you will see the sign for Russell Fine Art Services.

From the Gloucester direction head south along the A38. Pass through Newport (Newport Towers Hotel on left) and Woodford. The road begins to rise a little. Go past The Elms Hotel on the right (ignore the turning there). Turn right at the next junction just a few yards further on at the top of the hill. Follow the instructions from **. Alternatively, travel south towards Bristol on the M5. Go past the Michaelwood Services and take the next exit (J14). Turn right from the slip road, to the end of the road and turn right onto the A38. Follow instructions from*. 

 
 

 THE LAURELS STUDIO SHORT COURSES 2012

Please indicate which course(s) you would like to attend:

  
COURSE 1. (2-day £100)     COURSE 2. (3-day £150)   COURSE 3. (3-day £150)   COURSE 4. (3-day £150)
 
COURSE 5.  (3-day £150)   *COURSE 6. (2-day £100)   *COURSE 7. (1-day £50)    
*For courses 6 & 7, please indicate which medium you would like to use:  PASTELS, OILS, ARYLICS or WATERCOLOUR

NAME:

 

ADDRESS:

 

TELEPHONE NO:                                             

 

E-MAIL ADDRESS:

  

I enclose my remittance of  £                         (Please make cheque payable to: Christine Russell)

 

SIGNED

 

 

I would/would not be willing to accept an alternative if my chosen date is over-subscribed (Please delete as appropriate). If an alternative is not acceptable your cheque will be returned to you. PLEASE NOTE: If your cheque is not returned, please take it as confirmation that you have a place on the workshop.