1 **NEW** Create A Nature Journal watercolour workshop with Steve Pardue - 10.30-1.30 Saturday 31st January

Create your own nature journal with Steve Pardue

Love nature and looking to learn something new? Nature journaling is about taking the time to notice the tiny details and learning how to express them through a mixture of sketches, paintings and notes. This weekend will help you appreciate nature in new ways and transfer your observations onto the page.

Whether you are new to nature journaling or already a keen observer, this workshop will teach you the skills and techniques to help you develop confidence and skill in recording the natural world
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With guidance from Steve, you will learn practical techniques to identify species and record your observations clearly and creatively. Steve will guide you personally helping you to express your own unique style and providing you with tips and tricks from his many years of experience recording nature.

The aim of the workshops is to provide all the skills for you to carry on your practice in your own time and in your own way.

Observations

The best place to see wildlife is at you own door. It always possible to take great delight at the small and common things we see everyday and often at all times of the year. Dandelions, woodlice, beetles, ladybirds, spiders and slugs can always be found. In looking for the doorstep wildlife we will often find some unusual and often unseen creatures, such as scorpionflies, sexton beetles, longhorn beetles, etc. And whilst it is wonderful to draw these from life sometimes it is not possible, but we can capture these observations using smart phone or camera, as wells as the internet.

Once we have some observations to draw from I will follow this process to get people started:

Getting started

Using fineliners I ask everyone in the group to make a line on paper - and show how by drawing slowly - and I mean really slowly. Why slowly? For me this takes all the stress out of drawing and I am showing how the process of drawing is more important than the completion. The sound of a fast scratchy line being drawn on paper does not sound as good as a slow, measured happy line.

Developing skills

Next I am looking at how people are drawing - I should say describing really. I will see very early what everyone’s style is like, what is the character of the drawing. Everyone has their own technique and even from someone new to drawing they will have a way of drawing which is unique to them. This is what I am looking for and I will encourage them to continue with this style and eventually their style and technique will just get better and better.

Materials

I will provide blank concertina journals for you to use during the workshop as well as an additional one to take how with you. The unfolding nature of these journals allow for the creation of doodles that seem to magically compose themselves into beautiful little art books. I also provide fineliners for you use and take home with you and sets of watercolours are provided during the session.

As this is a guest workshop no refunds will be given unless someone can be found to take your place.  In the case of non-attendance the full course fee will be retained.

Steve Pardue

Steve Pardue is an artist and teacher with a focus on nature based art. His work is based on observation of the natural world around him. He is particularly focused on showing this world to others in the form of nature journalling. This involves a deep understanding of the natural world and seeing the simple things on your own doorstep. He brings a simplicity to art and drawing so that everyone can capture their own observations in their own journals. He has a nurturing style of teaching allowing an individual to access their own inner drawing voice enabling them to continue their own practice of seeing, understanding and expressing.

He is also involved in the design of public art for public spaces with a focus on engagement and collaboration thus taking he mystery out of art and ensuring that art is accessible and speaks to different people in different ways.

Steve is based in Hexham and works across the UK. PILGRIM FISH is his current large scale piece for Pilgrim Place in Newcastle. Previous projects include: THE FIGURES OF TYNE; STRANDS; and LACE AND GRACE.