Creative Core Block Wednesday Evening 6-7.45pm

Week 1 - 26th of Aug "Sea of Light"

Our first week back is all about getting the brushes moving again.

This painting is a wonderful way to ease back into watercolour, focusing on colour, atmosphere and enjoying the process. We'll spend time looking at the beautiful sky, blending vibrant colours together and creating those glowing transitions that make sunsets so captivating.

We'll also explore reflections in the water, thinking about how colour can be carried through a painting to create harmony and light. There'll be opportunities to add as much or as little detail as you like, particularly in the shoreline and rocks, allowing you to simplify areas or build them up to suit your own style.

The reference photograph has been chosen deliberately. Rather than copying every detail, we'll use it as inspiration, encouraging you to pick out the colours, shapes and atmosphere that speak to you and interpret them in your own way.

This is a lovely painting to help rebuild confidence, loosen up after the summer break and remind ourselves just how expressive watercolour can be. It's all about colour, light and creating a painting that feels uniquely yours.

Week 2-   2nd Sept- "Woodland Wishes"

This week we'll be painting this sweet little woodland creature in a loose, illustrative watercolour style. Rather than aiming for realism, we'll be focusing on creating character and bringing personality into our painting.

We'll look at how small changes to the eyes, expression and fur can make a character feel gentle, curious and full of charm. The oversized eyes help create that sweet storybook feel, and you're very welcome to make your own creature even fluffier or exaggerate the features to suit your style.

The flower hat sits somewhere between a foxglove and a bluebell, but feel free to change the colours or adapt the flower if you wish.

The background will be kept simple using expressive watercolour washes, allowing the focus to remain on the little woodland character.

This is a lovely opportunity to paint in a more imaginative style and explore how to tell a little story through your painting.

Week 3-  9th Sept - " Atmospheric Lace"

Soft, understated colours, gentle washes and beautiful, delicate shapes come together to create a painting that feels calm and atmospheric. I've chosen to paint this tutorial using a muted, traditional colour palette, allowing the light, shadow and tiny details to do all the work.

Of course, if you're joining me in class, you're very welcome to make it your own with brighter, bolder colours if that's more your style.

This class is less about painting every tiny flower perfectly and much more about learning to see the overall shape.

We'll be building the flower head gradually, thinking about negative space, soft edges and how a collection of tiny marks can suggest detail without painting every single petal.

For this tutorial there won't be a tracing sheet. Instead, we'll spend time looking carefully at proportion and shape, helping you gain confidence in drawing directly onto your watercolour paper. It's a wonderful exercise in observation and one that I think will help you in so many future paintings.

Week 4- 16th Sept - " Vintage Tea "

There's something so lovely about painting old china. The soft floral details, delicate gold edging, gentle reflections and subtle shadows all come together to create a beautiful, peaceful painting.

In this class we'll be taking our time, looking closely at light and shadow, learning how to paint whites without using white paint, and exploring those beautiful soft, muted colours that make watercolour so special.

We'll also spend time painting the tiny floral details on the teacup, while keeping the overall painting loose, elegant and full of atmosphere.

White subjects are always an interesting challenge in watercolour. Learning to see the subtle greys, blues, warm creams and reflected colours is such an important skill, and one that will help you in so many paintings.