This workshop invites participants to develop and create drawings and paintings from spontaneous mark making, to discover and follow a feeling for their individual visible ‘voice’.
The departure point comes with awareness for a force within, which desires to communicate, become visible and leave traces while remaining elusive and invisible itself.
The process of letting this virtual force gain shape – against patterns of routine, which often cause a feeling of being ‘blocked’ – resembles a dialogue between oneself and the emerging drawing/painting. It enhances a balancing between letting oneself act, letting the unknown infuse without forcing it on the one hand and consciously making those decisions, which concern how the outcome might feel ‘right’ and meaningful on the other hand.
Participants are supported to enjoy, trust and realize the time of unfolding of such pictures and their potentially new angles of ‘how to see’ by interweaving spontaneous memories, thoughts and unpredictable ‘visions’.
Technical challenges (i.e. formal problems, colour hues etc.) are part of this and I’ll do my best to help you exploring solutions.
We will also look at works of artists with a similar approach.
The course is open to all artists, also complete beginners who are interested in creating out of ‘nothing’, in overcoming creative blocks, in connecting stronger with and authenticate own traces and thus beginning or expanding on one’s art practice.
It is an update of Experiential Painting and The Art Within, courses I run between 2000 and 2007 in Southsea.
About me
In this course, I share an approach at the heart of my own art practice, which set out from a fascination with the process of mark making and ‘letting myself draw/paint’, which I found more rewarding than focusing foremost on observation of the external world.
As this is not the usual route, it took me a while to understand that I learn most from this perhaps more introvert approach in terms of subjects, expression and skill.
The fascination and desire to understand how this intuitive being-in-control by being-out-of-control works led me initially into a Gestalt Therapy training and later into a practice-based Fine Art PhD research; some elements of these diverse influences have shaped the idea and structure of this workshop.
Practicalities
You can book for two option (or both, if you wish):
The Introductory 1-day course (details see below) will give you enough space and time to explore and create some work from the angle described above .
The Weekend course (details see below) gives the opportunity to let first experiences settle overnight, produce and develop more work the next day, become more familiar with the idea, other participants and me; there will be also some more work around the ‘inner critic’.
The workshops take place in my studio on the Isle of Wight and are limited both to 5 participants. This makes sure I can give sufficient attention to the individual process.
Materials, refreshments (tea, coffee, fruit, cookies) are included in the fee, you need to bring a lunch and cloths you don’t mind showing some additional ‘colouring’.
In order to reserve a place (there are 5 places for each course) please pay the fee in advance via the PayPal link below. Please read the cancellation policy at the end of this page. Thank you!
Next workshop will be a 2-day in October ’16.
Please send me a mail to mariusvb (at) mac.com if you like to know details, thanks!
Cancellation policy
Because of the small number of participants for each course you will understand that your commitment to attend is really important. If you need to cancel, please do via email to mariusvb@mac.com. If cancellation occurs 14 days or more prior to the workshop, you will receive a full refund less a cancellation fee (£ 15 for 1-day, £ 30 for 2-day workshops). There are no refunds in less than 14 days.
If you can not attend you may find someone else to fill your spot.