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Art Course: Drawing on the Ancient Past, with Helen Garrett

Eight week course with artist Helen Garrett starts Thursday 25 April.

During the course you will be Drawing on the Ancient Past for inspiration; from rocks and fossils in the earth to Cave Art, Celtic Art and even some Anglo Saxon treasure. Work on developing foundational drawing skills and experiment with new and exciting materials – including graphite, charcoal, grinding raw earth pigments and painting in gold. With access to some of the artefacts in the Wiltshire Museum collection, this is a unique opportunity to connect with history in a closely profound and imaginative way.

Helen Garrett – artist profile

Course runs Thursday 25 April to Thursday 20 June 2019. (Term time only – there is no session Thursday 30 May.
Cost £140, to include all materials.

Course outline:

Week 1
The Beauty of The Hand Axe
Practicing our basic drawing skills – subtractive techniques with rubber, graphite and pencil.

Week 2
West Kennet Long Barrow
This extraordinary long barrow was built 5,650 years ago. It contained the remains of at least 46 people. Grave goods included pottery, beads and stone tools including a dagger. Drawing from museum artifacts and working with views of the entrance to the barrow. Graphite and wash on water colour paper.

Week 3
Ancient Landscapes
Atmospheric landscapes inspired by Samuel Palmer, John Piper and ‘The Ruralists’ Using Ink and bleach technique on paper

Week 4
The Uffington White Horse (Bronze Age)
Simple Printing inspired by this iconic image and by Epona & Rhiannon

Week 5
Beaker Pots – Sculpting With Paint
Inspiration from pots and decoration
Acrylic paint, palette knives, sculptural use of paint

Week 6
Wiltshire Rocks.
Pastels and Pigments onto black paper. We will work with the beautiful colours and surface textures in local rock formations.

Week 7
Medieval Imagery
Exploring the museums ‘Medieval Gallery’ looking at animal imagery and forms from the middle ages. Coloured ink and drawing on paper.

Week 8
Imagining the Ancient Past
During this last session you will choose an artifact as inspiration for your own imaginative creation. A selection of art materials, paints and subjects will be available.

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