WEA courses

Claude Monet once wrote “ It is extraordinary to see the sea: what a spectacle!” The Seashore offers rich material for both artists and photographers and has inspired some insightful and amusing creations. During this workshop we will explore some different approaches used by photographers, when capturing the essence of the great British seaside. We will look at the social documentary photographers David Hurn and Martin Parr, who play with colour and humour when depicting British seaside culture. Alternatively, we will consider the work of Fay Godwin, who works more intimately with the landscape itself, gathering lost objects from the beach to scan in order to produce exquisite close ups.

Sometimes you get that perfect shot. The lighting is right, the exposure is perfect, and the composition is balanced. Until you notice a stranger lurking in the background of the photo that throws everything off. Not to worry, there are tools that can help you erase photobombers without leaving a trace! This photo editing course teaches you how to end up with that perfect snap every time. If you enjoy photography or creating images, this course is for you! You will learn how to Add text to images and apply effects. Customise templates and create a collage. Add animation and save as a video or animated gif for a website.

This course is designed for learners who would like to develop their own individual style and direction when exploring portrait skills. Starting with the anatomy of the head, you will be guided through the basic steps and techniques when studying a character. Using Photography, you will then go on to learn about directing and how to confidently capture a head and shoulder portrait. This could then be used to either draw from or manipulate, using mixed media, for example painting onto its surface or collaging.

An opportunity no matter your skill level and for those using a phone, a compact camera and/or something fancier to consider the photos you take and develop a greater understanding of what makes for you, a better image. This course will explore a range of tips from how you can control the camera, to the types of subjects that can make an engaging photo

The act of looking is so closely bound up with the act of writing. Novels depend upon those moments when an author presses the pause button and allows their characters to just stop and look at something. This course will explore how photos, especially, can be used as a vital stimulus for creative writing. Over two days, you will explore the work of some of the world’s finest photographers, from Andre Kertesz to Garry Winogrand, all projected upon the screen. You will then be encouraged to look even closer and see where these images take your own writing. The course will also consider how established writers have engaged with the art of photography, from John Berger to Susan Sontag, Tony Harrison and Geoff Dyer. Most importantly, you will encourage you to find a way of using your own photos as a way of unlocking your own hidden powers of writing and observation. Come along and join our friendly lipreading group at The Centre in Newlyn. This class is suitable for all levels of lipreaders and is ideal for those recently experiencing hearing loss. Our experienced tutor will guide you through the basics of lipreading and show you how to practice your lipreading skills in everyday life. Research has shown that attending a lipreading class can give you greater: • Confidence to communicate with others • Control over your hearing loss, as you develop new communication skills • Independence, as you’re less reliant on others to help you follow conversation (Source RNID.org.uk) You will learn in a supportive environment alongside other learners who will be able to share their experiences of hearing loss and learn how to overcome them together

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, we entered the age of the Anthropocene, where humans become the single most influential species on the planet. Today, discussions on environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity have permeated practically all aspects of our lives, yet the field of art history remains less affected. This course aims to look at well-known artworks from the 19th and 20th century through the lens of the Anthropocene and invites learners to appreciate new ways of linking art with daily life.

The portrait has flourished as an art form from the ancient world to the present day and this innovative course will explore its continuing popularity. We shall study not only the painted face and figure but a variety of formats and formulae, from statuary to pendant medals and miniatures, and study artists as diverse as Holbein, Titian, Gainsborough, Singer Sargent and Francis Bacon. We include a reflection on the place of the photograph in this history of portraiture: was this new invention to prove a help or a hindrance to the creation of the modern portrait? This is a course for everyone who enjoys looking at paintings and no previous reading is required

This course will explore some of the classics of American Literature. You will study a range of poetry and prose by writers both ancient and modern, including Moby Dick by Herman Melville, My Ántonia by Willa Cather and other works by Maya Angelou and Cormac McCarthy. You will also explore how American Literature relates to other art forms, including film, photography and music.

Still life is a unique genre of photography, which depicts inanimate objects or subject matters devoid of people. On this course you will learn how to look closely and consider ways of making the ‘ordinary’ appear interesting and extraordinary! You will experiment with composition, lighting and set-up, whilst considering how objects, possessions and natural forms symbolise some kind of story. You will learn how to read and discuss images with others, reflecting on your own images, when considering visual communication.

Modern Art’ arouses strong feelings - like it or loathe it! Explore Constable and Turner, understand the Pre- Raphaelites and the Impressionists. Trace the development of ‘Modern Art’ from the beginnings with Cezanne, through the revolutions of Picasso and Mondrian, to the British artists such as Tracy Emin and Antony Gormley. Discuss whether ‘found art’ such as Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’ or Tracy Emin’s ‘My Bed’ are really art at all. Examine the importance of modern art galleries. Understand the contexts and the development which have influenced art in the twentieth century.