WEA courses

Express your creativity and develop it further as you make, decorate and embellish your own Art and Junk Journal from scratch. Hand made journals are a brilliant way to be creative, from designing the cover to choosing and decorating the pages of your signature. If that wasn’t enough actually using the journal allows your creative side to blossom and grow in ways you wouldn’t believe. They also make fabulous, personalised gifts for your loved ones. Join me and a supportive group of like minded crafters as we build on existing and develop new skills and techniques to enhance our journaling experience. This course is ideal for anyone who likes to make things and has simple paper-craft materials on hand such as glue, paper – plain copy paper is great for your junk journal though you’ll need watercolour or similar papers for the art journal. Paints, felt pens, colouring pencils along with some collage materials and images – magazines, old book pages etc. You will share your progress with your peer students in class discussions and your tutor will be working along with you all the way, demonstrating techniques, sharing advice and tips and breaking everything down step by step .

In the intermediate term, students delve deeper into intermediate calligraphy and hand lettering techniques. Students will explore different scripts, and learn to add flourishes and decorative elements. Colour and the wonderful variety of inks available will be explored and applied. The term also covers more complex layouts, compositions, and the continued development of their calligraphic sketchbook. Exploring practical applications of both calligraphy and hand lettering in a modern context. If you love stationery you will love calligraphy.

This course aims to give you an introduction to a range of watercolour techniques such as layering, colour blending and creating textures, to gain basic skills and an insight into the possibilities of this exciting medium.  Come along and join fun in a relaxed and friendly environment. This course is a great chance to develop your skills and meet new people while creating something unique.

For many prospective art students, the thought of learning to paint a portrait is quite daunting, in fact some would say it is their nemesis! However, challenging yourself to confront this can be incredibly rewarding. The first time you achieve something akin to a real, convincing likeness is quite thrilling, and rest assured, it is a taught skill. This course is structured so you will learn skills of proportion, perspective, line, tone, and colour and be able to clearly analyse requirements for the task. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Learning about Abstract Art is a fascinating and rewarding topic; it tracks an evolving story looking at different ages, from 19th Century innovators such as JMW Turner, through to Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism and Modernism in general, right up to the 21st Century. This course will also introduce you to some lesser known female artists who have been formerly neglected by the art establishment. Inspired by these examples, shown at the beginning of each lesson in an interactive visual presentation, we will develop skills in a range of drawing and painting media, including drawing inks, chalk and oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, collage and mixed media. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Learning about Abstract Landscape Art is a fascinating and rewarding topic; it tracks an evolving story looking at different ages, from 19th Century innovators such as JMW Turner, through to Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism and Modernism in general, right up to the 21st Century. This course will also introduce you to some lesser known female artists who have been formerly neglected by the art establishment. Inspired by these examples, shown at the beginning of each lesson in an interactive visual presentation, we will develop skills in a range of drawing and painting media, including drawing inks, chalk and oil pastels, watercolour, acrylic, collage and mixed media. This course is for complete beginners and those looking to improve their skills and develop their own style.

Discover the art of portrait painting with our Art Practical: Learn to Paint Portraits course. Learn techniques for capturing likeness and expression in your paintings. Ideal for artists of all levels looking to develop their portrait painting skills.

The emergence of abstract art in the early 20th century was a revolution. When looking into its very beginnings the names of Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian come to mind. But in the 1980s, the world discovered the abstract paintings made by a Swedish artist, as early as 1907. Should her many abstract paintings encourage us to rewrite the history of abstract art, or can her work and experiments be seen as marginal because of her intense spiritualism? Why did her works come to our attention so late? This is a thought-provoking case, and a great story!

Explore the art of landscape painting with our Art Practical: Landscape Art course. Learn techniques for capturing the beauty of natural scenes in your artwork. Ideal for artists of all levels looking to develop their skills in landscape art.

Do you want to learn the basics of watercolours? Have you tried before and given up in frustration? Why not join this course for support and encouragement? Watercolour, simply put, is water mixed with pigment which is then applied to paper. But painting with watercolours is something entirely different. It can be complex, confusing, and fun at the same time. While not a medium to be controlled or manipulated, part of the very beauty of working with watercolours is learning to let go! Come and join us to find out more.