Adult Art Workshops

October 2011 - August 2012 Programme

The art workshop programme continues to offer a wide variety of inspiring and creative courses, including the ever-popular drawing and watercolour classes. The workshops have become known for the excellent teaching and small class sizes, allowing for more focused instruction.

Come and enjoy this unique museum and collection with the eyes of an artist.

Please click on the links below to see the workshops offered in each quarter.

October - December, 2011
January - March, 2012
April - June, 2012
July - August, 2012

Booking form

Click here to download a pdf version of the entire 2011-2012 Informal Education Leaflet.

Information for Adult Art Workshops

• Workshops will start promptly at 10:15am with coffee and registration from 10:00am. Please note the Museum does not open until 10:00am
  
• The workshop fee includes light refreshments during the day and lunch. A vegetarian option is available and should be requested as a preference when booking your workshop. Please note that lunch is not provided on workshops marked *
  
• The workshop will end with a brief review session between 3:30 and 4:00pm.
  
• For workshops you may be required to bring sketchbooks and pencils. Further details of workshops, including the programme for the course and requirements of what to bring, will be sent out to participants after booking.
  
• For further information and to check availability of places on workshops, contact Beth Walker at bwalker@soane.org.uk or on 020 7440 4254.

The Museum is pleased to be able to offer a number of sponsored places on the art workshop programme. These places are allocated on a needs basis. Please contact Beth Walker, Head of Education at the Museum, for more details.

To book, please ring or email Beth Walker or complete a booking form
The Museum now accepts card payments.

October - December, 2011

January - March, 2012

Sketchbooks in Pen and Ink     FULLY BOOKED
Thursday 2 February | £35 |
In the Art Room, spend the day filling a sketchbook with small pen and ink drawings based on objects and themes from the Museum. In the course of the day, the group will have the opportunity to look at Soane’s sketchbooks in the Library.
James Willis

London in a Large Watercolour      FULLY BOOKED
Thursday 9 & Friday 10 February | £75 |
This two-day workshop explores the approach and creation of a large watercolour townscape inspired by Girtin’s panoramic views of London from the South Bank.  Working at the Museum begin by laying out your design and slowly building up your image in colour. Suitable for those with some watercolour experience.
James Willis

Miniature Watercolours at the Soane
Thursday 1 March | £35 |
Starting with drawing in the Museum on a tiny scale, return to the Art Room to find out how to transpose them into miniature painted masterpieces.
James Willis

Again and Again at the Soane
Friday 2 March | £40 |
Work with lino-cut printing and mixed media collage to develop your impressions of the Soane and its use of repeat motifs and patterns.
Lucy Brennan

Paper Cutting
Thursday 8 March | £40 |
Learn the art and craft of paper cutting.  Develop a uniquely beautiful image, inspired by objects and artefacts from the collection, which can be mounted on card.
Jessica Palmer

The Figures of the Regency
Friday 9 March | £35 |
Looking at the work of Soane’s figure painter, Van Assen, spend the day making watercolour paintings of figures in the Regency manner. A good introduction to including figures in a watercolour.  
James Willis

Drawing Hands and Feet
Thursday 15 March | £35 |
After a study session in the Hunterian Museum, spend the afternoon in the Museum drawing hands and feet from the many statues and reliefs in the collection.
James Willis

Taking a Line for a Walk
Friday 16 March | £35 |
Explore the use of line in the Museum Collection, from Egyptian Hieroglyphs to detailed architectural drawings, and create your own free-flowing line drawing impression of your observations.
Rosemary Bianchi

Cast Away at the V&A
Thursday 22 March | £35 | *
Become an academic traditionalist for the day by drawing from the casts in the V&A’s Cast Courts. Learn the skill of fine observation drawing.
James Willis

Impressions of the Soane
Friday 23 March | £35 |
Sketch in the South Drawing Room to gather inspiration for a mixed media masterpiece.  Learn to use a variety of media and introduce their characteristics in your work.
James Willis

Wood carving – Gibbons
Thursday 29 & Friday 30 March | £90| *
This two-day workshop introduces the art of woodcarving inspired by the work of Grinling Gibbons With the expert help of  your tutor gather inspiration on day one at Hampton Court Palace and continue your carving back at the Soane Museum on day two. This workshop is being run in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces.
Matt Caines & James Willis

April - June, 2012

Drawing in Saint Paul’s Cathedral
Thursday 19 April | £45 | *
A great opportunity to draw the interior of Wren’s masterpiece. Price includes admission.
Regan O’Callaghan

Self Portrait in Oils: A Two-Day Workshop
Saturday 21 & 28 April | £75 | *
Inspired by Sir John’s inventive use of mirrors, this is an opportunity to develop your skills in oils using yourself and the Museum as inspiration. All levels welcome.
Lucy Brennan

Drawing in Westminster Abbey
Thursday 26 April | £45 | *
Study the architecture and interior of the magnificent Abbey, with an emphasis on geometric shapes.
Regan O’Callaghan

A Short Fuseli
Thursday 26 April | £35 |
A watercolour workshop looking at big tonal contrasts: using Fuseli’s paintings as a starting point, make a dramatic figure piece set in a dark Romantic background from the Museum.
James Willis

Watercolour Challenge for Beginners
Friday 27 April | £35 |
This workshop is designed for everyone who is starting out in watercolours.  Learn the basic of mixing colours and laying washes to start your painting journey inspired by the Soane collection.
James Willis

Trees and Watercolour
Thursday 3 May | £35 |
Using colour mixtures from the Soane period spend the day painting studies of trees to capture their individual personalities. Suitable for any level.
James Willis

Canaletto, Carnival and Intrigue
Friday 4 May | £40 |
Enter the world of Venetian Masquerade with this mask-making workshop which explores the secretive world of eighteenth-century Venice and make a richly-decorative Venetian mask using traditional techniques.
Rosemary Bianchi

Under the Undercroft
Thursday 10 May | £35 | *
The extraordinary Undercroft in the Inns of Court is your watercolour subject for today. In this interesting space you will explore the idea of distance, detail and drama in a full watercolour study.
James Willis

An Introduction to Stone Carving
Friday 11, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 May | £100 | *
Three-day workshop. After an introduction and sketching in the Museum, join sculptor Matt Caines at the Soane-designed St John’s Church, Bethnal Green, and turn your design into three dimensions.
James Willis & Matt Caines

A Wren Gem- St Mary Abchurch
Thursday 17 May | £35 | *
Spend the day in this charming little city church designed by Sir Christopher Wren.  Its tiny piazza evokes many of the churches in Venice and its interior boasts fine carvings by Grinling Gibbons.
James Willis

Cozens Watercolour Approach
Friday 18 May | £35 |
Join us in a rare opportunity to see Soane’s collection of drawings by John Robert Cozens.  Looking at the style and approach of Cozens in his watercolours, spend the day creating your own landscape in the same manner.
James Willis

Life Drawing
Saturday 19 May | £40 | *
Strengthen your drawing skills with a skill-building day in the studio with a life model. Use charcoal, pencil, pen and ink.
Lucy Brennan

Introduction to Mosaics
Friday 25 May | £40 |
Inspired by Sir John’s interest in Pompeii, learn how to create your own fragment of pavement using traditional mosaic techniques.
Rosemary Bianchi

Colour Woodcut
Thursday 31 May & Fri 1 June | £80 |
Create a reduction-method colour woodcut based on your drawings from the Museum’s collection to produce a small edition.
Lucy Brennan

Courtauld Old Master Drawings
Thursday 14 June | £40 | *
In Soane’s library there is his collection of ‘Old Master’ drawings. Spend a day looking at their drawing techniques and materials to inspire your own drawing.  Part of the morning will be spent at the Courtauld Institute exploring their fine drawings collection.
James Willis

Printmaking Inspired by Medieval Tiles
Friday 15 June | £40 |
Inspired by the strong colours and shapes of Medieval Floor Tiles, as well as the casts and curios in the Monk’s Parlour, explore printing methods such as Mono and block printing on a variety of surfaces, including textiles, to create your interpretation of that era.
Rosemary Bianchi

Christ Church Spitalfields Church: A Hawksmoor Masterpiece
Tuesday 19 June| £35 |*
This unusual church dominates the area with its famous spire.  Spend a day working inside and out to explore this extraordinary architectural masterpiece.
James Willis

Watercolour at St Martin’s-in-the-Fields
Thursday 21 June | £35 | *
The famous portico of the church is the inspiration for a watercolour and drawing day.  Working inside and out paint people in architecture.
James Willis

Combining Paper Cutting and Collage
Friday 22 June | £40 |
Inspired by objects and artefacts from the Museum collection, learn to cut delicate paper images and layer them with a variety of textures and surfaces.
Jessica Palmer

Soane Tomb Watercolour
Thursday 28 June | £35 |
After a short visit to see the original designs for the tomb, spend the day making an atmospheric watercolour of the Soane Family Tomb. This day is suitable for all levels of watercolour painting experience.
James Willis

Hand-Marbled Paper
Friday 29 June | £40 |
Make your own hand-marbled paper using traditional marbling techniques.  This workshop will include a private visit to Soane’s library to see examples of work.
Rosemary Bianchi

July - August, 2012

Drawing at Kensal Green Cemetery
Thursday 5 July | £40 | *
Another opportunity to spend the day amongst the fascinating monuments at Kensal Green Cemetery.  Work in watercolour and drawing to produce a fine painting.  Suitable for all levels of painting experience.
James Willis 

The Drama of Perspective
Thursday 12 July | £40 | *
Just a short walk away from the Museum, spend the day exploring perspective drawing and watercolour in and above Covent Garden.
James Willis 

Flaxman’s Purity of Line
Thursday 19 July | £35 |
The neo-classical purity of Flaxman’s figure drawings is stunning.  Spend the day finding out about this master sculptor and learning his drawing method. The day includes a visit to Soane’s library to see some of his drawings and book illustrations.
James Willis

Drawing at Temple Church
Friday 20 July | £40 | *
Fill a sketchbook in one of the most historic and beautiful churches in London. A day to explore the history and architecture in a range of dry media.
Lucy Brennan

THE OILATHON
Saturday 21 July | £40 | *
A full day painting outside in oils for artists of all levels and experience.  Come and join Museum tutors Lucy Brennan and James Willis to work on location in Lincoln’s Inn Fields and create an oil masterpiece in a day!
James Willis and Lucy Brennan

Drawing and Painting on Location above London – LSE
Thursday 2 August | £40 |
Come and draw or paint panoramic views of London from a high view point on the top of the new LSE building.
James Willis

Chiswick House
Thursday 9 August | £40 | *
Explore the gardens of Lord Burlington’s famous Palladian villa at Chiswick by making watercolour studies of the temples and statuary. 
James Willis

Scenes of Spitalfields
Friday 10 August | £35 | *
A busy street scene dominated by the facade of Christ Church Spitalfields is your subject for the day.  Come and paint watercolours of the beautiful architecture and bustling activity in this corner of London.
James Willis

BOOKING FORM

To book a place, complete and return the form below.
Either cut and paste the form below into an email,
or download the form as a pdf document and post to the address below.

For further information contact Beth Walker at
bwalker@soane.org.uk or on 020 7440 4254
Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP

Name: ...................................................................................................

Address: ................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

Phone (daytime): ........................ Email: ................................................

Workshop title: .........................................................................................

Workshop date: ......................... I would like to reserve ........ place(s)

Please state the number of vegetarian lunches required ...............

I enclose a cheque payable to 'Sir John Soane's Museum' for ...........................