Workshops & classes
Alongside painting, I run drawing workshops and classes, both in person and on Zoom.
Working primarily with people who don’t consider themselves artists, I find ways to help participants rediscover their creativity and build their confidence. I encourage people to get back in touch with the instinctive enjoyment they had as a child, and quiet the critical internal voice which impedes creative development.
Some workshops are based around Surrealist games or mindfulness concepts - Exquisite Corpse drawings, breath-based exercises, stream-of-consciousness development of ideas. Others use sensory prompts to kindle creative sparks (drawing in response to music, touch, taste or smell. I encourage people to get back in touch with the instinctive enjoyment they had as a child, and to quiet the critical internal voice which impedes creative development.
Drawing from life models
While some life drawing classes are very serious, this workshop aims to lighten the mood. Drawing the human body is a challenge, so we break things down in a playful way, using exercises to deconstruct the drawing process into more accessible parts. The aim of the workshop is to build confidence: rather than following a prescribed path to a fixed end-point, we’ll create our own rules and discover the joy of unexpected drawing outcomes.
Drawing from music
Music can transport us to another plane, unlocking parts of our imagination that we can’t put words to. In this workshop we muse music as the jumping off point for our drawing, using the rhythm, melody and mood of the music to inform the drawings we make. Breaking the drawing process down into individual song-based challenges, we’ll experiment with what happens when we let the ear guide the hand instead of the eye.
Drawing from imagination
This workshop uses drawing games to uncover the hidden depths of our subconscious. Leaving behind the rules of logic and reality, we’ll meet invented characters, create impossible machines, escape to fanciful places – and maybe discover something that we didn’t know about ourselves in the process. This is a playful workshop that revisits childish conceits from an adult standpoint: what would our superpower be, what invention might we create, what other worlds could be out there?
What to expect
My teaching style is informal, friendly, and non-judgemental. Drawing is a process, not a search for perfection. It’s a way to connect with what’s going on inside and around you, and a means of awakening your creativity.
I use techniques to help you find your own way through drawing. I offer guidance and suggestions, focusing on the method rather than the outcome. Together we go in search of lines that are surprising or beautiful, that spark curiosity or provide pleasure.
My teaching is influenced by the Bauhaus as well as yoga principles - taking the creative experience back to basics, feeling free to play, removing assumptions, and looking at things from new angles. We’ll explore different ways to approach drawing, loosening up your creative instincts.
The drawing experience changes each time you pick up a pencil. Some people find the classes relaxing, while others find them invigorating. They can be a way to practice mindfulness, or simply a chance to wind down after a busy day.
Get in touch
Contact me if you’d like to talk about booking a workshop, or keep an eye on my instagram for the next up-coming class.
julia.thaxton.artist@gmail.com
@thaxart on Instagram
