Painting Trees Art Class at Armathwaite

PLEASE READ FULL DESCRIPTION BEFORE BOOKING

For enquires, please get in touch info@activateyoga.co.uk or call us on 07826793126

About the art class - Starts at 10:30am, finishes at 4:30pm - lunch, refreshments & art supplies all included

Learn to paint different types of trees using either Oil or Acrylic paints at this educational and fun workshop - everything you need will be included in your ticket price, as well as a delicious, freshly made lunch and a guided woodland walk along the stunning River Eden, just minutes away from the venue. This art class is suitable for any level of art experience, including complete beginners.

What will we be doing?

Refreshments, introduction, woodland walk

The day will begin with a relaxed meet & greet with refreshments and an introduction about what we will be doing. Before we paint, we will start with a guided walk along the River Eden which is just minutes away from the hall for inspiration to fuel us with ideas for our art. I will be showing you how to take photos of trees with your mobile phones in ways that can make them an easy reference to use when learning to paint, but also to observe nature and observe the trees around you. This is a powerful and much better way to paint as what we see with our own eyes will affect how and what we paint, giving your artwork its own unique influence.

Which paint to use?

After our walk (which will be about an hour), we will head back to the hall and start our painting! I will be showing you two different mediums to work with, but you can choose which one you'd prefer to work with. The two options are: Acrylics or Oils

Technique

I will explain all the basics you need to know about these two mediums to help you to understand which one appeals most, but you're more than welcome to explore both if you are unsure. You will learn simple, easy yet effective brush techniques that create realistic looking bark, branches and leaves. Not only this, but I will show you how you can use different materials found around the house or garden for leaves (that's right, you don't have to always paint with a paint brush!) and bark textures.

What we will paint

There will be a little bit about painting a simple sky for the background of your trees, as well as how to paint light beams showing through leaves, how to create shadow, mist or make a forest look dense and thick. We will even cover reflections and how you can easily create a tree reflection in a lake and make it look real. Although we will be using our woodland walk as inspiration, you can still choose your own types of trees to paint so please feel free to use your memories of previous experiences (ie. a holiday you went on) if this resonates with you and inspires you more.

As this is a workshop, don't worry too much about creating a perfect finished piece of art, you can use this class as a practice run, however you're more than welcome to focus on making a masterpiece if you want to. It's up to you how you'd like to approach this workshop, but don't forget to have fun! There will be pieces of thick card for painting on, as well as different sized canvases to choose from to practice your trees on. There will be plenty of chances to create multiple pieces of smaller works if you wanted to practice a rough version first, before going onto your main canvas.

Lunch included

There will be a lunch half-way through the event which is a freshly and vegetarian. Options will be available for specific dietary needs or food allergies so please be sure to mention this when booking your ticket on the booking form. There will also be unlimited hot drinks and snacks throughout the day, so you won't go hungry!

Parking

The Old School can be found on google maps by clicking this link here which has the google coordinates. Or, just head towards the Christ & St. Marys Church as the hall is right next to it. It will look like an old school hall building and will have a little road that takes you around the back of it to its car park, however some people find it easier to park along the bridge just up from the Dukes Head Inn as the car park to the hall is a little awkward to drive in and out of. The bridge is very wide and you can park right next to the pavement and leave your car there for the day and it's about a 5 minute walk to the hall from here. Never panic if you are struggling to find the hall - just give me a ring on 07826 793126. You will also be emailed details of the venue when you book. To avoid any stress, it's always best to allow plenty of time and arrive about 15 minutes early if it's your first time at the hall. The address is:

Old School Hall, Front St, Armathwaite, Carlisle CA4 9PF

What do I need?

You may want to bring an apron or old top to protect your clothes from paint. You will also need something to bring your artwork home in with you like a plastic bag, sheets or box to protect your car as the paint will still be wet if you're using oils (oil paint can take a good few days to dry). Acrylic however, dries within minutes to a few hours depending on how thick it is. All art supplies and materials are provided. You are however, more than welcome to bring your own art supplies and brushes if you prefer, but the ticket price will still be the same. Lunch is provided, but you must inform us of any dietary needs or allergies at least 3 days beforehand at the latest to allow us time to make alterations to the menu for you. Bring your mobile phone and charger with you so we can take photos of trees at our woodland walk. You may want to use your phone for photo reference to paint from, so if this is the case, you will need to keep the phone screen on all the time potentially, hence the charger to stop it from going flat. Wear suitable footwear for the woodland walk and bring a raincoat or umbrella in case it rains.

Is this suitable for me?

If you have any questions at all, or if you are unsure whether or not the workshop is right for you, please get in touch before booking. We try to adapt and cater these events to suit most people, however if you have any disability, injury, recently recovered from surgery, or struggle physically with moving / walking, you must get in touch before booking so that we can assess if this workshop or the woodland walk is suitable and safe for you as we may be able to come up with adaptations that allow you to participate still. If you have autism or any form of social anxiety, or get overwhelmed by too much noise, please get in touch and we can discuss the best ways in which we can make this event as comfortable and pleasant for you as we can. We want everyone to feel welcomed, relaxed and happy.

Health & Safety

It is your responsibility when booking that you inform us of any allergies, medical conditions or physical disability (Physical disability is defined as a “limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina” that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on an individual's ability to do normal daily activities.) You take part at this event at your own risk including the woodland walk. All forms of movement can have at least a small risk of injury depending on the persons body, health or past injuries. For the woodland walk, please wear appropriate footwear and bring a waterproof coat or umbrella in case it rains.

Refund policy

Tickets at this events are non-refundable. You can give your ticket to somebody else however, should you be unable to attend - please make sure they let us know of any medical conditions beforehand and by allowing them to book, they agree to the terms and conditions of this event. We will also need their full name and contact details (email and number)

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