ABBOTSBURY STUDIO
Painting and Life Drawing, Art classes, courses & holidays in Dorset.
A resource for Artists, techniques, skills for Students, fun for Amateurs, revelations for Beginners
Shared energies of diverse artists and students invigorate both dynamic work and traditional work with a variety of styles. The main aim is that every individual should enjoy studio, tuition and facilities, for each, to develop an independent process of painting and drawing.
Studio courses are mostly 2 day weekends - Friday & Saturday. Some students and artists wanting to extend their stay by two days may choose to start their visit by also attending the classes on Wednesday and Thursday.
Welcoming artists/students or newcomers, of all ages & stages to focus enthusiasm, concentration and energy, to make significant progress or refresh their individual working processes, even on a short course.
Artists/students are invited to work in the medium of their choice, whether a familiar medium or a new medium.The studio has very good facilities (including an easel, 'A1' board, exam table and tall stool - for each person), so you need only bring drawing materials, paints & brushes. J M will be happy to offer suggestions or advice on materials and can usually fill any gaps in people's kit.
The Gallery at Abbotsbury Studio exhibits the work of artists and students.Twentieth century drawing and painting have been carried from figuration through to abstraction without distortion or reduction by such artists as Mondrian, Soutine, Giacometti, Bomberg, Auerbach and de Kooning. They introduce, through imaginative projection, geometry and gesture, the transmutation of forms and figures into a field of flux. Combining detached analysis and emotionally charged gestural energy, true to the flatness of the canvas, while spatial relationships are held in utmost respect. Among other artists, they show us how we can effect negotiations with transitional states and enjoy the interchangeability of physical form with pure energy.
In the realm of ideas we live in a delightful condition of upheaval and revolution, of transition and opportunity. It looks to many as if the rule book has been thrown away and chaos reigns. However the principles and disciplines involved in the dynamics of drawing, the colours and material of painting are like laws of physics - behind the mechanism, working alchemical magic.
Studio Courses
or for our regular Weekly Workshop Classes, click here
Phone or email for information.
Booking not necessary.Painting & Drawing Workshops 2011...
Location - Abbotsbury Studio
X Abbotsbury Studio
Rodden Row, Abbotsbury, Dorset, DT3 4JLtel: 01305-871867
email:
web: www.abbotsburystudio.co.uk
Abbotsbury Studio, a former hall, is centrally situated in Abbotsbury village - spacious, with a high ceiling, large windows and good lighting. The village itself is unique and in a glorious and various landscape at the heart of Dorset's 'World Heritage Site' coast.
Each day starts at 10am and ends at 4.30pm. Bring your own lunch.
A series of stages from beginning to completion. 2011
For occasional painters and beginners, or any artist who needs to be reminded of a useful series of stages from beginning to completion.
February 18th-19th two days 10.00 am - 4.30 pm
£40
Sketch, Underpainting, Tonal balance, Lights. Using observation of still life, or working from old or modern masterpieces, or abstraction and imagination. We will deal with tone, colour traditions and Abstract values. As well as the manipulation of materials; the medium, "painterly qualities", liquidity, thick and thin, taking paint off as well as putting it on.
Modes of Perception, a practical drawing course. 2011
A practical drawing course concerned with understanding and applying a variety of traditions, techniques and approaches to drawing. (1). Classical drawing, (2). Innovations of 20th century masters of drawing and (3). Drawing for under-painting and various sketch processes.
March 25th-26th Two days. 10 am - 4.30 pm
£40
Different ways and means of observation & analysis in the practice of drawing lead to different types of picture making. Studying and setting up practical exercises to study and use the innovations and techniques of key 20th century artists: Giacometti, Coldstream, Uglow, Bomberg & Auerbach.
Transformations of Landscape Painting. 2011
Sketch - underpainting - tonal balance - lights. In the landscape and/or studio. Compositional dynamics, Cezanne to Bomberg. Observation to abstraction, managed chaos, de Kooning and Lanyon. By this end of May it should be warm enough to go out into Abbotsbury's landscapes and paint some local views.
May 6th-7th Two days. 10am - 4.30 pm
£40
Abbotsbury Landscape Painting, Summer Weekends 2011..............one in mid July another mid August .... dates not yet fixed.
Location - Abbotsbury Studio
X Abbotsbury Studio
Rodden Row, Abbotsbury, Dorset, DT3 4JLtel: 01305-871867
email:
web: www.abbotsburystudio.co.uk
Abbotsbury Studio, a former hall, is centrally situated in Abbotsbury village - spacious, with a high ceiling, large windows and good lighting. The village itself is unique and in a glorious and various landscape at the heart of Dorset's 'World Heritage Site' coast.
Paint for two days or choose your days @ £30 a day. Saturday and/or Sunday: 10 am - 4.30 pm (or later) A two day course painting in Abbotsbury's glorious landscapes.Some days we will start the day with a talk on landscape painting illustrated with computer, power point, projected images; focusing on practical issues and useful painters as well as significant landscape and the history of landscape art. The studio is available for working or eating or if anyone needs to retreat from either too wet or too hot weather.
Two day pose Life Painting and Drawing is suspended for the time being.
Location - Abbotsbury Studio
X Abbotsbury Studio
Rodden Row, Abbotsbury, Dorset, DT3 4JLtel: 01305-871867
email:
web: www.abbotsburystudio.co.uk
Abbotsbury Studio, a former hall, is centrally situated in Abbotsbury village - spacious, with a high ceiling, large windows and good lighting. The village itself is unique and in a glorious and various landscape at the heart of Dorset's 'World Heritage Site' coast.
I will return to a, once a month, Two Day Life Pose Class at some point in the future.
ACTIVE ART JANUARY 2012............ Life Classes at Bridport Arts Centre
Location - Bridport Arts Centre
Only 4 days this time during 2nd week of January: Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th January. Drop in, pay on the day. CLICK ON NEW 2012 timetable, below...
Two daytime sessions: 10am - 12.30pm... + ...1.30pm - 4pm...... @ £6 a session. or £4 students, £5 members. Untutored Life Classes in daytime, Tuesday - Friday. Individuals are invited to do their own thing in their chosen medium. CLICK ON NEW timetable of models and poses.
"Active Art" each January is open to all comers, professional and amateur artists, students and beginners are invited to work with the life model in the large gallery/studio. The challenge of Life Drawing and Painting, the character, beauty and agility of the models evokes energy and enthusiasm in vital gestures and dynamic compositions from artists and students; creating the conditions for freedom of expression, refining of skills and human insights.
ACTIVE ART Above
Location - Bridport Arts Centre
Click on Active Art poster.
Life Drawing by Rod Hill
Weekly Workshop Classes
or for our Studio Courses, click here
You can pay on the day for any class -
£30 for a full day or £15 for a half day
(Full time & 'A' level students: £15 full day, £8 half day)
Newcomers please phone first, otherwise drop in and pay on the day!
(there are limited numbers however, booking is not necessary - but, for booking details, see the box in the right column)Summer 2012. Thursday Evening Life Classes at Bridport Arts Centre
£8 a session... ......"A"level & full time students £5.
10 weeks - April 26th to June 29th
Location - Bridport Arts Centre
Every Thursday evening, 6.30 pm - 9.30 pm. Drop in and pay on the day. No need to book, however phone enquiries are welcome.
Thursday Evening LIFE CLASS at Bridport Arts Centre. Summer Term 2012
10 Thursdays
Apr 26th, May 3rd, May 10th, May 17th, May 24th, May 31st, Jun 7th, Jun 14th, Jun 21st, Jun 28th
Please note First Class 26th April. The Last Class of the Summer Term is Thursday 28th June.
2012 Summer Term, Painting & Drawing.
Fridays....Tuesdays.... All welcome....Artists, students, beginners
11 weeks - April 17th to June 30th
Location - Abbotsbury Studio
X Abbotsbury Studio
Rodden Row, Abbotsbury, Dorset, DT3 4JLtel: 01305-871867
email:
web: www.abbotsburystudio.co.uk
Abbotsbury Studio, a former hall, is centrally situated in Abbotsbury village - spacious, with a high ceiling, large windows and good lighting. The village itself is unique and in a glorious and various landscape at the heart of Dorset's 'World Heritage Site' coast.
Drop in, pay by the day, on the day. £30 all day, £15 half day............................. Concessions for full time students £15 all day, £8 half day........................................ All Weekly Workshop Classes at Abbotsbury Studio run from 10am to 4.30pm, unless specified otherwise, but you can come for just the morning, or just the afternoon - the morning session runs from 10am - 1pm and the afternoon session from 1.45pm - 4.30pm. Bring your own lunch
Tuesday Painting Group, Summertime 2012. 10am - 1pm, 1.45 - 4.30pm
All welcome Artists, Amateurs, Students, Beginners. Drop in and pay on the day. Please check the dat11 Tuesdays
Apr 17th, Apr 24th, May 1st, May 8th, May 15th, May 22nd, May 29th, Jun 5th, Jun 12th, Jun 19th, Jun 26th
Please note the following variations in my mechanically generated dates above: Monday 21st May instead of No Class Tuesday 22nd May, Wednesday 6th June instead of Tuesday 5th June, Monday 25th June instead of No Class Tuesday 26th June. A general painting class for all comers with challenges for artists, students & beginners. Emphasizing each individual's practical work. Personal projects - abstract or figurative. Colour and tonal studies, compositional dynamics, landscape, still life, or painting from chosen images; jazzing up old or modern masterpeices. Interesting objects, pots, jars, fruit and flowers always in the studio. For reference good collection of classical and modern Fine Art picture books.
Fridays Summertime 2012, Daytime LIFE CLASS 10am-1pm & 1.45-4.30pm
All welcome - Artists, Amateurs, Students, Beginners.11 Fridays
Apr 20th, Apr 27th, May 4th, May 11th, May 18th, May 25th, Jun 1st, Jun 8th, Jun 15th, Jun 22nd, Jun 29th
We start the day with short poses for one hour; usually these short poses are for about 10 minutes each, followed by perhaps six 2 minute poses. All these short poses in the first session are more likely to have some twists and stretches. After a coffee break we set up one long pose to last for the rest of the day. Although the long pose is necessarily less demanding on the model we are always careful to make sure it is inspiring from all points of view.
The tutor
John Meaker
is a prolific artist continuously drawing and working in several different painting mediums with figures, abstract dynamics and landscape.
He has 25 years experience as teacher & mentor facilitating progress and change to the work of students & artists of all ages and stages, from beginners to accomplished artists. "I see the tutor’s role as that of nurturing and developing in each individual an independent process of work capable of evolution and open to ideas. So I use a range of traditional and/or modernist techniques and processes to serve my own insight into the requirements of student or artist. I would like to think I am a catalyst for experiment and innovation encouraging the group to try out and discuss new ideas. Accomplished artists may, or may not, want a dialogue with a tutor. That's fine. Whereas students and beginners will need a teacher for skills and techniques. Each individual has their own vision and their own way of making marks – combine the individual nature with appropriate guidance, if, and when needed, hence outcomes should be surprising and not preconceived".
J.M. studied at Goldsmiths College and The Royal Academy Schools and in his own work reconciles their contradictory traditions:
- on one side: awareness of modernity of form, comparative to the history of Art, while enjoying the art of ideas and abstraction, the dynamics of composition and gesture;
- on the other side: drawing skills,observational disciplines, including, proportion, construction and spatial analysis, concern with natural form, colour and especially tone and light, traditional figurative painting, colour traditions, theories and techniques.
Amongst some uniquely sensitive artists including Peter Greenham and Norman Blamey, J. M. was fortunate to have tutors themselves taught by a series of mainly British artists, Sickert, Tonks, Bomberg, Giacometti, Coldstream, Uglow and K. Vaughan, who in their teaching, theory and their own practices of work, represent a range of related modes of perception which develop the living and dynamic strands of late 20th century innovation and expression in drawing and painting.
For more than 25 years J M has tutored residential courses in painting and drawing at Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire; this year he will be there at the residential Summer School for three weeks. www.arca.uk.net/missendenabbey J M is also tutoring courses at West Dean College, near Chichester in West Sussex, Autumn 2009, Spring and Summer School in 2010. www.westdean.org.uk
Workshops at Abbotsbury Studio are at home to a wide variety of forms and styles of painting and drawing, classical & modern, all dynamic.
Click here to see images of students' & artists' work made at Abbotsbury Studio.
Click here to see images of John Meaker's work.
Booking information
To take part in one or more of the courses, please click here to print out the form, fill it in and then send, enclosing a cheque for the total course fee(s) to:
John Meaker
White Hall Farm
Leigh, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 6JG.
Enquiries welcome.
Once booking has been confirmed, fees cannot be transferred or refunded. It is advisable to insure against losses of fees due to illness or other mishap.
For local accommodation we can advise, or see the Abbotsbury Village website.
Contact details
JM - 01935-872461
mobile - 07816-850107
studio - 01305-871867
email:
Abbotsbury Studio
Rodden Row
Abbotsbury
Dorset
DT3 4JL
tel: 01305-871867 mobile: 07816-850107 email:
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