Abbotsbury Studio

A resource for Artists, techniques, skills for Students, fun for Amateurs, revelations for Beginners

Abbotsbury village - click here to see an enlargement

The studio has a welcoming atmosphere and offers challenges in painting and drawing. Whether for a refresher or an introduction to painting, colour and drawing, or to develop essential skills.

The main aim is that every individual should enjoy studio, tuition and facilities, for each, to develop an independent process of painting and drawing. At Abbotsbury Studio various artists and students are working in a variety of processes and styles.

Abbotsbury Studio - click here to see an enlargement

Abbotsbury Studio, a former hall, is centrally situated in the village - spacious, with a high ceiling, large windows and good lighting.

The village itself, a gem, is unique, set in a glorious and various landscape at the heart of Dorset's 'World Heritage Site' coast.

A workshop in Abbotsbury Studio - click here to see an enlargement

John Meaker, tutor, offers analytical and observational disciplines as well as technical skills, appropriate to each individual's vision and ways of making marks. Knowledge of light and tone, colour, mixing and colour combinations, range of exercises, processes and experiments are high up the list of priorities.

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.

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.

"The task of all art is to destroy the static equilibrium by establishing a dynamic one." Piet Mondrian

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 materials of painting are like laws of physics - behind all the visual arts mechanisms.

Studio Courses

or for our regular Weekly Workshop Classes, click here

The courses will be every Friday, Life Class; and for general painting and drawing each Tuesday. Please bring your own lunch.

Phone or email for information.

Booking not necessary.

Weekly Workshop Classes

or for our Studio Courses, click here

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. Scroll further down the page for Spring and Summer Term Tuesdays and Fridays...................... There is a summer term weekly Thursday evening life class at Bridport Arts Centre see below for separate details.

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 2013. Thursday Evening Life Classes at Bridport Arts Centre

£10 a session... ......"A"level & full time students £7.

11 weeks - April 18th to June 30th

Location - Bridport Arts Centre

X Bridport Arts Centre

South Street Bridport Dorset, DT 6 3 NR

tel: 01308 424204

email:

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 2013..

Alive Life Drawing. For Artists, Amateurs, Students, Beginners.

11 Thursdays

Apr 18th, Apr 25th, May 2nd, May 9th, May 16th, May 23rd, May 30th, Jun 6th, Jun 13th, Jun 20th, Jun 27th

This is useful Life Class attended by a group of very interesting Artists working in a wonderful variety of styles. A resource for Artists; offering tuition in observational skills and analytical disciplines as well as craft and technical guidance for Students and beginners.

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2013 Summer Term, Painting & Drawing at Abbotsbury Studio.

Fridays....Tuesdays.... All welcome....Artists, students, beginners

15 weeks - April 2nd to July 13th

Location - Abbotsbury Studio

X Abbotsbury Studio

Rodden Row, Abbotsbury, Dorset, DT3 4JL

tel: 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, Summer 2013

Individual projects for painting, assistance or suggestions.

15 Tuesdays

Apr 2nd, Apr 9th, Apr 16th, Apr 23rd, Apr 30th, May 7th, May 14th, May 21st, May 28th, Jun 4th, Jun 11th, Jun 18th, Jun 25th, Jul 2nd, Jul 9th

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 2013, Daytime LIFE CLASS 10am-1pm & 1.45-4.30pm.

Welcomes - Artists, Amateurs, Students, Beginners.

15 Fridays

Apr 5th, Apr 12th, Apr 19th, Apr 26th, May 3rd, May 10th, May 17th, May 24th, May 31st, Jun 7th, Jun 14th, Jun 21st, Jun 28th, Jul 5th, Jul 12th

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.

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The tutor

John Meaker

is a conscientious tutor and prolific artist continuously drawing and working in several different painting mediums with figures, abstract dynamics and landscape. He has more 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 the requirements of student or artist. I would like to think I am a catalyst for experiment and innovation encouraging individuals and groups 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 modernist and classical 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 Maurice Feild, John Mills, Terence Ibbott, Dorothy Mead, Andrew Forge, Leonard McComb, 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 30 years J M tutored residential courses in painting and drawing at Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. www.arca.uk.net/missendenabbey

J M is also tutoring courses at West Dean College, near Chichester in West Sussex, since 2008, including "Abstract Values in Landscape Painting" at the Summer School in 2012. www.westdean.org.uk

Workshops at Abbotsbury Studio are at home to a wide variety of processes, forms and styles of painting and drawing, classical & modern.

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.

Painting and Life Drawing, Art classes, courses & holidays in Dorset.

A resource for Artists, techniques, skills for Students, fun for Amateurs, revelations for Beginners

Studio Courses

or for our regular Weekly Workshop Classes, click here

Phone or email for information.