Paint Along Day Workshops
Spend the whole day with Ali & expand your skills
What could be better than treating yourself to an entire day working on a project alongside Ali’s expert tuition and positive guidance? With over thirty years experience of planning and delivery, Ali injects each of her day workshops with skills that can be used in every creative project you tackle, plus a relaxed and informal teaching style aimed at encouraging you to find your own way through a painting making you a more self sufficient artist in the future.
Geography needn’t be an issue as the workshops below are designed to be delivered in person AND live online, benefitting from advances in technology via the Zoom platform and Ali’s skills in distance education. Tune in from the comfort of your own home, with all your materials around you and make as much mess as you would like, all you will need is a charged tablet or laptop/desktop (not a smartphone, you won’t be able to see clearly enough) and a fairly strong internet connection. You won’t need any advanced tech skills, Ali will be in charge of that aspect and will help wherever she can. If you would like to join Ali at her studio, you just need to reserve a place at no extra cost.
How does a ‘Paint Along’ workshop work?
You can choose to spend the morning, the afternoon or all day with Ali, exploring the subject and techniques that she has carefully planned for you.
Here is a little more information that describes the difference between the sessions:
10:00 - 13:00 (GMT):Techniques & Experiments
The morning session will concentrate on an introduction to the materials and better understanding how they work to create marks and textures on your surface. You will be encouraged to explore how to prepare a project based on multiple points of reference and how to interpret the subject through sketches and experiments. These may include creating colour swatches, texture samples, thumbnails, pastiches or even a first draft of a painting, ready for you to tackle larger projects with more confidence.
13:00 - 14:00: A lunch break/preparation for the afternoon session (if attending)
14:00 - 17:00 (GMT): Full Project
Ali will guide you through a whole project from start to finish using a style of teaching called ‘Paint Along’ meaning that she will not be stopping and starting, but progressing through her own version of the piece making suggestions for how you might like to tackle your own version of the subject. She will pause for a short time mid afternoon to allow you the opportunity to catch up and will reach a conclusion with her own piece approximately 30 mins to an hour before the end of the session to help you individually.
A Paint Along workshop is fast paced but highly creative and experimental, equipping you with a wealth of techniques and very individual creations to take forward into your own interpretations.
Falling Snow in Mixed Media
Saturday 16th November 2024
Years ago, Ali saw a wonderful painting that captured the essence of falling snow with the simplest of materials. Reminded of this painting recently, she is eager to experiment with paints to see if she can find a way of capturing this incredible weather event.
Join her for a day of experimenting with watercolour and a few kitchen ingredients to recreate the softness and texture of snow fall.
Gelli Plate Printmaking
Saturday 14th December 2024
There were many things that Ali learnt during her degree, but none stuck with her more than her time in the print studio.
Printmaking is often deemed to be too complicated for an at home studio or requires very specific materials but Gelli or Gelatine Plate printing is so satisfying and incredibly addictive.
Join Ali for a day of learning how to use the plate and the wealth of textures and surfaces that can be created with it.
STUDIO PLACES NOW SOLD OUT BUT ONLINE STILL AVAILABLE
Lightning Storm in Mixed Media
Saturday 4th January 2025
This workshop is inspired by Ali’s home where many a lightning storm can be viewed from the top of her hill across the Blackmore Vale. While the noise and chaos may frighten her animals, she can often be found leaning out of a window or donning the waterproofs to stand and watch the weather as it moves around the landscape.
Join Ali for a day spent trying to capture the drama and intensity of this weather event using combinations of materials including watercolour, gouache, pastel and an experimental outlook.
Feathers & Found Objects in Acrylic Ink
Saturday 1st February 2025
Join Ali for a very experimental workshops where the worlds of craft and art collide. Inspired by the many pieces of natural and manufactured ephemera that she collects, you will spend the day immersed in the world of acrylic ink, printmaking, observational drawing and assemblage.
Learn how to create dynamic backgrounds for your work and combine these contemporary techniques with more traditional observational drawing skills using combinations of acrylic ink, graphite and watercolour. Ali will guide you through every step and you will not only create interesting papers for use in future work but you will have a completed assemblage that will be envied by everyone for it’s uniqueness.
Sunflowers in Collage
Saturday 1st March 2025
Who can resist a fabulous sunflower with it’s head bobbing in the breeze? Last year Ali noticed a sunflower farm near to where she lives and after peeping over a hedge, was filled with inspiration for this workshop!
Join her for an experimental day of learning to create your very own collage papers and then including them with other surfaces to make a stunning flower portrait full of texture and drama.
Woolly Sheep in Chalk Pastel
Saturday 12th April 2025
In a busy year for Ali when she concentrates on landscapes, she is thrilled to be able to still share one of her first subject loves - animals. What better way to spend a day experimenting with pastel techniques than a characterful portrait of a gorgeous woolly sheep that will have you falling in love with their sorrwful eyes and incredible coats.
Ali will guide you through a variety of pastel applications and surfaces including some more unusual ways of building up layers of chalk pastel sticks and pencils on the textured surface of your choice.
Hydrangea experiments in Mixed Media
Saturday 17th May 2025
After years of battling to grow these beautiful flowers in her garden, this year Ali cracked it - by giving up and planting them in a pot instead. They are stunning whether they are in full bloom or changing to a skeleton petal as we head towards winter.
This workshop will provide you with experimental techniques including gesso resist, using a ruling pen with watercolour, creating coloured backgrounds for detail and mark making with unusual tools. Ali is so excited to be sharing some her latest discoveries for such a classic subject.
If you are local to Ali or fancy a trip to Dorset and would like to attend her tuition in person at her studio, book a place at no extra cost. Please read the specific section of the Ts and Cs before booking.