Theme: Drawing & Printmaking – Endangered Birds of the UK
🗓 Course Dates: Wednesdays, 25th February – 25th March, 2–4pm
📍 A Space to Meet, Main Street, Woodhouse Eaves
(Parking available behind the café)
This 5‑week art course invites you to slow down and connect with the fragile beauty of the UK’s endangered bird species. Through drawing, observation, and gentle printmaking processes, we’ll explore the character, movement, and symbolism of birds such as the nightjar, curlew, turtle dove, and lesser spotted woodpecker. Each session blends creativity with quiet ecological awareness, offering space to learn, reflect, and create with intention.
✨ Course Structure
Week 1: Feather, Form & First Sketches – Meeting the Birds
We begin by exploring the shapes, markings, and personalities of several endangered UK birds. Using reference images and simple observational exercises, we’ll sketch wings, beaks, and silhouettes, learning how to capture gesture and character through expressive mark‑making.
Week 2: Habitat, Pattern & Detail – Drawing with Sensitivity
This week focuses on the textures and environments that define these species: reedbeds, heathlands, wetlands, woodland edges. Through tonal drawing and ink studies, we’ll explore plumage patterns, subtle markings, and the quiet stories held in each bird’s habitat.
Week 3: From Sketch to Design – Composing a Bird Illustration
Building on your drawings, we’ll develop a more considered composition featuring your chosen bird. We’ll explore layout, contrast, and simplified shapes, preparing artwork that can translate beautifully into print. This session bridges drawing and design, readying us for the printmaking weeks ahead.
Week 4: Screen Printing & Stencilling – Creating Your Bird Design
This week introduces simple screen‑printing and stencil techniques. Using your refined bird illustration, you’ll create a stencil and begin printing onto fabric. We’ll explore layering, colour choices, and how to keep the process playful and accessible.
Week 5: Printed Tea Towels – A Final Creative Offering
Our final week is a joyful making session. You’ll screen print your bird design onto a tea towel — a functional artwork celebrating the species you’ve connected with. This closing session becomes a shared ritual of gratitude for creativity, nature, and the group’s journey together.
🌿 This is a nurturing space for all stages of creative journeying.
Some come to evolve, some to begin again. Gentle grounding practices such as breathwork or visualisation may be woven in to support presence, connection, and a deeper appreciation of the natural world.
There will be a strong emphasis on personal development of style, as well as opportunities for collaborative pieces. We’ll grow, support, and create alongside one another.
Price includes refreshments and a delicious snack.