Workshop dates 2016-2017

Here are my new workshop dates of the coming academic year. You can find all details on my website at www.helenhallows.com or click here.

Tools of my trade

I'm getting ready for a series of collage workshops. The tools of my trade are varied! I use marks to create different papers to collage with and use a variety of inks and paints. I make my own mark making tools as well as having a good collection of found objects. I use different printmaking techniques and make my own printing blocks. On the workshops I share these techniques and show how to use the different papers to tell a story, the story of your creative soul.

The flow of life is ever onward

So it is October (already!) and we are betwixt and between seasons. It has been a fine September of misty mornings and sunny afternoons and I've been absorbing the sun's rays as much as possible. I suffer from seasonal adjustment disorder and so it is a bitter sweet time of year. I love the sense of change of autumn. I love the sense of letting go. I love the rhythm of the days that equal the nights and the sense of sunrise and sunset that keeps a gentle beat to life. But in there I feel the retraction of the sun, the shift to cloudier days, nights drawing in. And so I try to find solace in capturing the memories of late summer, of capturing the sun in my work as a talisman to use on darker days to ward off the dragging greyness that winter can bring. I use the sun in my work to keep a light burning in my soul.

Radiant Light -visit my shop at www.helenhallows.com

And it is that sense of capturing the sun, the autumn trees, the intense palette of reds, yellows and ochres that will inspire my next workshops, 'Shine Like the Sun' on Saturday October 10th in Long Eaton and 'Grow Your Own Art' on Saturday 17th October at Focus Gallery in Nottingham. Using multi media techniques with paint, inks and collage, students will create a collaged block, inspired by the season.

Helen Hallows Workshops 2015

Here is my workshop plan for 2015! I'll be running a Collaged Landscapes workshop every season, so four across the year. They'll be held in Long Eaton at the Long Eaton Art Room. The Long Eaton Art Room is a charity funded art centre/studio complex and after a few years of fundraising, the teaching room is fully fitted with sinks, toilets and disabled access. Long Eaton is just south of Nottingham, off junction 25 of the M1 so is accessible by car or train to Long Eaton station. There's plenty of off street parking at the Art Room.

Student work 2014

student work 2014

student work 2014

So, the dates I will be running my one day course are, February 28th, June 27th, October 3rd and November 7th (all Saturdays).

During the day I aim to introduce you to the techniques I use to create my landscape collages. There is an introductory talk about my work, creative development and inspirations. Then there is a  morning workshop creating papers to use for mixed media work, and an afternoon session creating and collaging a landscape piece. It's an intense day of ideas to invigorate and compliment your own creative practice, be that painting or textile based. Some experience of drawing is useful, but more than that is a willingness to try new processes.  Because of the time constraints of the day (10am - 4pm), there will not be time to try the stitch processes that I use in my work but I can give advice on that. You'll go home with papers to use and a small collaged landscape based on sketches and photos that you bring to the day.

Places are limited to eight. The day costs £65 and includes cake! There are cafes and shops near the venue to buy lunch. If you have any questions or would like to book, please contact me through my website www.helenhallows.com

If you would like to buy a place as a gift for someone else, gift vouchers are available.

One of the highlights of this year has been running Yoga & Creativity workshops with Lindsey Watson of Chandrayoga in Loughborough. Inspired by the seasons, we have offered one day retreats that are a mix of yoga, meditation, great food, and a creative collage workshop centring on imagery from the season and personal affirmation. Because of their success, we will be offering these special days in 2015. More details are on the Chandrayoga website. If you can't wait until next year we have a beautiful day planned to coincide with the Winter Solstice. "Stillness of Winter" day retreat will be held in Loughborough on Saturday December 20th 2014. We hope that it will be a day that gives sustenance and inspiration for the dark days of midwinter. Places are £60.

I really hope you'll join me in 2015 and share my creative journey!

Collaged Landscape

At the weekend I held my first two day 'Collaged Landscape' workshop.  Previously run as a one day event, running it over two allowed participants to really get stuck in and explore all the different elements of mark making, painting, collage and stitch.  The outcomes were fabulous.

Due to outrageously positive feedback I'll be running more workshops in 2013 and can now announce the following dates:

April 13/14 Collaged Landscapes workshop at Long Eaton Art Room, NG10 4LD £100 - 6 places

May 11th    Creative play day - experiment with mark making, try machine embroidery, try collage.  Can be used as an extra day if you have already attended a course or as a try out before a longer course. £50 - Long Eaton Art Room - 8 places

June 15/16 Collaged narratives workshop at Long Eaton Art Room.  Similar to the landscapes weekend but focusing on the story behind your piece, perhaps inspired by a personal story or a poem. £100 all materials included- Long Eaton Art Room - 6 places

July 13th  Creative play day - as May 11th - 8 places, £50 including all materials and cake! Long Eaton Art Room

Please contact me if you'd like to book a place.  Also available are workshop gift vouchers (£50 or £100) if you would like to surprise someone with a thoughtful and inspiring gift!

Sketchbook Peeks

Sue Bulmer is featuring me on her blog as part of her continuing series, 'Sketchbook Peeks'.  It's been one of my plans for this year to get back in to keeping sketchbooks and visual notebooks.  Recent purchases of Hockney's 'Sketchbook of Yorkshire' and Orla Kiely's 'Pattern' have inspired me. The process of editing and simplification that an image goes through as it moves from what I see, through my hands to what I draw gives me space to compose the image ready to work on it in the studio.

Making a simple zig zag book of houses I have lived in for the Memory Book workshop reminded me how much I love the book as a private space.  It must hark back to keeping diaries as a teenager. I enjoy the sketchbook holding a collection of thoughts or ideas or images...a time capsule.  I find it utterly satisfying to close it up and tie it with string. Like any book it contains a miniature world and I love the tangible ritual of opening the sketchbook and revisiting another time and place.  You just don't get that sensory experience when you load up your blog!!

Workshops for Spring 2012

I've just designed the flyer for my workshops for spring.  You know what they say, 'The early bird.....'

Carnival of Monsters

At the start of half term we visited the wonderful 'Carnival of Monsters' exhibition held at the Barton bus station at Beeston.  There was some really dynamic, well crafted art exhibited in a great urban venue.  The building interacted with the art and the juxtapositions of the functional and historical against the art works intrigued me as much as the works themselves.  Light worked its way through decayed parts of the building casting dynamic shadows.  My annual autumnal obsession with the circle has reared its head again...why is that?  I think it's because the moon becomes more visible again.  Anyway, circle motifs abounded.

'Life'  Richard Stephens

'Cathedral-Northern Transept' Mark Chapman

Rachel Carter

Frank Kent

Frank Kent

Upcoming workshops

Back by popular demand!  This Autumn I'll be running another 'Recording Memories' workshop.  To see how the Spring workshop went, have a look here.  The one day workshop will be held at Long Eaton Art Room, near Nottingham on Saturday 8th October. The room is large and airy with plenty of parking and disabled access.  I'll be providing tea and coffee and cake made by my own fair hands!  All for £40, including materials. The day will run from 10-4.  Get in touch with me through the website if you'd like to book a place.

I'm also running a 'Creating for Ceramic Transfer' workshop at Beans Coffee Shop Gallery on Sunday 25th September 2011.  I've fallen in love with ceramic transfers!  It's a great way of translating your art into an embellishment for any ceramics or china.  I'll show you how it works and during the day you can create an original piece of art work using ink, collage and stitch which I will then have made into a transfer and fired onto a tile for you.  These make great presents!  The day runs from 10-4 and costs £40 including a lovely lunch and most materials.  There'll be an additional £5 charge for each tile you would like to have made.  If you'd like to book a place, please contact Karen at Beans Coffee Shop Gallery.

Both courses are suitable for beginners and will be an informal introduction to techniques and ideas.  I hope you can join me for what I hope will be a fun and inspiring day.

ps.  Whilst I'm telling you about my courses, I'll also tell you about David's Life Drawing courses.  These will run on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from the start of September at Chilwell School and at St.Mary's Church Hall, Draycott.