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!

Now I Become Myself

Now I Become Myself

Now I become myself. It's taken
Time, many years and places;
I have been dissolved and shaken,
Worn other people's faces,
Run madly, as if Time were there,
Terribly old, crying a warning,
"Hurry, you will be dead before--"
(What? Before you reach the morning?
Or the end of the poem is clear?
Or love safe in the walled city?)
Now to stand still, to be here,
Feel my own weight and density!
The black shadow on the paper
Is my hand; the shadow of a word
As thought shapes the shaper
Falls heavy on the page, is heard.
All fuses now, falls into place
From wish to action, word to silence,
My work, my love, my time, my face
Gathered into one intense
Gesture of growing like a plant.
As slowly as the ripening fruit
Fertile, detached, and always spent,
Falls but does not exhaust the root,
So all the poem is, can give,
Grows in me to become the song,
Made so and rooted by love.
Now there is time and Time is young.
O, in this single hour I live
All of myself and do not move.
I, the pursued, who madly ran,
Stand still, stand still, and stop the sun!

May Sarton

Wishing you a gentle and peaceful Winter Solstice. x