Experimental Drawing - 4 Day course with Helen Jones.

Sunday 18 May 2025 17:00
Friday 23 May 2025 10:00

Coombe Farm Studios (map)

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This four day course with Helen Jones is all about freeing up your drawing, experimenting, playing and working with her erasure techniques for landscape drawing, it is ideal for all abilities from beginners to more experienced artists who want to loosen up.

“Lots of excellent tutoring - delivered with a light touch. Talented, amusing company all wrapped up in beautiful Coombe Farm Studios effortless style and generosity.”

— Allison -Course participant Feb 2023

Helen has been working as an artist and teacher for over a decade. She draws mostly large-scale work, using the natural world and the elements as her inspiration. In her studio Helen works with many materials, including pastels, smoothing and smudging the marks with her hands. The technique of erasure is central to her practice, removing and reapplying pigment in various ways, over and over, to build up a complex and layered tonal image.

The 4 day course will begin with a playful experimentation exploring the possibilities of materials and application, you will use drawing materials including inks, charcoal, graphite pencils, various pastels- whole and crushed, oil sticks as well as less than conventional and maybe unexpected non-toxic materials from nature including clay, mud, estuary finds, oil and things you might find in your pantry or around your home. Through a series of planned exercises, you will explore the possibilities of application, effect and develop your own understanding of the preferences you have and what you like to use.

Over the 4 days the exercises Helen sets will encourage you to have fun and push your boundaries expanding your curiosity as well as building your confidence in the exciting possibilities of drawing.

This course is ideal if you want to just get away and explore drawing or if feel ‘stuck’ with your mark making and want to experiment and push your boundaries. It would also be excellent if you’re used to working in another disciplines and want to expand your drawing and mark making skills (for example if you are a potter looking to develop your drawing skills to expand your surface decoration techniques).

Helen is based in Bristol and is a professional full-time artist and a member of the Wilderness Collective. Alongside making work she has taught at the Royal West of England Academy and the University of the West of England. She also works with community groups, running classes and workshops in art making. She works with learners of all abilities and enjoys engaging with students to build their confidence and find their creative inspiration.

**EXPERIENCE LEVEL:** This course is designed for anyone that wants to explore their drawing skills, from beginner through to advanced, Helen will work with you at the level that you re at.

**OUTLINE SCHEDULE:** Sunday // 5-7pm Residents arrive // 7.00pm non-residents arrive followed by welcome drinks and dinner // Monday-Thursday // 8.30am Breakfast for residents // 9.30am Tuition starts //1.00-2.00pm Lunch // 2.00-5.00pm tuition resumes. Friday // 8.30am Breakfast for residents // 10:00am departure.
**ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS:** Residential and non-residential spaces available. NB residents are not required to share bedrooms, see accommodation for more info.

**COST**: £560 + VAT for residential which covers all your tuition, food, accommodation and materials from arrival on Sunday through to departure after lunch on Friday. Non-residential fees are £401 + VAT include all tuition, welcome drinks on Sunday and lunch from Mon-Friday.
**MATERIALS LIST:** he majority of materials will be provided which is reflected in the course price. However please do bring the following with you // A selection of papers that you might like to work on - thin and thick and of various sizes // Soft back Sketch book A5 // Materials from your home kitchen to experiment with (marmite, honey, sugar , shoe polish, whatever you like.
**HOW TO GET HERE:** Our address is TQ6 0JA [What3words: What3words: fulfilled.exploring.branching] and we have plenty of free onsite parking. Trains > nearest station is Totnes then we can arrange lift shares or send taxi details. We are about 20 minutes from the station.
**HOW MANY PEOPLE ON THE COURSE?** Min 4 max 8 to allow the tutor to give everyone enough attention and time on the press.

FOOD: We have an on-site chef that caters for you during the course, meals are taken at one long table in the accommodation building together with course participants and your tutor. We cater for all dietary requirements and grow a lot of herbs & vegetables on site.

SEASON: May is a glorious time at Coombe, it’s starting to get warm, flowers and greenery coming out. We will be in the studio and going out sketching down the lanes weather permitting. If it’s cooler weather the fires will be on in the studios and accommodation. If it’s sunnier and warmer we may even get to eat outside. Whatever the weather, the combination of studio and great location mean we have options each day