Artwork installation at Camp Hill School, Nuneaton

Recently I have completed another artwork installation utilising the artwork created by the Children from Camp Hill Primary School in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

I was commissioned to decorate the school reception corridors using the themes of identity, community, collaboration and the rights of the child.

Over 10 weekly After School Art sessions I helped a group of Children develop their ideas with the themes to create images on tracing paper that would all assemble into another stained glass effect artwork.

The slogan for the school is ‘Growing Together’ which the children voted for along other some other sentences to describe the artwork.

Each child had total freedom with their own creative ideas and produced several images that they felt represented themselves and their own surroundings.

The stained glass effect is a great method of joining individuals work together and help to connect the different thought processes.

New portrait

The past few years have been extremely busy, what with community art projects, windmills, and setting up art classes at my studio. So I haven’t really had much time and focus to concentrate on a set of art works.

My background before moving to Warwickshire was that of commercial art and graphic design, I have always regularly sketched and painted using watercolours or acrylics, but I’ve always avoided oils until now.

I made the conscious decision to transition from acrylics to oils and though that doesn’t sound very life changing, it was a huge step in my confidence. One of the reasons I suppose is that when I look back during my art college days I felt that I wasn’t good enough or worthy to convert to try oils. I did try a couple of oils paintings but I didn’t feel comfortable with it back then and found Acrylics to be more that adequate for what I needed at the time. 

I am not sure whether that was to do with all the expectations and pressures that came with my education back then, but now I do finally feel ready to explore this medium a lot more.

That all probably sounds a bit bizarre, but the process of oil painting and took me right back to basics in a great way. Taking more time and attention to values in painting and trusting the process a lot more.

So present day I have decided to do a selection of paintings in oil and the exciting thing is I am not sure which pathway the subject matter will take me other than starting with a couple of portraits that includes this one pictured.

The painting is of a good artist friend of mine called Tim. Myself, Tim and other creatives in the North Warwickshire area meet up every other Wednesday for a Sketchclub. So I decided to do some sketches, studies and photos of the creatives for part of my oil painting exploration.

I am really enjoying the process so far and I can see a lot of advantages to acrylics. Oil has a lovely richness and flow that is hard to replicate in other mediums, it also makes you have more of a sense of planning where to place your values, steadily building layers. 

What’s exciting is this new sense of learning and I will update more as and when I complete each painting.

Art Sessions for Home Education, Warwickshire

 Recently I have some new art classes sessions for Home Educators. They will take place every Thursday mornings at my art studio in the Chilvers Coton Craft Centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Like with all the Children's and Adults sessions I run, I encourage person centred creativity, embracing everyone’s own way of mark making and outlook on how they visualise the world around them.

Contact me for more information.

Here is also a link for booking options.         Book a session here.

Windmill clip at Riversley Park, Nuneaton

 

Footage of my Bamboo Windmill Sculpture which was on display at the Imagine Bamboo day last year at Riversley Park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The artworks that were on either side of the mill formed the community art mill where members of the local community contributed their artwork.

Special thanks to filmmaker Chris Cuthbert for the footage and a thank you to the Creative Explorers project, NBBC and fellow local Artists Tim Franklin, Spencer Jenkins and Alisha Millar who also exhibited their bamboo sculptures on the day.

Plus my daughter who was an amazing help and support on the day.

YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram​ | Website | Art Station

To Book for Nuneaton Art Classes

To Book for Nottingham Art Classes

Life Drawing Session Dates

 I have finally put together a list of all the life drawing sessions that I will be hosting at the Wembrook Community Centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The sessions are on a Sunday evening once a month. It is on from 7-9pm and there will also be a longer session on the August 17th date from 4-9pm where there will be 2 models. 

All the dates are open to all beginners and improvers. Materials are provided if needed and Free parking. Tutoring is also available on request.

If you live in and around the area and would like to join in on one of our relaxing group sessions, feel free to contact me for more info and booking. 

YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram​ | Website | Art Station

To Book for Nuneaton Art Classes

To Book for Nottingham Art Classes

A new year and a re-emergence.

Happy New year to those who celebrate this period of the festive time. It has been a while since I have posted on here and yet I have been wanting to write something on many occasions recently. One reason being extremely distracted and busy with various projects at home and also within my work involving some slight changes in direction. 

A majority of my time has been establishing the art classes that I run between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. The other one involves a Bamboo Windmill which I will need a lot of time to process and write about. Not only has it been a journey of learning and discovery, but a whole new way of thinking in my approaches and understanding within the relationship of how we define everything in our society. Creativity is very powerful and can be used as a gradual habitual method of learning.

All will be revealed soon on here and on the separate Windmill Blog I set up for this particular ongoing journey.

In the meantime here is the first video I have set up on my new YouTube Channel. It is a sketch I created of Baxterley Windmill in North Warwickshire which is no longer standing. 

Charlotte Morwenna very kindly wrote this poem inspired by my sketch and is also a great introduction to what I will post soon.

YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram​ | Website | Art Station

To Book for Nuneaton Art Classes

To Book for Nottingham Art Classes

Art Classes and Life drawing sessions

For quite a few years now I have been facilitating and guiding many beginners and improvers on thier own creative journey. I currently hold them in both Nuneaton, Warwickshire and Sherwood in Nottingham. 

They are simply designed for people of all ages, where I try to encourage person centred learning and start their creative pathways within a friendly group environment where they can learn and share off each other without judgement or intimidation. 

A lot of people haven’t picked up a pencil since leaving school either because they were told they weren’t good enough or compared themselves to someone they thought was better. My ethos is to help people embrace their own individuality and discover their own version of mark making in a way that can help enrich confidence, wellbeing and a whole new creative outlook. 

I cover a range of themes alongside individual developments. I see myself as a guide rather than a teacher and with my experiences help you to find your own.

I also facilitate life drawing sessions currently at Wembrook Community Centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. These are open to all adults of all abilities and I am there on hand to guide if requested and host the evening.

All the sessions are pay as you go and you can book as and when it fits within your daily life.

Below are the links to find more info and to book a space:

Nuneaton: Adult and Children’s classes / Life drawing sessions

Nottingham: Adult classes

Other classes

I also provide separate one to one sessions / private art classes at my art studio / Art workshops.  Get in touch for more information.

Windmills and Watermills of Nuneaton and Bedworth for Sculpture commision

I am excited and proud to present weeks of historical research, designing and illustrating (still ongoing!) of the Windmills and Watermills that graced the areas of Nuneaton and Bedworth in North Warwickshire.

This is historical back up as part of a sculpture I have recently been commissioned to create for Nuneaton and Bedworth in which I will give more information on soon. Tuttle Hill Windmill was certainly not alone and this poster is the start of that journey to help breathe life back into the community of a time when artisan industries such as weaving, woodworking and blacksmithing and several other handmade methods were abundant prior to the onset of coal mining, and the age of steam during the Industrial Revolution. In short I hope to inspire and ignite a new sense of value in our community by….. ‘Blowing Creative Energy, Weaving new stories and Forging new relationships, Community and Collaboration”

For more information and updates on this project you can go to this page here:

Community Artmill Project

YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram​ | Website | Art Station

To Book for Nuneaton Art Classes

To Book for Nottingham Art Classes

Stained glass effect windows for a school workshop.

These Stained glass effect windows are the result of a day worth of art sessions I did with the year 6 children at Canons C of E Primary school in Bedworth, Warwickshire. Their topic was on the bombing of Coventry and the Cathedral during WW2. they also looked at the work of John Piper who created the stained glass work for what is now the new Coventry Cathedral. Each class of 30 kids produced one cell of artwork based off a demo that I gave. 

The result was me piecing together their work to make a wonderful montage in the style of a church window. They did an amazing job and it was a joy to watch how they all produced their version in the 1hr that they had to do it in.

#art #stainedglass #school #workshop #primaryschool #bedworth #coventry #learning #inspire #creativity #WW2 #coventrycathedral

You can connect with me on all the other social media platforms below: 

YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram​ | Website | Art Station

To Book for Nuneaton Art Classes

To Book for Nottingham Art Classes

A guide to your Drawing DNA

 

Above: Van Gogh’s work used as reference for the Drawing DNA method exercises. 

A Guide to Your Drawing DNA 

More Art Classes at my Studio Workshop

I now have an adult art class set up for a Monday daytime at my studio workshop as well as the children’s classes on a Saturday. Plus an adult art class and life drawing session at the Wembrook Community Centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Aside from that I also have the weekly Adults Art class in Sherwood, Nottingham. 

If you or anyone else you know would like to attend and you are a complete beginner or improver then message me for more details.

To Book for Nuneaton Classes

To Book for Nottingham Classes

Facilitating Summer in the Square Art workshops at the National Gallery, London

Well what can say! I had the huge honour of going over to London working with imagineer and help facilitate a free 3 day art workshop at the National Gallery. 

The gallery had installed a huge outdoor tent overlooking Trafalgar Square, housing many organised workshops over the course of the summer. 

We designed and built a bamboo sea stormed backdrop relating to the theme of an exhibition that was on going at the gallery. The painting in particular was ‘A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas’ by the artist Claude-Joseph Vernet.

Over the course of the 3 days we were in the presence of over 4000 children and adults of all ages and backgrounds that came through and tried their hand at drawing and making artworks based off ships, sea monsters and other sea related themes.

Our main aim was to embrace the idea that creating art is for everybody no matter what the age or background. The one thing that struck me the most was the interaction between parents and their children, feeding off each others energy and creating fun and engaging work.

It was an overwhelmingly emotional experience working with a fabulous team of helpers from the National gallery that witnessed so many people enjoying the sessions which was both rewarding and inspirational.

You can connect with me on all the other social media platforms below: 

YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Children’s Art Summer Workshops

I will be organising a few Children’s Art Workshops during the School summer holidays starting on the 28th July at my studio workshop, Chilvers Coton Craft Centre, Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

I have split it into two age ranges (though this is only a guide for parents or carers to decide which one is appropriate for their child.

Morning sessions: 5-7yrs, £15 for 1.5hrs.
Afternoon sessions: 8-12yrs, £20 for 2hrs.

All materials are provided. There is a cafe,
parking and toilets on the site. 

It is advised that your child wear old clothing in case of any glue or paint getting on them and bring a drink or snack for them just in case. 

Here is a timetable of what is on offer:-
28th Jul & 1st Aug - Maskmaking, 2nd & 3rd Aug - Printmaking, 17th & 18th - Model making.

To book a place for your child you can go here: Book a workshop.    

For more information and updates you can also join the Facebook group:

My new Art studio and art workshop for adults and children

My new Art studio and workshop opened yesterday at the Chilvers Coton Craft Centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The day started by doing small children’s art sessions.

My aim is to combine the workshops and classes for adults and children alongside creating and building on my own artwork.

If you or your child that would like to attend one of the workshops then message me for more info. There is a booking link on the website for more info.

 

Art Installations at the Godiva Fesitval

For a while now I have been involved in working with young people as part of the Transformations Project run by Imagineer Productions in Coventry. They are 16 - 30 year olds with a range of backgrounds, some Neuro Diverse, some with emotional difficulties and others who just need a little more guidance and direction on their own personal journey.

As a working artist I felt that I could help transfer the experiences and difficulties I myself have endured and used this to ignite and inspire young people to create their own path.

This cohort I have been assigned as lead artist to help deliver the participants concepts into full size structures and installations that are to be displayed at the Godiva Festival along with the help of other staff and support workers.

Art Classes for Adults & Children in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and Nottingham.

 Ants Art Classes Open to all beginners & improvers

In the Nottingham and Nuneaton, Warwickshire and surrounding areas.

For quite a few years now I have been hosting small art classes that are open to all complete beginners and improvers to help develop their creativity, motivation and confidence all within a friendly group setting. 

There is no set course structure but themes and prompts are used as a way for development. I am here to use my experience as a working artist to help you on your creative journey. Basic materials will be available if needed, plus tea / coffee provided.

Note: Very soon I’ll be restarting small kids art classes in Nuneaton, more details to follow soon.

Click here for a list of local art classes currently on offer

Facebook  Instagram  Twitter
Email: antsgreentree@gmail.com or Tel: 07962 865 453

Twitter Art Themed Hashtag

Back in 2012, someone pointed me in the direction of the Twitter hashtag #drawingaugust. The idea was to draw something every day or as and when you could throughout the month of August. It was such a motivational moment, because not only were you drawing, but also there was opportunity to see other peoples work, to share and give each other feedback. As long as you put the #drawingaugust hashtag in the post then other like-minded people would be able to view it.

When August drew to a close I decided to extend the idea and motivation of the hashtag to September and change the theme to #paintseptember. The whole idea of it became addictive, and all of a sudden a large body of work was appearing. So as each month went by I changed the theme to accommodate the different areas that everyone could have a go at. I also created the hashtag #thedailysketch so that it could be used for a sketch or drawing throughout the whole year.

The picture attached to this blog post is a visual guide to all the hashtags I have created including the #drawingaugust tag which started it all, created by fellow artists Dean Lewis @olderThanevil and Jean Stevens @CasperandMrP


Feel free to use them as and when you can, either on Twitter or Instagram.
More than anything be inspired & enjoy. Art is for everyone! :}>

Artwork for my musical Niece Tilly Greentree

Recently I have been working on some artwork for my very talented Niece, Tilly Greentree.
She is a 15-year-old singer-songwriter from Nottingham and has started writing some of her own songs. I decided to work on some artwork to help try and help promote a potential EP or Album she is currently working on. 

As part of her GCSE's she started writing material with her guitar and recorded it on her phone. Her songs have made it so far on the BBC Introducing website and played on BBC Radio Nottingham a couple of times. She is now taking part in a few competitions, one of which is to try and make the final to play at Rock City in Nottingham. 

If you would like to vote for her to stand a chance of getting in then you can do it here: https://fsn.nusic.org.uk you also need an email and phone number to confirm the vote. Deadline is 30th June 2018. Here is also a link to her music: Soundcloud if you want to check out her sound.

LIAN, Fantasy and Adventure Webcomic

Recently I have been working on a personal idea for a web-based comic strip. This came about from a couple inspirational situations from my daughters. Firstly it was due to sketching them over the years and secondly my daughters refueling my interest into the world of Superheroes and Comics. The Last time I was interested in this genre was when I was a kid. Going with my Father who took me to the Cinemas to see Superman starring Christopher Reeve and then Flash Gordon. But I also loved coming home from school every Friday Teatime to watch Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby's Incredible Hulk. Oh and let us not forget The Six Million Dollar Man! 

It wasn't until many years later that my daughter wanted to see Marvel Avengers at the Cinema. At first I was a little skeptical, but afterwards, I was hooked! So there started the rebirth of my love for the comics and superhero style movies, All through my time drawing and painting I never really considered working in a comic style sort of way. 

But now I have the idea of putting the two things together. Using my daughters as a reference to create my very own comic. I have never really dabbled in this way of working before, but for me, this is just a fun and challenging thing to do.

I came up with the idea of a girl called 'LIAN' who becomes mixed up in two parallel dimensions due to absorbing an unknown force that gives her permanent superhuman abilities... Ok so it may sound a little clichéd, but our whole life is full of repetition and routine, so I suppose it is up to myself to create a slightly different take on it.

I decided to start doodling some ideas loosely referencing my daughter as inspiration for the character. This is a huge learning curve for me already. There is one thing sketching, drawing and painting in the way I normally create, but it is a very different discipline to which I now realise I am at the beginning of this journey. The first hurdle was deciding to either go with the ink or pencil route. I looked online and there is a large debate about this, so in the end, I went with what I felt was right for this particular sort of comic.

The other hurdle was not just coming up with the character, but the storyline, drawing, drawing and more drawing! ha ha!! The drawing itself was an issue, asking questions to myself such as, "Is there a certain way I should draw?", "Do I follow a style?" In the end, I just went with a feel I was comfortable with and not to get too bogged down with what other people were doing. Saying that though, I am now educating myself on the various Marvel and DC comics out there and many independent comic creators which I am finding very inspirational.

Hopefully, I should have the first part of the comic up in late December or early January, so I will see how it goes, but one thing for sure is that it has refueled my passion for drawing even more!

To follow the webcomic you can click here: LIAN Webcomic

Mural at Coalville in the Park

Afternoon Mural at Party in the Park

This afternoon I was in Coalville, Leicestershire creating a mural for FiLiGi who is an organisation that helps young people improve their own futures. They were one of several gazebo and tents that made up the whole of the two day festival.

These type of murals are very spontaneous, and because of the short time (usually 4-5hrs)
I sketch down the events of the day through basic images and words that describe the feel. In the past I have done murals at conferences where I can see the speaker or activity straight away and describe the moment through drawing or keywords.

Because I was under a gazebo in the rain, I had no choice but to walk around for 20 mins and take quick snap shots of the day. From that I then put together a sort of painted montage and filled in the spaces with words that related to the atmosphere.

Today the surface was a canvas that was about the same size as a display roller banner and overall it took me around 4 hours to complete. Firstly I painted out the outline before filling in with colour. I have done quite a few of these smaller event murals and the one thing I love about doing them is the spontaneity. There is no plan when creating the murals, which for me adds to the rawness and captures a painted timeline of the day. People come and go to view it as I paint and they add their little contribution, either as an image idea or a keyword for me to include.

If you would like a mural of this kind producing at an event or conference etc, then let me know for more information.