Quietly Composed with Amanda J. Clayton
Monday 9th to Thursday 12th September 2024
I’m delighted to be welcoming Amanda into the studio in 2024. With a mostly neutral palette Amanda’s work explores the properties of cloth and stitch, creating elegant, often fragile, two-dimensional and three-dimensional compositions. With over 50 years experience as a working artist Amanda is an inspirational teacher.
You can find out more about Amanda and her work using these links -
http://www.facebook.com/amandajclaytonstitch
http://www.amandajclaytonstitch.co.uk
http://textileartist.org/?s=amanda + clayton
Workshop outline
CELEBRATING CLOTH AND STITCH
SPACE COMPOSITION PLACEMENT ARRANGEMENT APPLYING LAYERING SUSPENSION TRANSLUCENCY JOINING FRAGILITY RIGHT SIDE/WRONG SIDE INLAY SUBTLE SURFACE LINE RELATIONSHIP OF PAPER TO CLOTH RELATIONSHIP OF MARK TO STITCH
All issues to be rediscovered using traditional techniques as a starting point and as inspirations and beginnings………
The course ‘Quietly Composed’ is aimed at those artists, embroiderers’ and textile specialists in particular, who wish to explore observational starting points and develop personal ideas through cloth and hand stitch.
Enjoy the calming nature of hand stitch whilst absorbing the serendipity of composition, with a pared down palette of neutrals you will explore the techniques of cutwork, darning, applique, layering and inlay using transparent qualities as well as your favourite cloth qualities. You will work towards developing an individual series of work from your own visual language.
We will introduce or revisit the essential formal elements and discuss what we believe is meant when we ‘label’ work such as abstract, semi-representational, figurative, illustrative and primitive.
I believe that stripping down to bare formal elements can help us to understand ourselves, especially our likes and dislikes, and develop our own individual visual language.
Some embroiderers’ feel they have to draw but not necessarily know why. This course will offer prompts and strategies of how to ‘draw for a reason’ and become relevant to your creative practice. It will also open a dialogue of ‘what is drawing?’. I have strong philosophies formulated over 50 years of art practice. I am still learning and I love to share my personal ethos about linking paper to cloth qualities and the relationship of mark and stitch.
The course will encourage you to understand how these links and connections are made with your work and yourself….The course is not about producing one piece of work but reinforcing a process that you will revisit and adapt constantly after in your own studio.
Longer courses are more than a ‘learn a technique’ period. The course will give you time to focus on your strengths using a structured format in the first instance. More generically we will be:
-interpreting and selecting from source
-exploring a sequence of ideas
-reinforcing your own visual language
-strengthening personal decision making
-developing work in series
-interacting with others in the group and learning how we all process information in different ways
and of course enjoying the creative time that we have identified for ourselves without distraction.
With a maximum of 6 students you’ll get lots of one to one support from Amanda. The workshops will run from 10am to 4pm each day with the studio opening at 9.30am and closing at 4.30pm. A requirements list will be provided on booking.
The total cost for the course is £420. A deposit of £120 is payable on booking. The remaining £300 will be payable 6 weeks before the course start date. The cost includes hot and cold drinks and biscuits. You will need to provide your own lunch but there is a fridge and microwave in the studio.
Cancellation policy: This workshop will only run if 5 or more people enrol. If there is a shortfall you will receive a full refund. And you will, of course, receive a full refund if I cancel the course. However please be aware that your deposit will not be refunded if you cancel more than 6 weeks before the workshop unless your place can be filled. If you cancel less than 6 weeks before the workshop you will be liable for the full fee unless your place can be filled.
