… The Visual Arts …

Let’s allow our hands to take us on a journey

Let’s make MAGIC

Artesanal

There is something so beautiful and authentic in artesanal products. How many of us when we travel abroad look for those artefacts, ornaments and gifts to take home from the market? The labour behind any artesanal product is long and enduring. From a candle to a rug, every piece has it’s story.

The Digital Era

In recent years there has a been a boom in the way we see and interpret the world we inhabit. That in large part can be deduced to advances in technology. From the creation of emojis to GIFs to digital drawing and with the existence of mapping and animation that goes above and beyond, it seems the possibilities are never-ending.

Cinema

Drawing

Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Frida Kahlo are just some of the artists known across the world for their works in visual art.

Let’s get the drawing on the go and we may be surprised. Making the time is the hardest part. A few hours one afternoon on a rainy day in our living room, a visit to the local park or a bench in the street, anywhere that gives us inspiration is great. We don’t need to be a professional or perfect, even just a 5 minute doodle in the back of a notepad is a start.

With access to so many materials in books and on the web there really is no stopping us from learning or improving our skills in drawing.

Sculpture

Michelangelo is possibly one of the most famous figures in the world of sculpture for his masterpiece ‘David’ which now stands in the Accademia Gallery of Florence, Italy. The history of sculpture is a fascinating one with roots in Ancient Greece, Africa, India and across the globe. Styles by country, continent and culture have witnessed change. The oldest statue known to man is the Löwenmensch of the Swabian Alps, Germany.

From clay modelling to marble sculptures to ceramics sculpture has great possibilities. It´s easy to get your hands stuck in.

Photography

Behind every photo exists a tale. What did the photographer see when they took the photo? Where does the light fall on the object? What is the message in the photograph? And the observations continue. Photography permits the eye to see things that it possibly didn’t see before. The world of photography is truly forever expanding.

From black and whites, to pinhole to landscape and portrait photography the categories are never ending. Some famous names you can look up are Robert Frank, Annie Liebovitz and Cindy Sherman.

Painting & Colouring

Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso are very well known in the painting world but we don’t need to be artists to paint.

Let’s grab some pencils, oil pastels, some old paints, anything really and let’s put that image on the paper. We can have so much fun with colours in the way that seems right for us.

There are so many books available today and a large quantity of videos on YouTube. If you feel inspired, why wait any longer?

Sewing

Have you ever considered that your clothes are made by someone somewhere in a factory? Long and laborious hours behind a machine allow our clothing needs to be met.

Before the mass production of clothes, between families clothes used to be sewed or knitted. In many cultures and traditions this is still the way. By making our own clothes in tribes or societies we can recognise each other. There are often distinguishing designs or colours depending on the position one holds in society, in the family, their age, or their gender.

Getting into sewing, knitting or cross-stitch may be rather an acquired taste rather like whiskey. But the benefits of taking part in the activity can be rewarding. Didn’t our (Great) Grandparents ever tell us about the days of darning socks?