Art classes at the beach

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Artist Anna Wilson-Patterson is launching a series of drawing and painting classes for adults at the former Gopsall Pottery on Morlais Ridge in Winchelsea Beach.

A qualified art teacher and well-known painter of local coastal scenes often featuring her rescue greyhounds, Anna says:

“The two acre rustic and tranquil site offers a wealth of subjects for inspiration. It has two cosy cottages with beds covered in Welsh blankets and patchwork quilts. The walls are filled with oil paintings, bookshelves and lit by lamps. A range of still lifes inspired by the painter Winifred Nicholson, along with Shakespearean sonnets or the colours of seasonal flora are displayed in Gopsall pots on every windowsill. Outdoors there are barns, sheds, caravans and hundreds of trees, with plenty of local wildlife.”

Anna met the potter Mike Crosby-Jones together with his wife, Margot, when they visited her Open Studio in Fairlight in 2013. Sadly Mike died the following year, however Anna kept in touch with Margot, an artist and calligrapher, as they often exhibit in the same local galleries. Last year they hatched a plan to run art classes together.

At the front of the property is Dot Cottage, used for many years as a Norwegian writers’ retreat, so the new art classes build on this idea of offering opportunities for creative people to come together.

For those who would like a day out, there are classes on the first Saturday of the month, where adults of all skill levels can try their hand at drawing and painting, usually starting by looking at the working methods of artists as inspiration, before choosing a subject for their day.

On the first Wednesday of each month is the year long course for those who want to draw and paint regularly. Students will produce a body of work inspired by the place, plus build momentum for them to regularly draw and paint at home, having been inspired by their day at the pottery. There will be films to watch online, books to share and drawing homework.

Classes cost £50 per day including lunch and basic art materials. Places must be booked in advance.

To join the mailing list or book please email Anna at anna.wilsonpatterson@gmail.com

Image Credits: Alun Callendaer .

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