Fairlight Cove artist Anna Wilson-Patterson is running a summer art school on Thursday mornings 10:30am – 1pm during August. A drawing and painting class for adults based at The Bale House visitor centre, Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve.
A qualified art teacher and well-known painter of local coastal scenes often featuring rescue greyhounds, Anna says: “The 853 acre site offers a wealth of subjects. We’ll be working outdoors on the clifftop taking inspiration from the gorse and ferns, ponies and cattle, the coastguard cottages and views across Warren Glen and east towards Dungeness. In the unlikely event of wet weather we can work indoors looking out through the vast windows, guided by the local wildlife and whatever’s happening on the day.”
Anna met the manager Sue Learoyd-Smith earlier this year and the summer art school is one of many creative events now taking place at the Bale House, a unique visitor centre built from sustainable materials such as straw bales which opened in 2021. With lots of seating indoors and out, the venue also hosts a café called ‘The Grumpy Cook’.
The five art lessons making up the course are for adults of all skill levels to try their hand at drawing and painting, working outdoors. It’s aimed at people who want to draw and paint regularly. Students should bring their own materials and paper to produce a body of work inspired by the nature reserve. Having spent the day on the clifftop they’ll be able to build momentum to regularly draw and paint at home.
After the introductory lesson, additional resources will be sent to students via email, such as art videos to watch online, books to share and drawing homework.
The full course costs £150 and places must be booked and paid for in advance at the information desk at the Bale House.
For enquiries about the venue please email Sue at sue.learoydsmith@groundwork.org.uk, for enquiries about lesson content please email Anna at anna.wilsonpatterson@gmail.com.
Image Credits: Anna Wilson-Patterson .