Banish the Bloody Boring Still Life - 6 week block of classes

Banish the Bloody Boring Still Life

Creating exciting, vibrant, colourful still life paintings

DATES: Wednesdays 4th, 11th, 18th** February + 11th, 18th, 25th March
VENUE: Craigie Village Hall, KA1 5LY
TIME: 10am - 12 noon

**please note change of time & venue - Wednesday 18th February class will be 1-3pm at the Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine**

Forget polite plates and apologetic rotting apples.

This 6-week block of weekly classes is all about shaking still life awake and turning it into something bold, playful, energetic and full of life.

We’ll hunker down in the bleakest of months and do the exact opposite – playing with colour, pattern, composition and movement to create still life paintings that excite you rather than bore you stiff.

Over six sessions, you’ll be guided step by step from loose, expressive beginnings through to a confident final still life painting (or paintings), using whatever medium you love most.

What we’ll cover

Week 1 – Mark-making & Drawing with Movement
We kick off fast and loose. Big charcoal drawings, all angles, lots of movement. No preciousness. No overthinking. Just energy and fun.

Week 2 – Tonal Painting
Stripping things back to light, dark and contrast to build strong foundations and confident forms.

Week 3 – Dynamic Composition
Cropping, scale, drama and decision-making. How to create still lifes that feel alive and intentional.

Week 4 – Exciting Colour Combinations
Colour that sings. Unexpected pairings, pattern, mood and pushing beyond the obvious.

Weeks 5 + 6 – Your Final Still Life
Pulling everything together to create your own finished still life painting(s), in the medium of your choice, using all the tools and confidence built over the first four weeks.

Materials

Some materials are provided.
Week 1 is fully supplied, and we’ll chat through everything you’ll need for the following weeks.

Basic materials you’ll need for the course:

• Gouache, watercolours or acrylics

• A selection of mark-making tools – charcoal, oil pastels, Caran d’Ache, pastels, felt pens… anything you love using

• Surfaces: sketchbook or loose paper for Weeks 2–4, and a painting surface for Weeks 5–6 (depending on your chosen medium)
  

• An A2 drawing board or large firm surface 

What to expect

• Clear guidance without being over-directed

• Plenty of freedom to explore and experiment

• Supportive, relaxed teaching

• No pressure to be perfect

• Absolutely no boring still lifes

• This is NOT your standard sedate art class ;) - classes will be lively, challenging and fun - if you want a quiet calm art class, this one is not for you!

If you’re ready to ditch the dull, bin the beige, trust your instincts and make still life work that feels playful, expressive and properly you, this block is for you.

Suitable for ANY level from beginners to seasoned pros