Southey Works
Keswick
CA12 5NG
Alex Spencer
Telephone: 017687 73626
Email: kes_museum@acco.com
Web: http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk
Visit Keswick, in the Lake District, the home of the first pencil, and the Cumberland Pencil Company, the home of pencil perfection since 1832.
Enter the Museum through a replica of the Seathwaite mine where graphite was first discovered 350 years ago. Through words, pictures and carefully restored machinery you can trace the history of pencil making and see how we make Derwent Fine Art pencils today. A quiz for children makes the whole visit an adventure and discovery. The video theatre shows two presentations, and be amazed at the Worlds Longest Pencil. Other displays demonstrate the uses of pencils, with helpful hints and tips for budding artists. There is a children's
area where they can “have a go” with different pencils and crayons and a shop that sells the full range of Derwent pencils.
Opening Times:- 9.30am - 4pm Last admission 7 days a week
Closed 25th and 26th December and 1st January
Special rates for groups and coach parties
The Museum is an all weather activity for all the Family
EVENTS
20th & 21st April 2010
FREE Demonstration event. Please take a ticket from reception which entitles you to one hours FREE tuition from Professional Artist Wynne Barnes. Demonstrations run between 10am until 4pm.
5th & 6th May 2010
FREE Demonstration event. Wynne will be developing on from her previous demonstrations by using Inktense Pencils combined with Gold Embellishment to further enhance the finished product. Demonstrations run between 10am until 4pm.
11th & 12th May
FREE Demonstration event. This is drawing at its most natural, both in the exquisite colour range and the creative potential of this unique and rewarding pencil. Drawing Pencils have an extra wide, creamy textured strip which produces a beautifully soft, velvety finish. It is the perfect medium for wildlife and nature studies, natural portraiture and dreamy, evocative landscapes.
13th May 2010
Tuition Workshop - Fur and Feathers in Colour with Joanne Kell
Workshops run between 10.30am – 4.30pm. £40 per person per workshop. A 10% discount is offered for any two or more workshops booked at any one time
18th & 19th May 2010
FREE Demonstration event. Nothing beats the colourful brilliance of pastels but they’re not the easiest medium to use. However you can now enjoy all the beauty of pastel in a convenient, non-messy form. Derwent woodcased Pastel Pencils have a soft, powdery texture which produces a velvety smooth finish, ideal for mixing and blending. Please collect a ticket from reception which entitles you to one hour's FREE tuition.
20th May 2010
Tuition Workshop - Creative Textures in Pastel with Jenny Hill. his workshop is suitable for beginners and intermidiate levels, who wish to learn the basics in Pastel Pencils. Jenny will spend the whole day guiding you through pastel papers, coloured backgrounds, pencil block work, and gradually adding in quick techniques to create a picture. Workshops run between 10.30am – 4.30pm. £40 per person per workshop.
25th & 26th May 2010
FREE Demonstration event. Watercolour Pencils are easy and convenient to use, paints a little less so. Derwent's Watercolour Pencil, is a high quality colour pencil that you can paint with as well, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Derwent Watercolour can be used wet or dry, on wet or dry paper, to achieve a wide variety of effects. It comes in 72 classic colours, which retain their full intensity however you use them. For sheer versatility, Derwent Watercolour is unmatched.
Tony Hogan will be offering FREE demonstrations using a combination of both Pencils. Please collect a ticket from reception which entitles you to one hour's FREE tuition.
27th May 2010
Tuition Workshop - Coastal Seascapes in Watercolour and Inktense with Tony Hogan. his inspiring and creative topic, “Coastal Seascapes” will allow you to experiment wet on wet and wet on dry, using a selection of watercolour accessories and tools to enhance and develop your picture. Tony is a Professional full time Artist who has worked with Derwent for years, and so is incredibly knowledgeable on all the tricks of the trade and will ease you through the day.
Workshops run between 10.30am – 4.30pm. £40 per person per workshop.
30th May to 26th June 2010
he UK Coloured Pencil Society was founded in 2001 with two main aims in mind - to promote coloured pencils as a fine art medium, and to support UK based artists who use, or wish to use, coloured pencils, in any way.
This is a member’s only exhibition, it is not a juried exhibition, pictures are selected on a ballot basis, giving all members the possibility of entry. This means that it reflects the range of abilities within the Society, from beginners to professionals. Beginners are encouraged to enter and there is an award specifically for this group. It caters also for those artists who combine coloured pencils with other media. Pictures can be pure coloured pencil, or may use other media as long as coloured pencils are the main medium.
A great opportunity to see some of the finest coloured pencil work in the UK.
Only a short walk from Keswick town centre. Walk down the main street from the Tourist Information Centre following the fingerposts. Continue straight on, then turn right immediately prior to the road bridge over the River Greta. The Museum is on your left, just before the pencil factory.
