Quirky Workshops at Greystoke Craft Garden and Barns is a unique creative venue offering an inspiring range of art, craft and heritage workshops from a C17th listed farmhouse in the pretty village of Greystoke. We're placed 5 miles equidistantly from Penrith, Eden Valley & Ullswater, on the northern fringes of the Lake District, west of Penrith, in beautiful Cumbria, north west England. We have been running around 1440 craft courses each year, since 2005.

During the lockdown of May 2020, we renovated an old hay loft and now host the majority our indoor courses and workshops in this wonderful, new, light, airy and spacious studio - 'the Swallow Barn’ ; although some tutors still prefer the cosy atmosphere and ground floor easy access nature of the original studio,  'Squirrel Barn'. Many of the courses (especially art and calligraphy) feature live streaming of tutor demos onto a large screen at the front, allowing students to watch closely, whilst seated at their desks. This practice was started during Covid but has been continued as very helpful with many workshops.

Please see our website https://www.quirkyworkshops.co.uk/quirky-workshops-cumbria for full details of upcoming courses in date order.

Workshop days are relaxing, friendly and informal. They are delivered by hand picked professional and  or expert tutors, many leaders in their chosen fields. Students often travel considerable distances to take part, staying in this lovely village of Greystoke or finding somewhere special close by   . . .Keswick, Ullswater, Penrith and the Eden Valley are all within easy driving distance. 

One, two or three day courses in:

• stone carving (relief or letter carving),  wood carving, bird whittling, spoon carving, willow weaving and rush basket making.

• Lino cut printing, Fused glass, Stained Glass panels and Stained Glass mirrors, Sterling Silver jewellery and Silver Ring making courses, Porcelain plates and vases, and inspiring Mosaics
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• Many textile courses including weaving, Needle felting Garden Bird pictures (robin/blue tit/wren) , Herdwick sheep and Pet Portraits, Felt art,  Paint Print and Stitch, Felt Slippers, Ecoprinting, Leather Bag making, Learn to Spin and Lampshade Making, 'Hole House' bag making,
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• Art courses : Introduction to Pen and Wash , Discovering Watercolours , Botanical and Wildlife illustration, Art courses with John Harrison, Frances Winder, Lyn Evans, Margaret Jarvis, Roy Simmons, Lis Bramwell,  Calligraphy with Claire of byMoonandTide (our live streamed onto a large screen is especially useful for this course .. no more struggling to see the tutor demo close up from the back of the group!)

All day courses include tasty homemade lunch, fresh coffees and Aga cream teas. Drinks are served at desks do students may continue working Lunches to be taken at desks or in the garden during summer months.

Our workshop days are popular as gifts for special occasions. Quirky Open Vouchers make perfect and original presents and mean a lovely day can be shared together if preferred. Our Christmas Open vouchers are especially popular. 

A full list of our courses can be found at https://www.quirkyworkshops.co.uk/quirky-workshops-cumbria or please phone 017684 83984

We look forward to welcoming you here in Greystoke!

Location

We are in the picturesque village of Greystoke, just 5 miles west of Penrith/Junction 40 of the M6 and a few miles north of the A66 and Ullswater. Keswick is approx 15 minutes further west

Greystoke boasts several B B's, as well as self catering options and has its own website greystokevillage.co.uk  We have  a playing field, an outdoor heated swimming pool open from June through to August, a Castle,  a church, a shop and post office and a cosy pub serving evening meals.

Learn to Draw mornings Series of 3 Thursday mornings ~ Lyn Evans

'How to Draw' with Lyn Evans

Drawing is a skill that can be taught to anyone. You need very little to begin — just a few simple tools, a comfortable place to sit, and a time and opportunity to properly focus.

For painters, drawing is a vital foundation. I look forward to sharing techniques that will help your drawings come to life while deepening your understanding of value, composition, and perspective, all of which are essential to creating strong, confident artwork.

Each session begins with a brief demonstration, followed by time to practice. We’ll start with accessible subjects such as a small landscape, an apple, or a flower, and explore different materials — from pens and sticks to biros. Later in the course, we’ll also work with charcoal to expand your range of mark-making.

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Learn to Draw mornings Series of 3 Thursday mornings ~ Lyn Evans

 Thur 19 Feb ~  Thur 26 Feb  ~  Thur 5 March 2026

'How to Draw' with Lyn Evans

Drawing is a skill that can be taught to anyone. You need very little to begin — just a few simple tools, a comfortable place to sit, and a time and opportunity to properly focus.

For painters, drawing is a vital foundation. I look forward to sharing techniques that will help your drawings come to life while deepening your understanding of value, composition, and perspective, all of which are essential to creating strong, confident artwork.

Each session begins with a brief demonstration, followed by time to practice. We’ll start with accessible subjects such as a small landscape, an apple, or a flower, and explore different materials — from pens and sticks to biros. Later in the course, we’ll also work with charcoal to expand your range of mark-making.

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Ceramic Hare Sculptures with Mark Bradley

Sculpt your own beautiful seated Ceramic Hare, with Mark Bradley 

New for 2025 we're really pleased to welcome Mark and this exciting ceramic Hare workshop to the Quirky Programme.

Enjoy a busy and absorbing day being guided through the many processes involved in creating these amazing Hares. You can choose whether your Hare is moon gazing with ears back, or positioned up, ears alert listening for danger. Each Hare will be unique, with its own quirks and personality - and towards the end of the class you can choose to create a smoother finish for it, or more textured as in the main photo -  or any permutation in between. The choice is yours.  

Mark will provide all the equipment and materials needed to create your lovely sculpture in just one day -  you only need to bring along shirt or apron to protect your clothes and your materials money below.  Once finish the Hares will be carefully transported back to Mark studio to be slowly air dried. After a few weeks they will be ready for bisque firing, and then Mark will apply  - if you wish - the various oxides to highlight the ears and tails particularly, before firing a second time.

The colouring is with oxides, students can choose to skip this stage if they wish, and Mark can return them either bisque, or fired twice, which turns the clay into stoneware.

The Hares will hopefully be ready for collection back at Greystoke within 3 to 4 weeks of the class. Sometimes, in damp conditions, this can take take longer.

This course will usually take place in the ground floor Squirrel Barn with three steps up from the gravel driveway.

This class is suitable for every standard of student from beginners upwards.  The Hares are frostproof and suitable for the garden. 

* NOTE : As fans of 'Pottery Throwdown'  know well - putting anything into the hands of the 'kiln gods' is a risk.  They're an unpredictable lot, and sometimes things go wrong and carefully sculpted pieces can be damaged with small cracks appearing during the firing process.  Or badly wrong even - very occasionally pieces may even explode!  If breakages occur, repairs will of course be attempted.   Although rare, students should understand this is 'part and parcel' of working with Ceramics and kilns, and there is no guarantee their workshop piece will turn out perfect or in tact.   

Dates for this course - see the table below to book:

 * Fri 28 November 2025(full)    Saturday 29th November 2025  **new**  ~ Saturday 7th March ~  Thurs 9th April 2026 ~ Friday 10th April 2026 ~ Friday 10th July 2026 (2026 dates bookable from Nov 3rd '25) 

Typically this course runs with around  6-7 students. 

Please bring:  Please bring your £45 materials money in cash which covers all materials, tutor costs and tutor time, both pre and post workshop. Students also need to bring something to protect their clothes.

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'Gardening for the Terrified' short course with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman.

9.30am to 12.30am or 1.30pm to 4.30pm 

£40 inc. fresh coffee/ home made biscuits inc

 

 'Gardening for the Terrified'  with Cumbrian Based lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman, Shelagh Todd.

 This gardening course is designed for absolute beginners and you will find out all you ever wanted to know about gardening - but were perhaps too embarrassed or afraid to ask.

Shelagh will  cover a range of gardening topics to allow you to leave the course feeling confident & inspired to work in your own outdoor space.

Topics covered will include

• Getting to know your space. Every space is different and needs to be treated differently
• Selecting plants for your garden. Commonly referred to by gardeners as “the right plant for the right place”
• The practicalities of creating & maintaining your outdoor space

 We will explore the garden created over 20 years at Poplin Dub to gather ideas on successful planting combinations, practical layouts, how you use the garden to fulfil your individual needs and ultimately allow you to take away practical & creative ideas to use in your garden.

And finally you will leave the course discovering gardening is fun & rewarding.

Bring along on the day

• A few photos of your outdoor space
• A small bag or jar of your garden soil
• Please bring along photos or live specimens of ornamental plants in your garden to allow Shelagh to help you identify them
• If you have a weed problem in garden please bring a sample along & Shelagh will give you tips on how to control them

 Shelagh is widely known and highly respected throughout Cumbria's gardening fraternity. She has been both the familiar face, and  'lead' of Horticulture at Newton Rigg for well over 30 years, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our 2025 Quirky programme. She brings a wealth of gardening expertise and teaching experience, which over the years, will have gently inspired (literally) thousands of 'would-be gardeners’ to create and nurture their own individual outdoor spaces.

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'Gardening for the Terrified' short course with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman.

9.30am to 12.30am or 1.30pm to 4.30pm 

£40 inc. fresh coffee/ home made biscuits inc

 

 'Gardening for the Terrified'  with Cumbrian Based lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman, Shelagh Todd.

 This gardening course is designed for absolute beginners and you will find out all you ever wanted to know about gardening - but were perhaps too embarrassed or afraid to ask.

Shelagh will  cover a range of gardening topics to allow you to leave the course feeling confident & inspired to work in your own outdoor space.

Topics covered will include

• Getting to know your space. Every space is different and needs to be treated differently
• Selecting plants for your garden. Commonly referred to by gardeners as “the right plant for the right place”
• The practicalities of creating & maintaining your outdoor space

 We will explore the garden created over 20 years at Poplin Dub to gather ideas on successful planting combinations, practical layouts, how you use the garden to fulfil your individual needs and ultimately allow you to take away practical & creative ideas to use in your garden.

And finally you will leave the course discovering gardening is fun & rewarding.

Bring along on the day

• A few photos of your outdoor space
• A small bag or jar of your garden soil
• Please bring along photos or live specimens of ornamental plants in your garden to allow Shelagh to help you identify them
• If you have a weed problem in garden please bring a sample along & Shelagh will give you tips on how to control them

 Shelagh is widely known and highly respected throughout Cumbria's gardening fraternity. She has been both the familiar face, and  'lead' of Horticulture at Newton Rigg for well over 30 years, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our 2025 Quirky programme. She brings a wealth of gardening expertise and teaching experience, which over the years, will have gently inspired (literally) thousands of 'would-be gardeners’ to create and nurture their own individual outdoor spaces.

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'Gorgeously Swirly Calligraphy' with Claire from by Moon and Tide

Create beautiful lettering using 'Gorgeously Swirly Calligraphy' - with Claire from By Moon and TideDiscover the joy of lettering at this modern calligraphy workshop, perfect for absolute beginners.  

You’ll learn how to use a traditional dippy ink pot and old-fashioned calligraphy nibs to create beautiful, playful lettering in a relaxed and inspiring setting.

Each booking includes your own pen, nib, and ink to take home after the class!

Led by our friendly and experienced tutor Claire, this calligraphy workshop will show you how to get the very best from your tools. You’ll start with swoops and swirls to build confidence, then follow easy templates to progress to simple letters and playful techniques to create your own piece of elegant modern calligraphy art.

 Whether you’re an absolute beginner or have tried calligraphy before, you’ll find this workshop welcoming, creative, and lots of fun.

10.00am-12.30pm  OR  1.30pm to 4.00pm

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'Impressionist sketching - light effects in oil pastels' with Roy Simmons

 

Impressionist sketching; light effects in oil pastel with Roy Simmons ...  Beginners and intermediates.

The French impressionists changed art, just about everyone agrees on that. What interests me is how they worked in colour to create those memorable paintings. In your resource pack will be a number of reproductions of impressionist paintings. We will discuss them, and find ways to use the effects and colour designs in our own work. A little Colour theory, a lot of fun! Our first oil pastel painting will be a copy of a Claude Monet painting, I will demonstrate and you will follow along, step by step. We will try to think like Monet! Then we will make paintings based on these techniques, bringing impressionist ideas into our work, initially ‘borrowing’ their light and colour effects. Then using our own design ideas, to make colourful and dramatic paintings.

We will start with a 'loosening up' sketch, this will introduce my way of working. On this course each student will produce at least two paintings (but that is not a rule)!
All materials and instruction provided, you will take home a mounted painting at the end of the day

10.00am – 4.00pm
£80 Lunch included
Material Charges: £8 everything is provided

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'Needle Felted Portrait of "The Highland Cow" with Helen Hammond

Needle Felted Portraits . . 'The Highland Cow' with Helen Hammond

Spend a lovely day being guided through how to make this very popular breed 'The Highland Cow' using the needle felting process. The piece will have a slightly sculpted low relief appearance, subtly enhancing the natural features and once mounted, will give the appearance of almost escaping from the frame.  If you like the idea of something a bit different, Helen wil show you have to add a long curly tongue aswell!

You will be using a variety of natural wool fibres and Helen will teach you all about needle felting and how to blend your fibre colours. You will be using specialist needle felting needles (not sewing needles) for this purpose. These specialist tools/ needles are designed to entangle, compact, control and shape the soft carded wool fibres into firm felted pieces. It is a slow and very therapeutic process.

Helen will provide suitable images to encourage individual observational skills to support  your creation of this beautiful sheep portrait for you to take home displayed in a supplied deep box frame. Helen loves to inspire and shares her passion for both needlefelting and Cumbria.

All reference images will be provided and will form an important part of your working process.  This course is suitable for all abilities including beginners. This is a dry felted process and a 'clean' method of working. No aprons or gloves are required.  However, please bring plasters!  

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Spring in Bloom: First Steps in Watercolour ~ Tulips - with Lis Bramwell

Come and join lovely local artist tutor Lis Bramwell for a fun, relaxed half day workshop and take your first steps with Watercolours painting some of our loveliest Spring blooms.

We will be painting a clump of welcome Spring Snowdrops in the morning session, followed by tulips in the afternoon session or choose to stay for the full day and we will include a tasty home made lunch.

Lis is an experienced tutor who will guide you step by step, through observational drawing and watercolour techniques using demonstration and individual tuition.  Along the way you will be creating your own unique painting and stepping into the world of the watercolour artist for just a few hours of relaxing and creative Botanicals.  

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Ceramic Hare Sculptures with Mark Bradley

Sculpt your own beautiful seated Ceramic Hare, with Mark Bradley 

New for 2025 we're really pleased to welcome Mark and this exciting ceramic Hare workshop to the Quirky Programme.

Enjoy a busy and absorbing day being guided through the many processes involved in creating these amazing Hares. You can choose whether your Hare is moon gazing with ears back, or positioned up, ears alert listening for danger. Each Hare will be unique, with its own quirks and personality - and towards the end of the class you can choose to create a smoother finish for it, or more textured as in the main photo -  or any permutation in between. The choice is yours.  

Mark will provide all the equipment and materials needed to create your lovely sculpture in just one day -  you only need to bring along shirt or apron to protect your clothes and your materials money below.  Once finish the Hares will be carefully transported back to Mark studio to be slowly air dried. After a few weeks they will be ready for bisque firing, and then Mark will apply  - if you wish - the various oxides to highlight the ears and tails particularly, before firing a second time.

The colouring is with oxides, students can choose to skip this stage if they wish, and Mark can return them either bisque, or fired twice, which turns the clay into stoneware.

The Hares will hopefully be ready for collection back at Greystoke within 3 to 4 weeks of the class. Sometimes, in damp conditions, this can take take longer.

This course will usually take place in the ground floor Squirrel Barn with three steps up from the gravel driveway.

This class is suitable for every standard of student from beginners upwards.  The Hares are frostproof and suitable for the garden. 

* NOTE : As fans of 'Pottery Throwdown'  know well - putting anything into the hands of the 'kiln gods' is a risk.  They're an unpredictable lot, and sometimes things go wrong and carefully sculpted pieces can be damaged with small cracks appearing during the firing process.  Or badly wrong even - very occasionally pieces may even explode!  If breakages occur, repairs will of course be attempted.   Although rare, students should understand this is 'part and parcel' of working with Ceramics and kilns, and there is no guarantee their workshop piece will turn out perfect or in tact.   

Dates for this course - see the table below to book:

 * Fri 28 November 2025(full)    Saturday 29th November 2025  **new**  ~ Saturday 7th March ~  Thurs 9th April 2026 ~ Friday 10th April 2026 ~ Friday 10th July 2026 (2026 dates bookable from Nov 3rd '25) 

Typically this course runs with around  6-7 students. 

Please bring:  Please bring your £45 materials money in cash which covers all materials, tutor costs and tutor time, both pre and post workshop. Students also need to bring something to protect their clothes.

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Ceramic Hare Sculptures with Mark Bradley

Sculpt your own beautiful seated Ceramic Hare, with Mark Bradley 

New for 2025 we're really pleased to welcome Mark and this exciting ceramic Hare workshop to the Quirky Programme.

Enjoy a busy and absorbing day being guided through the many processes involved in creating these amazing Hares. You can choose whether your Hare is moon gazing with ears back, or positioned up, ears alert listening for danger. Each Hare will be unique, with its own quirks and personality - and towards the end of the class you can choose to create a smoother finish for it, or more textured as in the main photo -  or any permutation in between. The choice is yours.  

Mark will provide all the equipment and materials needed to create your lovely sculpture in just one day -  you only need to bring along shirt or apron to protect your clothes and your materials money below.  Once finish the Hares will be carefully transported back to Mark studio to be slowly air dried. After a few weeks they will be ready for bisque firing, and then Mark will apply  - if you wish - the various oxides to highlight the ears and tails particularly, before firing a second time.

The colouring is with oxides, students can choose to skip this stage if they wish, and Mark can return them either bisque, or fired twice, which turns the clay into stoneware.

The Hares will hopefully be ready for collection back at Greystoke within 3 to 4 weeks of the class. Sometimes, in damp conditions, this can take take longer.

This course will usually take place in the ground floor Squirrel Barn with three steps up from the gravel driveway.

This class is suitable for every standard of student from beginners upwards.  The Hares are frostproof and suitable for the garden. 

* NOTE : As fans of 'Pottery Throwdown'  know well - putting anything into the hands of the 'kiln gods' is a risk.  They're an unpredictable lot, and sometimes things go wrong and carefully sculpted pieces can be damaged with small cracks appearing during the firing process.  Or badly wrong even - very occasionally pieces may even explode!  If breakages occur, repairs will of course be attempted.   Although rare, students should understand this is 'part and parcel' of working with Ceramics and kilns, and there is no guarantee their workshop piece will turn out perfect or in tact.   

Dates for this course - see the table below to book:

 * Fri 28 November 2025(full)    Saturday 29th November 2025  **new**  ~ Saturday 7th March ~  Thurs 9th April 2026 ~ Friday 10th April 2026 ~ Friday 10th July 2026 (2026 dates bookable from Nov 3rd '25) 

Typically this course runs with around  6-7 students. 

Please bring:  Please bring your £45 materials money in cash which covers all materials, tutor costs and tutor time, both pre and post workshop. Students also need to bring something to protect their clothes.

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Signs of Spring' Simple Watercolours for Beginners ~ Carla Gebhard

Join this delightful artist and illustrator,  Carla Gebhard for a lovely, relaxing watercolour workshop, perfect for beginners and anyone looking to unwind through creativity.

Inspired by the signs of spring in nature, think wild daffodils, bluebells, bird eggs, and little buzzing bees. Carla’s workshop invites you to slow down, loosen up, and explore the joyful, unpredictable beauty of watercolour painting.

She encourages you to embrace the 'happy accidents’ and to let go of perfectionism. This mindful, freeing way of painting helps you relax, express yourself, and let your creativity blossom.

Here's what you can expect during the workshop -


 
The 3-hour session will be split into two parts. In the first two hours, we'll focus on warming up, relaxing your wrist (and mind) and getting comfortable with the paints. During this time, you'll paint at least three small practice paintings, using them to explore and play with the paints at a relaxed pace while creating lovely pieces of art.

After this, we'll take a short break for cake and coffee, giving you time to think about what you'd like to paint for your ‘final piece’.

The last hour will be dedicated to putting your newfound skills into practice as you continue to relax and paint your final spring-inspired masterpiece.

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Firing pottery 'In The Raku Style' with Bob and Denise Park

Come and enjoy an exciting workshop experimenting in this ancient Japanese RAKU technique of glazing and firing pottery.

Exciting and fast moving, using heat, sawdust, fire and smoky bins, this stunning firing technique is irresistible and very much in vogue.

 Raku firing is unique and one of the most dramatic and exciting ways to fire pottery. It was developed in Japan in the 16th century for the Japanese tea ceremony. The pieces are glazed with copper based glazes, dried and put directly into a hot kiln outside for half an hour at a temperature of approximately 1000°c. They are then put into a reduction chamber – a nest of sawdust covered with a metal cover -  and this atmosphere and temperature changes ‘reduce the oxygen content in the glazes and clay’ producing the wonderfully colourful, lustrous copper, blue and green finishes associated with Raku Pottery.

Every result is different, nothing is predictable and happy accidents are frequent. In fact, Raku literally translates into 'Happiness in the accident!' You will be using raku glazes combined with colouring oxides.

Bob and Denise will arrive with a selection of bisque fired pots in varying styles, that he has made and fired in the weeks prior to the course -  providing 3 pots for each student.  It is this preparedness that enables such a course to be run in a morning or afternoon. The materials charge of £27 (payable directly to the tutor) covers the cost of making these pots, as well as the glazing and firing costs during your session. Bob and Denise will distribute pots so each student has a similar selection of shapes at the start of each class. This is a collaborative class so your payment details may include direct payment to Bob.

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Make a Stained Glass Mirror with Lizzy Hippisley-Cox

Join Lizzy Hippisley-Cox for a one day Stained Glass 'taster' ... Design and make a beautiful Leaded Mirror.  

An opportunity to dip your toe into and try this intensive one day Stained Glass taster day with Lizzy making a leaded stained glass mirror. All glass, tools, equipment, expertise and enthusiasm is provided by Lizzy, who is highly skilled in preserving these jewels of our heritage and has spent many years advising on and restoring original stained glass windows in our cathedrals and churches countrywide

Lizzy will have some prepared design templates ready for you and there will be a choice of coloured glass along with some pre cut panels mirror as needed. Firstly she will explain the various aspects of creating a stained glass panel, and will then let you have a go at learning the safe glass cutting technique. Once practised, you can then choose your template from a selection supplied, depending on your cutting abilities and at this stage you can decide whether you wish to incorporate a mirrored panel within this or alternatively keep the whole panel as glass. If mirror is required Lizzy can cut this for you. 

Once all the pieces are cut , the panel is carefully leading up the mirror according to the design. You will then finish by soldering everything together in your panel and finally cleaning and polishing using demonstrated techniques.  You will leave with your own bespoke stained glass (mirrored) panel. 

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Design & Plan your own Garden - 2 days with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman

"Learn to design your own garden… just the way you want it" with leading Cumbrian Garden Designer, Lecturer and Plantswoman, Shelagh Todd. 

Shelagh is widely known and highly respected throughout Cumbria's gardening fraternity. She has been both the familiar face - and  'lead' - of Horticulture at Newton Rigg College for well over 30 years, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our 2025 Quirky programme. She brings a wealth of gardening expertise and teaching experience, which over the years will have gently inspired literally thousands of 'would-be gardeners’ to create and nurture their own individual outdoor spaces. This two-day course is an ideal starting point for beginners, garden enthusiasts and anyone who wants to re-design their garden space.

Day 1 will cover the design process, including surveying, analysing & soil testing your site. Using your own design brief, you will learn to create a functional layout plan that you can apply to your garden, including consideration for hard landscaping materials as required. We can explore both the established and newer areas of the garden at Quirky Workshops which is maintained on a largely organic basis with wildlife at its heart.

Day 2 Shelagh will show you how to design the planting for your garden to achieve colour, interest and atmosphere; how to choose and combine the right plants for your soil conditions, and for best effect. You can decide on the style of planting and the types of plants you wish to grow, and we’ll discuss the pros and cons of different plants, what to look for when you are buying plants and how to source good plants locally.

*In advance of the workshop we'll send you an 'easy to follow' guide on how to measure up your garden. This means you can arrive on the first day of the course with a plan of your plot ready to begin the design process. With illustrated talks & drawing exercises, by the end of the 2 days you will have completed some planting schemes and have the skills to continue designing at home.

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"Fast & Loose: Still Life in Expressive Oil Painting" with Roy Simmons

This short course is your rapid introduction to loose and bold oil painting. 

Spend a fun and exhilarating 2.5-hour oil painting session with Roy, where you'll discover the power of fast, expressive brushwork and walk away with two completed, engaging works of art. Using a simple, limited palette and a selected set of brushes, you'll focus on speed and intuition to create vibrant, painterly still life studies.

You will learn how to employ lively, confident brushstrokes which can immediately engage the viewer. All skill levels are welcome— so if you've wanted to try oils without the long commitment, this course is for you!

 What Makes This Course Different? 
- You will make two complete paintings in one focused 2.5-hour session.
- No Fumes and no Fuss: We use modern, odourless mineral spirits—meaning absolutely no traditional turpentine smell! Just the pure joy of painting.
- Simple Setup: All premium materials are provided, including oils, a limited palette, brushes, and odourless solvent.
- Pizza Box Transport: Take your wet masterpieces home safely and securely in a provided pizza box to let them dry naturally over ths following week.

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'Capturing Cumbria in Pen and Wash ~ Churches, Cottages & more”- with Lyn Evans

This is a lovely day with Lyn Evans,  who will combine this most popular medium along with some of our lovely Lakeland heritage buildings, of all sizes, whether nestled on a hillside in a wider landscape, or within a country estate, or our towns and villages. 

The day will start with a step by step where you will be working on the same piece with Lyn, using the camera and screen so you can follow from the comfort of your desks as she leads you through the drawing and painting of the piece. You can of course just watch at the front too if you wish.  Bring some of you own photographs or images to work on in the afternoon and Lyn will continue to guide you through your piece.  Suitable for all abilities.

The Vernacular' refers to any traditional, local style of building and design that comes from using the naturally available building materials, stones, slates etc within that locality. 

Lakeland vernacular' refers to the traditional, local style of building and design found in the Lake District, Cumbria. It encompasses the use of local materials, like Borrowdale slate and stone, and building techniques specific to the region, resulting in a harmonious blend with the landscape. This vernacular architecture also reflects the functional needs and traditions of the area, with buildings often designed to withstand the local climate and terrain,

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Needle Felt an Animal -or Pet - Portrait ~ with Jane Makes

Paint with Wool' and Needle Felt your favourite Animal or Pet Portrait ~ with Jane Makes

Learn how to paint with wool to create a beautiful animal portrait; you don’t need to be artistic or have drawing skill, really... There is a great way around this!
In this course Jane will teach you how to create a 2D needle felted picture use a animal photo of your own. Not only will you take home an amazing animal portrait, you also get to keep the tools you used, so you can do more at home.
Working from your own photograph, Jane will guide you through the tools & techniques needed to create your own beautiful felted picture.
You will begin by transferring your chosen image onto some cotton fabric, to get an accurate outline of your animal. Then, with Jane's guidance, you will be shown how to manipulate the fibres -  from laying out the initial colurs to the beautifully intricate detailed effects to bring your animals to life.

 

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Traditional Spoon Carving with David Alty

From a variety of timbers you will learn how to choose, prepare and split timber and the various methods and styles of carving you could incorporate into your piece. This will entail using a variety of specialist tools which are all provided.

 The course will take place on the lawn of the original Tea Garden at the venue,  if it is raining we will  work under gazebos or use the Squirrel Barn

The use of sharp knives etc in this class means it is only suitable for sensible 16 to 18's when accompanied by responsible paying adults.

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'Design & Planting Tips for a small Garden' with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman.

Shelagh is widely known and highly respected throughout Cumbria's gardening fraternity. She has been both the familiar face, and  'lead' of Horticulture at Newton Rigg for well over 30 years, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our 2025 Quirky programme. She brings a wealth of gardening expertise and teaching experience, which over the years, will have gently inspired (literally) thousands of 'would-be gardeners’ to create and nurture their own individual outdoor spaces.

 

During this one day course Shelagh will share garden design advice, hints and tips on how you can make the most of your small garden. We will explore how you can  achieve atmospheric and all year interest in your small space.

Subjects covered:

• Site assessment
• Design inspiration for small spaces
• A walk & talk around the gardens at Poplin Dub created over the last 25 years.
• Privacy & screening solutions for a small space
• Choosing the right plants for a small space

By the end of the day you will have:

• An understanding of how to choose the correct plants for your small garden
• A list of plants that will create impact and interest but not outgrow their space
• A list of plants that are suitable for the atmosphere that you want to create

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'Engraving Sgraffito on Glass' ~ Short course or Twin panel option ~ with Vicky Boase

Enjoy discovering the art of Sgraffito on Glass, expertly guided by glass artist Vicky Boase.

Sgraffito, meaning 'scratched away' in Italian, is the 'subtractive' art of engraving a design into the top thin layer of black paint to reveal the underlying base colour of the glass. This creates a stunning pattern in silhouette which can be beautifully highlighted when hung at a window.

Vicky will arrive with a selection of pre-painted stained glass pieces, in four vibrant colours, for you to choose from for your piece. After a brief introduction to the history of stained glass and Sgraffito, and learning how your piece has been prepared before the class, students can then start to plan their personal design using specially provided black paper and white pencils, which will mimic the reverse nature of the process.

Then with the help of your own individual lightbox and special tools, you can transfer your design onto your chosen glass, bringing your piece to life by gently engraving your pattern into the paint.

At the end of the day Vicky will take all student work back to her studio near Alston to be glass fired to make the paint permanent and no longer scratchable.  If you choose the optional extra leaded surround to your glass piece,  Vicky will prepare and add it at this stage (pre-book on the day for £10 please). All pieces will then be posted back to Greystoke for collection. Alternatively she can post the piece directly to your address for an additional charge.

If you decide you would like to create a double panel, students will need to book both sessions and the combined Materials is £35. 

All tools and materials are provided; some confidence in drawing is desirable for this course although tracing is also allowed!!

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A Green Man for the Garden ~ with Mark Bradley

Spend a lovely Day with Mark creating a characterful 'Green Man for the Garden'  in Stoneware.

A new take on this very popular course we have run in the past :) 

Join Mark and create a lovely Green Garden plaque ~ as scary / bumbling / friendly as you wish.  Mark will show you how with patient guidance and expertise.

These sculptures of a face surrounded by or made from leaves where branches or vines possibly sprouting from the mouth or nostrils etc and maybe bearing flowers or fruit. Such sculptures in bygone days were commonly used as a decorative architectural ornament, frequently found in carvings on both secular and ecclesiastical buildings.

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Needle Felted Garden Birds - 'The Wren' with Helen Hammond (low relief)

Spend a lovely day being guided through how to make this beautifully detailed Wren using the needle felting process. Your Wren will have a slightly sculpted low relief appearance, subtly enhancing the natural features of this little characterful bird. 

You will be using a variety of natural wool fibres and Helen will teach you all about needle felting and how to blend your fibre colours. You will be using specialist needle felting needles (not sewing needles) for this purpose. These specialist tools/ needles are designed to entangle, compact, control and shape the soft carded wool fibres into firm felted pieces. It is a slow and very therapeutic process.

All reference images will be provided and will form an important part of your working process.  This course is suitable for all abilities including beginners. This is a dry felted process and a 'clean' method of working. No aprons or gloves are required.  However, please bring plasters!  

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Reflections ~ Water in the Landscape with Frances Winder

An exciting workshop with this popular tutor, well known for her landscapes, many depicting beautiful reflections on water.

The workshop is suitable for all abilities, and explores both the simpler techniques, as well as the more unusual. Acrylic paint, watercolour, gouache and oil pastel are all demonstrated, although you may choose to focus on just one medium. You will be creating several experimental pieces during the day.

If you are a beginner Frances recommends gouache paint, and you will need basic colours, as well as good paper to work on. The recommended materials list is available on booking  (do please message us if you wish to see this before booking )

Frances writes ...I work from sketches, backed up with photos if I need more information. Please bring reference material with you, sketches, photos or just ideas you like. This course is all about exploring techniques for capturing the feeling of water in the landscape and enjoying ourselves. I will be able to help you individually to achieve progress at your own ability level, whatever that may be.

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'Breaking the rules of Painting' ~ Landscapes with Roy Simmons

Breaking the 'Rules of Painting' with Roy Simmons ...  Beginners and intermediates.

This one day course is for anyone who wants to discover their own natural way of painting. We will be using acrylics.
I tend to paint in a very intuitive way, and believe that with guidance you can learn to 'let go' of the limiting beliefs that prevent your own way of painting coming through. If you are completely new to painting – Great! You have the advantage of the 'beginners mind' without trying! If you do paint already, be prepared to adopt that beginners mind to liberate your own style. Forget any 'rules' you may have picked up even without realising.     Some rules to break.

'Start by painting the background'  ~  'Carefully draw your subject' ~  'Only use the best materials' ~ 'Work from a sketch' ~ 'Paint slowly' ~ 'Don't try to paint until you can draw accurately'

We will start with a 'loosening up' painting, this will introduce my way of working. On this course each student will produce at least two paintings (but that is not a rule)!
All materials and instruction provided, you will take home a mounted painting at the end of the day

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Tetra Pak Printmaking Workshop with Jenny McCabe

Tetra Pak Printmaking - one day Workshop with Jenny McCabe 

 Join artist and tutor Jenny McCabe for a fun and inspiring one-day workshop exploring printmaking with recycled materials.  Using everyday Tetra Pak cartons (from juice or milk), you’ll learn how to transform this simple packaging into beautiful intaglio-style printing plates.

Throughout the day, you’ll experiment with cutting, peeling, and drawing into the surface of the carton to create texture and tone, before inking and printing your plates using professional printmaking techniques. Expect plenty of hands-on creativity, expert guidance, and the chance to see just how versatile these recycled materials can be.

This workshop is suitable for beginners and those with some printmaking experience who want to try something new. All materials are provided, just bring your enthusiasm and curiosity. You’ll leave with your own handmade plates, a set of original prints, and ideas for continuing the process at home or in your own studio  

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Hole House Bag making- the 'June Convertible' wtith Emma Redfern

Sew your very own 'June convertible Bag'  - a two day sewing course with Emma of Hole House Bags.

The June convertible is a practical bag that is perfect made in dry oilskin, canvas, tweed or a combination of fabrics. It has a super secure recessed zip top, a large outer pocket, reinforced base and clever webbing straps that can be converted to make your bag either a shoulder bag, a cross body bag or a backpack! The pattern will be available in two sizes.

Fabric Requirements: Please can participants bring the following:
● Half a metre main outer fabric
● Fat quarter of contrasting outer fabric for base and zip facing
● 3m webbing 32mm or 38mm
● 1m lining fabric (depending on pockets chosen)

You should also bring a sewing machine (with regular and zipper foot), scissors, pins and clips, thread, pen or pencil, ruler.
Suitable for intermediate sewers and adventurous beginners.  Materials Cost : £25 pp payable to Emma on the day
including  1.5m interfacing  1m Decovil interlining  Up to 1m zip + 3 pulls  Zipper end cap  Strap hardware and Printed pattern

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'Needle Felted Garden Birds ~ 'The Robin' with Helen Hammond (low relief)

Another exciting and inspiring workshop from Helen Hammond in her needle-felted Birds series .... creating one of our bird tables' most frequent visitors - the 'joyful' Robin!

Join Helen for a lovely day being guided through how to make this beautifully detailed garden friend using the needle felting process. Once again, your piece will have a slightly sculpted low relief appearance, subtly enhancing the natural features of this characterful little bird. 

Whatever your ability, Helen will provide you with tools, materials, knowledge and guidance to create your own delightful bird over the day, before applying the legs & fixing it to the 'branch'. The birds will then be mounted in a special box frame, for a really professional finish.

You will be using a variety of natural wool fibres and Helen will teach you all about needle felting and how to blend your fibre colours. You will be using specialist needle felting needles (not sewing needles) for this purpose. These specialist tools/ needles are designed to entangle, compact, control and shape the soft carded wool fibres into firm felted pieces. It is a slow and very therapeutic process.

All reference images will be provided and will form an important part of your working process.  This course is suitable for all abilities including beginners. This is a dry felted process and a 'clean' method of working. No aprons or gloves are required.  However, please bring plasters! 

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"Gardening for Wildlife and Wellbeing" with Shelagh Todd

Do you want to create a wildlife friendly garden or outdoor space that embraces sustainability? If so, this is the course for you.

Tutor Shelagh Todd will explore how the garden surrounding Quirky Workshop’s barns has evolved into a haven for wildlife over the last 25 years.

During the course we will explore the beds and borders, wildlife pond, wildflower meadow and nooks and crannies that attract an abundance of wildlife to Annie’s garden. We will explore the quirkiness of the sustainable techniques incorporated into her unique garden and give you some inspiration and ideas for you to take back to your own outdoor space.

Shelagh will share how over the last 30 years she has created her own sustainable wildlife garden in a fellside village situated on the edge of the Pennines. During the day Shelagh will share her  top tips on creating a sustainably designed wildlife garden

• Selecting wildlife friendly plants to attract bees & butterflies to your borders
• Creating a mixed hedge for wildlife
• How to encourage wildlife & birdlife into your garden
• Tips on how to create & maintain a wildlife meadow
• The enjoyment & benefits of building a dead hedge accompanied by a demonstration in the garden at Poplin Dub
• A hands on practical session making small bug hotels
• Creative & practical ideas on adding a wildlife pond to your garden

Enjoy being inspired with ideas to benefit both nature and your wellbeing.

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'Hearts of Flowers' in fused glass with Michelle of 'Lakeshore Arts'

oin Michelle and create your own beautiful fused glass Flower Heart - suitable for all abilities.

Michelle will arrive with her ready prepared heart shapes and will talk you through the various design aspects and techniques of creating the lovely flowes and leaves for your piece to assemble together to create your own beautiful floral heart.

You will learn about different types of glass used in fusing work and also about the all important COE (Coefficient of expansion) – vital to understand in glass fusing as it makes sure the right types of glass are used and fuse together.  Your finished heart designs will then be taken away and fired and returned to Greystoke.  If there is time you maybe be able to make a second heart for additional materials cost tbc).  The flower hearts  can be collected from here a few weeks later, once they have been fired and fused. Alternatively Michelle can post these directly to your home for approx £5.50

We first saw Michelle's beautiful fused glass pieces at a local farm show and just loved them. We are absolutely delighted she has agreed to take some workshops here at Greystoke. 

You will learn how to cut and trim the flowers and leaves and get an idea of what can be done with glass in a kiln in terms of fusing, stacking, tack fusing and slumping. You will also learn about various inclusions and their different applications, using frits, stringers, glassline pens and sheet glass along with other fragments.

9.45-12.45pm  or  2pm-5pm 

 

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'Intro to Flower Painting in Watercolours' with Lis Bramwell

'Intro to Flower Painting in Watercolours' with Lis Bramwell  - for those not sure where to start! 

Join Lis on this informal, fun and relaxed day where you will gradually build up your botanical skills and techniques as the day progresses. A perfect course for those with a love of flowers and plants who are keen to learn how to represent them using watercolour paints. Lis will spend the morning taking you step by gentle step learning how to paint petals, leaves, stems and buds, followed by a wander around the garden here at the Craft Garden in Greystoke, after lunch, to find inspiration for your own flower painting.

Recent feedback ... Hi Annie, I'm hoping to do some more painting of my Hydrangea today. I really enjoyed the day & as I said to you Liz is a fantastic teacher, in fact I would say that she is the best teacher I've had at any of the many workshops I have attended anywhere in the country! Thank you for organising it & giving me the experience. Best wishes Cath

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'Discovering Stained Glass' ..a two day workshop with Lizzy Hippisley-Cox

Design and create your own beautiful Stained Glass panel on this 2 day workshop with Lizzy Hippisley-Cox of Eden Stained Glass

Working with beautifully coloured and clear, textured glass - all provided by Lizzy - you will learn how to handle, cut safely and to 'lead up' a square panel over the two day course of approximately 8 inches square.  Obviously all glass, tools, equipment, expertise and enthusiasm is provided by Lizzy, who is highly skilled in preserving these jewels of our heritage and has spent many years advising on and restoring original stained glass windows in our cathedrals and churches countrywide.

Although traditionally stained glass is associated with place sf worship, these days it is increasingly popular when used in homes for decoration. Staining glass is an ancient art of using colour and light to create atmosphere and to depict images and stories.

The panel you make could be for a place in your house or could be built into a window or frame as a hanging panel. Please bring any ideas you may have in terms of design and Lizzy will assess what will be possible in the time allowed.

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A Green Man for the Garden ~ with Mark Bradley

Spend a lovely Day with Mark creating a characterful 'Green Man for the Garden'  in Stoneware.

A new take on this very popular course we have run in the past :) 

Join Mark and create a lovely Green Garden plaque ~ as scary / bumbling / friendly as you wish.  Mark will show you how with patient guidance and expertise.

These sculptures of a face surrounded by or made from leaves where branches or vines possibly sprouting from the mouth or nostrils etc and maybe bearing flowers or fruit. Such sculptures in bygone days were commonly used as a decorative architectural ornament, frequently found in carvings on both secular and ecclesiastical buildings.

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'Engraving Sgraffito on Glass' ~ Short course or Twin panel option ~ with Vicky Boase

Enjoy discovering the art of Sgraffito on Glass, expertly guided by glass artist Vicky Boase.

Sgraffito, meaning 'scratched away' in Italian, is the 'subtractive' art of engraving a design into the top thin layer of black paint to reveal the underlying base colour of the glass. This creates a stunning pattern in silhouette which can be beautifully highlighted when hung at a window.

Vicky will arrive with a selection of pre-painted stained glass pieces, in four vibrant colours, for you to choose from for your piece. After a brief introduction to the history of stained glass and Sgraffito, and learning how your piece has been prepared before the class, students can then start to plan their personal design using specially provided black paper and white pencils, which will mimic the reverse nature of the process.

Then with the help of your own individual lightbox and special tools, you can transfer your design onto your chosen glass, bringing your piece to life by gently engraving your pattern into the paint.

At the end of the day Vicky will take all student work back to her studio near Alston to be glass fired to make the paint permanent and no longer scratchable.  If you choose the optional extra leaded surround to your glass piece,  Vicky will prepare and add it at this stage (pre-book on the day for £10 please). All pieces will then be posted back to Greystoke for collection. Alternatively she can post the piece directly to your address for an additional charge.

If you decide you would like to create a double panel, students will need to book both sessions and the combined Materials is £35. 

All tools and materials are provided; some confidence in drawing is desirable for this course although tracing is also allowed!!

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Design & Plan your own Garden - 2 days with Shelagh Todd - lecturer, garden designer & plantswoman

"Learn to design your own garden… just the way you want it" with leading Cumbrian Garden Designer, Lecturer and Plantswoman, Shelagh Todd. 

Shelagh is widely known and highly respected throughout Cumbria's gardening fraternity. She has been both the familiar face - and  'lead' - of Horticulture at Newton Rigg College for well over 30 years, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our 2025 Quirky programme. She brings a wealth of gardening expertise and teaching experience, which over the years will have gently inspired literally thousands of 'would-be gardeners’ to create and nurture their own individual outdoor spaces. This two-day course is an ideal starting point for beginners, garden enthusiasts and anyone who wants to re-design their garden space.

Day 1 will cover the design process, including surveying, analysing & soil testing your site. Using your own design brief, you will learn to create a functional layout plan that you can apply to your garden, including consideration for hard landscaping materials as required. We can explore both the established and newer areas of the garden at Quirky Workshops which is maintained on a largely organic basis with wildlife at its heart.

Day 2 Shelagh will show you how to design the planting for your garden to achieve colour, interest and atmosphere; how to choose and combine the right plants for your soil conditions, and for best effect. You can decide on the style of planting and the types of plants you wish to grow, and we’ll discuss the pros and cons of different plants, what to look for when you are buying plants and how to source good plants locally.

*In advance of the workshop we'll send you an 'easy to follow' guide on how to measure up your garden. This means you can arrive on the first day of the course with a plan of your plot ready to begin the design process. With illustrated talks & drawing exercises, by the end of the 2 days you will have completed some planting schemes and have the skills to continue designing at home.

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'Needle Felted Sheep Portrait of "The Cheviot" ' with Helen Hammond (low relief)

Spend a lovely day being guided through how to make this very popular native Sheep breed  'The Cheviot' using the needle felting process. The piece will have a slightly sculpted low relief appearance, subtly enhancing the natural features and onece mounted, will give the appearance of almost escaping from the frame .

You will be using a variety of natural wool fibres and Helen will teach you all about needle felting and how to blend your fibre colours. You will be using specialist needle felting needles (not sewing needles) for this purpose. These specialist tools/ needles are designed to entangle, compact, control and shape the soft carded wool fibres into firm felted pieces. It is a slow and very therapeutic process.

Helen will provide suitable images to encourage individual observational skills to support  your creation of this beautiful sheep portrait for you to take home displayed in a supplied deep box frame.   Helen loves to inspire and shares her passion for both needlefelting and Cumbria.

All reference images will be provided and will form an important part of your working process.  This course is suitable for all abilities including beginners. This is a dry felted process and a 'clean' method of working. No aprons or gloves are required.  However, please bring plasters!  

Spend a lovely day being guided through how to make this very popular native Sheep breed  'The Cheviot' using the needle felting process. The piece will have a slightly sculpted low relief appearance, subtly enhancing the natural features and onece mounted, will give the appearance of almost escaping from the frame .

You will be using a variety of natural wool fibres and Helen will teach you all about needle felting and how to blend your fibre colours. You will be using specialist needle felting needles (not sewing needles) for this purpose. These specialist tools/ needles are designed to entangle, compact, control and shape the soft carded wool fibres into firm felted pieces. It is a slow and very therapeutic process.

Helen will provide suitable images to encourage individual observational skills to support  your creation of this beautiful sheep portrait for you to take home displayed in a supplied deep box frame.   Helen loves to inspire and shares her passion for both needlefelting and Cumbria.

All reference images will be provided and will form an important part of your working process.  This course is suitable for all abilities including beginners. This is a dry felted process and a 'clean' method of working. No aprons or gloves are required.  However, please bring plasters!  

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'Shortcut to Nature Journalling' with Steve Pardue

Have you wanted to create a nature journal but don’t know where to start or how to do it?

This workshop will - hopefully - fix that. I will take you through the process I follow for creating my journals which are really an expression of the joy I feel when out and about in the woods or the river. I will be using my own journals of nature captured over the last 5 years and show how you can create a body of work by simply recording in your own way the things you see every day. I now look back on my earlier journals and can not only see how my artistic style has evolved and changed but more importantly I can look up the dates when I first saw sand martins arrive for the summer, or when the last swift left, or when the first chiff chaff … well chiff chaffed!

And it is so easy - no rules - no great artistic skill required - just observation and a daily habit of drawing. I will show you the materials I use and the techniques I employ. Weather permitting, we can spend some time outdoors looking at the nature around us and we can then come back indoors and draw our observations.

 I will provide a small kit of materials which will include: 2 fineliners  ~  My Shortcut to Nature Journalling guide ~ A blank concertina nature journal , all of which are yours to keep.

I will also have a variety of fountain pens and journals available to try and buy.  

9.45am – 12.45pm or 1.45pm to 4.45pm  

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Firing pottery 'In The Raku Style' with Bob and Denise Park

Come and enjoy an exciting workshop experimenting in this ancient Japanese RAKU technique of glazing and firing pottery.

Exciting and fast moving, using heat, sawdust, fire and smoky bins, this stunning firing technique is irresistible and very much in vogue.

 Raku firing is unique and one of the most dramatic and exciting ways to fire pottery. It was developed in Japan in the 16th century for the Japanese tea ceremony. The pieces are glazed with copper based glazes, dried and put directly into a hot kiln outside for half an hour at a temperature of approximately 1000°c. They are then put into a reduction chamber – a nest of sawdust covered with a metal cover -  and this atmosphere and temperature changes ‘reduce the oxygen content in the glazes and clay’ producing the wonderfully colourful, lustrous copper, blue and green finishes associated with Raku Pottery.

Every result is different, nothing is predictable and happy accidents are frequent. In fact, Raku literally translates into 'Happiness in the accident!' You will be using raku glazes combined with colouring oxides.

Bob and Denise will arrive with a selection of bisque fired pots in varying styles, that he has made and fired in the weeks prior to the course -  providing 3 pots for each student.  It is this preparedness that enables such a course to be run in a morning or afternoon. The materials charge of £27 (payable directly to the tutor) covers the cost of making these pots, as well as the glazing and firing costs during your session. Bob and Denise will distribute pots so each student has a similar selection of shapes at the start of each class. This is a collaborative class so your payment details may include direct payment to Bob.

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Build a Cob Pizza Oven Day with David Alty

Over this busy one day course you will together learn how to build a cob pizza oven and so take the knowledge home with you to recreate your very own outdoor pizza oven in your own garden.

Starting with an existing plinth you will prepare, level and install the fire brick base and learn all about the importance of materials to use and insulation levels. Covering also the clay and material selection and dimension options you will then start mixing the cob with bare feet and others will create a sand forma for the actual oven shape - tasks will be shared to ensure experience of every stage is acquired. Once the cob is ready the group will prepare the loaves to cover the sand form and start creating the oven shape.

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'Landscapes of the Lakes' in Oils with Roy Simmons

'Landscapes of the Lake District' in Oils,  with Roy Simmons ...  Beginners and intermediates.

'PROPER' PAINTING! Of course oil paint has that reputation, deserved or not, for its many qualities. Blending with oil paint is a wonderful thing, as you will discover on this course. You can employ loose and lively brushwork, which is the key to creating engaging paintings. After introducing the materials and equipment, we will do a couple of quick studies, step by step, to loosen up and gain confidence. Following this we will paint a landscape, again step by step, working from a supplied photograph. After that you will be free to paint your own choice of landscape from supplied photos, of which there will be many.

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'Buildings in the Landscape' using Line & Wash with John Harrison

Try your hand at “line and wash” – the creation of a pen and ink sketch tinted with a wash of coloured ink or watercolour – with landscape artist John Harrison. You will start the day with an introduction to John’s particular style of line and wash, and the importance he places on drawing and sketching.

 John's favoured subject matter features built structures in the wider landscape, exploring the contrast between the man-made and the natural. Largely self-taught, he doesn’t consider himself a painter, but uses the unpredictable yet exciting medium of watercolour to highlight his drawings. He is an active Urban Sketcher, and runs many workshops and classes, details of which are posted on his website. His work is in many private collections both in the UK and internationally, he undertakes commissions both private and corporate and has just come to the end of a year-long monthly feature in the Dalesman. Suitable for all abilities.

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Sterling Silver Jewellery - 3 Silver Rings in a day - with Melinda Scarborough

Design & make 'three Silver rings'  with Sterling Silver and some Semi-Precious Stones with Melinda Scarborough

Your experienced professional tutor, Melinda, will guide you through the process of designing your rings and show you how to use the workshop tools with systematic demonstrations.  Once ready to start you will cut out your silver using a saw frame (each student has their own) and then shape the pieces to add texture and interest using your own set of tools provided. 

You will learn the basic techniques of soldering, surface textures and how to get a nice professional finish to ensure that your three rings will sit together well if required. This is quite an intensive day,  but by the end of it you will be able to leave with a set of 3 different rings that you yourself have designed and made.  The material cost is £20 and the tutor will have more materials to buy if necessary.

This course is suitable for both beginners and intermediate. Each student will sit at their own desk spaced well apart. 

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Firing pottery 'In The Raku Style' with Bob and Denise Park

Come and enjoy an exciting workshop experimenting in this ancient Japanese RAKU technique of glazing and firing pottery.

Exciting and fast moving, using heat, sawdust, fire and smoky bins, this stunning firing technique is irresistible and very much in vogue.

 Raku firing is unique and one of the most dramatic and exciting ways to fire pottery. It was developed in Japan in the 16th century for the Japanese tea ceremony. The pieces are glazed with copper based glazes, dried and put directly into a hot kiln outside for half an hour at a temperature of approximately 1000°c. They are then put into a reduction chamber – a nest of sawdust covered with a metal cover -  and this atmosphere and temperature changes ‘reduce the oxygen content in the glazes and clay’ producing the wonderfully colourful, lustrous copper, blue and green finishes associated with Raku Pottery.

Every result is different, nothing is predictable and happy accidents are frequent. In fact, Raku literally translates into 'Happiness in the accident!' You will be using raku glazes combined with colouring oxides.

Bob and Denise will arrive with a selection of bisque fired pots in varying styles, that he has made and fired in the weeks prior to the course -  providing 3 pots for each student.  It is this preparedness that enables such a course to be run in a morning or afternoon. The materials charge of £27 (payable directly to the tutor) covers the cost of making these pots, as well as the glazing and firing costs during your session. Bob and Denise will distribute pots so each student has a similar selection of shapes at the start of each class. This is a collaborative class so your payment details may include direct payment to Bob.

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