Sessions at the Rusty Tractor cafe in Ivybridge on Tuesday evenings 7 – 9 and The Hub at Ermington Store and More on Thursdays 11 – 1.
Click on this link to book: https://www.myspacefruit.com/product-category/art-club-workshops
We’ve just come to the end of a really enjoyable block of grown up art club. Participants learnt how to let go of expectations and treat art playfully. Some of the activities covered were gelli printing, collograph, journal making, creative drawing and more.
And what have I learnt? That adults are definitely better behaved than children at the end of a school day! Also, it’s good to push people gently out of their comfort zones. Also that sometimes the weather gets in the way and it’s ok to just wing it at times – I think most of us do winging our way through life!
In January I’m starting up an extra grown up art club – In addtition to Tuesday evenings 7 – 9 at the Rusty Tractor Cafe, I’ll also be at the Ermington Store and More Hub on Thursdays 11 – 1. For booking, go to the workshops section in my wesite shop.
Below are a few pictures of just some of the activites we’ve done this term…
I can’t believe we are already halfway through my first Art Club for adults! I’ve been ABSOLUTELY loving it – I mean, REALLY REALLY loving it. Some of the participants are ‘creative’ in some way (in ” marks because of course everyone is creative in one way or another), others feel quite unsure and unconfident with creativity and have been pushed right out of their comfort zones!
Last night was my favourite session so far. It was also the one I was most anxious about – because even though I’d planned a couple of things to do, I was a bit unsure about it, plus it was meant to be a session setting up forfuture projects and someone had just let me know they weren’t coming… I arrived slightly late, then opened my car boot and some of the things I’d taken with me fell out and smashed, shattering glass all over the dark car park which added to my anxiety. Instead, my planned session morphed into something quite different and unexpected, and utterly wonderful (well I thought so anyway 🙂 )
I’d planned a 15 minute fun drawing excersize to loosen everyone up and get creative juices flowing. I’d taken along a selection of very different shaped and textured objects, some man made, some natural, some man made but altered by nature.
They each chose what they wanted to draw first off, and I set a timer for 5 minutes. Their task was to draw what was in front of them for 5 minutes, looking at just the shapes. Then 5 minutes drawing just the negative spaces (the bits between the bits!) Then, 5 minutes drawing without looking at the paper – we all loved that one so much that we did ity twice! Then, 5 minutes using our non dominant hand.
The results we re really interesting!
Then I had a brief comfort break (basically I needed a wee) and on an A4 piece of paper we chose new objects, and drew for 10 minutes without taking the pen off the paper, for 10 minutes. Then another object-swop, and then we ‘drew’ these new objects with scissors, into our non-stop line drawings! We were then left with shapes with lines on.
On the backs of our big pieces of paper, we scribbled the outline of the cut out shapes, which made beautiful patterns. Some of us chose to stick our cut-out shapes onto here, others chose to scribble onto another A4 paper and stick them onto there. The results are all lovely.
It was lovely how everyone got quite meditative, the atmosphere was really calm and peaceful.
That’s just one of the amazing good things that drawing does for you!
Spend a fun morning learning the art of working with wire, to create your very own wire leaves garland, inspired by the falling autumn leaves with their wonderful variety of shapes and patterns.
Using pliers, snips and a variety of wires, you will go home with a seasonal home decoration to hang up every autumn, or even leave it hanging up all year round!
With local artist Becky Crawford, at the Ermington Store Hub on Thursday 23rd October 2025, 10 – 12. Click HERE to book
Over the summer holidays, I had the pleasure of running a day of family workshops at Make Southwest in Bovey Tracey. Children and their adults came along to make some stunning tissue paper and wire flowers. Using pliers, snips, scissors, felt pen and water sprays they made some amazing collections of flowers, then they drilled holes in wood blocks to display them in.
As usual, I was blown away by the creativity and skill that some quite young children brought along with them; The flowers were quite tricky for young fingers to make, but as you can see from just a few of the resulting flowers below, they really outdid themselves!
A massive thank you to everyone who came along and made the day so enjoyable, and to Make Southwest for hosting me again.
I’m teaming up again with Peter Lanyon in his barn workshop nestled between Battisborough Cross and Noss Mayo, to run a couple of childrens lampmaking workshops. This would make a brilliant Christmas present for a creative child who loves hands-on making. As you can see, the workshop we ran over the summer holidays produced some really creative lampshade designs, including one featuring woodworking tools, and one with cats chasing a mouse!
If you’d like to find out more, please click on THIS LINK… Please note, for insurance purposes, children must be aged 8 or above.
It’s that time of year again when artists and makers across the whole of Devon open up their houses and studios and invite the public in to show off their incredible talent. Devon Open Studios is now up and running and I’m excited to let you know that I’m taking part at Flameworks in Plymouth (7 Richmond Walk, Plymouth, PL1 4LL)Â
In total there are 14 of us taking part at this waterside venue, so there is plenty to feast your eyes on. Our opening times are Saturdays and Sundays, 10 – 4. Here is a link to my Instagram reel, where you can see a taster of some of what’s on offer… CLICK HERE … For the first time you can see some of the watercolour painting I’ve been doing out on clifftops in Devon, Ireland and the Isle of Harris.. some close ups are pictured above. I’m also showing my silver jewellery, recycled plastic jewellery, wirework, cards and more. I’ll be there myself on Sunday 14th and Sunday 21st September.
Join me at Make South West in Bovey Tracey on Thursday 28 August to create your own forever flowers.
You will use tissue paper, wire, pliers and snips to make a fabulous bunch of flowers which you can leave plain or decorate with pen. All materials will be provided.
There are two workshop timeslots to choose from:
10.30am – 12.00pm
2.00pm – 3.30pm
This workshop is for children aged 7+
We ask that all participating children are accompanied by a parent, carer or guardian throughout the workshop duration.
Please purchase tickets for participating children only. Accompanying adults do not need to purchase a ticket.
This workshop has been generously funded by The Golsoncott Foundation.
To book, please follow this link : https://makesouthwest.org.uk/all-activity/worksho-wire-sculputure-flowers-becky-crawford
Being inspired by the incredible patterns and forms of beetles, butterflies, moths and stick insects from around the world, the children started on making beautiful symmetry prints using acrylic paints as well as drawing with oil pastels. They spent an entire session just playing with the paints, building up layers of textures and colours on A3, A4, A5 and A6 pieces of good quality thick art paper which would be strong enough for constructing but still easy enough to fold and cut. I don’t like to give kids rubbishy art materials just because they are young! I want them to feel that their artwork deserves quality ingredients.
On week 2 they cut their papers and constructed some amazing creatures, wild enough to rival nature! This demanded some real engineering skills and I was so impressed by how they all helped each other and shared their ideas around for making them 3-D. I had shown them a few ways to turn a flat surface into 3-D one but actually they invesnted their own ways too! Have a look at some of their creatures which wouldn’t look out of place in an undisturbed jungle…
It’s always great fun doing a craft show at my husband Peter Lanyon’s workshop. This year is going to be no exception, it’s going to be great seeing old friends and making new ones. Check out this blaster of a line up: Me, Peter Lanyon (beautifully crafted sustainable furniture and lighting), Alice Wood (practical, simple and stylish leather bags), RAMP (stunningly decorated ceramics that makes me weep with joy), Sigrid Verschraeghen (unique bespoke clothing in natural fabrics), Zsuzi Morrison (exquisitely detailed enamel jewellery), ROCWORX (Marbled textile and leather home items) and Toby Hodges (Peter’s apprentice, who makes beautiful fine hand carved spoons)
Pop along to Lambside Farm, PL8 1HG (between Noss Mayo and Battisborough Cross in the South Hams, South Devon) on 4th – 5th December 2021 between 10 am – 5 pm.
Apart from our handmade wares, we will also be selling refreshments to raise money for Project Green Hands which is a huge volunteer driven tree planting project in Southern India to halt and reverse deforestation and bring the Cauvery River back to life.
