News
workshops, collaborations, etc.
Small Seeds workshop series - summer/autumn 2023
With thanks to Creative Ireland and Kildare Arts
Imagination and Observation: online drawing sessions for adults.
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Join Brenda online for free drop-in drawing sessions, every second Tuesday from 15th August until 10th October, from 8 - 9.15pm. All levels of experience welcome! You will create drawings in an informal friendly atmosphere, with some prompts and time for chats and tea breaks.
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Through drawing, the ordinary can become extraordinary. We will explore imagination, expression and drawing as a way to pay attention. Examples of drawings from global collections will be offered for inspiration at the start of each class, as well as prompts on how to approach the evening's drawing. Bring any materials you like to draw with.
To register and for details on accessing the Zoom meeting, please book your place here.
Workshop: From Plant to Page, an expressive drawing workshop with Lorna Watkins in Straffan, Kildare.
This free workshop takes place in person from 10am - 12noon on the 27th of July, in the beautiful surroundings of Lodge Park Walled Garden at Straffan's Steam Museum. Led by artist and facilitator Lorna Watkins, we will draw on and be inspired by the beauty and colour of summer flowers. More on Lorna's vibrant and expressive work can be seen here: https://www.lornawatkins.com
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In case of very bad weather, the workshop time might have to change! Participants will be notified in advance of any changes. Places are limited and must be prebooked.
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This free workshop is for:
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people who like plants
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all levels, from beginners to experienced
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those wanting to draw in an expressive way
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Please book your free place here.
Tea by Post:
A Netherton Blend
At the invitation of Rule of Threes, Tea by Post is visiting Liverpool this summer and autumn, as part of the Human Libraries project. More info on workshops etc available here: https://atthelibrary.co.uk/projects/tea-by-post-a-netherton-blend/
Creative Ireland workshop series 2021
Small Seeds is delighted to extend into collaboration with other artists working in similar spheres; with Creative Ireland funding, a series of free public workshops took place in Autumn 2021.
Workshop 1: Plants for sustainable photographic and darkroom practices: Anthotype making with Melanie King Thursday 19th August 2021, 7-9pm
Join Melanie King (https://www.melaniek.co.uk) for an online anthotype workshop. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about anthotype history and process, and future opportunities related to developing this skill. During the workshop you will be guided through the process of creating anthotypes using spinach leaves, vodka and water to create a spinach paste, which will then be used to coat watercolour paper. You’ll also find out more about how anthotypes were discovered and used through the centuries, and other plants that you can experiment with in the future.
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Melanie King is a visual artist and practice-based researcher at the Royal College of Art. She is interested in the relationship between starlight, photography and materiality. Her PhD practice-based research "Ancient Light" considers how light travels thousands, if not millions of years, before reaching photosensitive film or a digital sensor. Her main body of photographs “Ancient Light” comprises of a series of analogue photographic negatives and prints of star-scapes, as well as a series of images created using telescopes and observatories around the world. Alongside this body of work, Melanie has produced 16mm films of the Moon and photographic etchings created using meteorite-imbued ink, milled at the Royal School of Mines. Melanie has produced daguerreotypes and world-record sized cyanotypes exploring the relationship with the Sun and photosensitive material. The purpose of her research is to demonstrate the intimate connection between celestial objects (sun, moon, stars), photographic material and the natural world. Melanie is currently researching sustainable photographic processes, to minimise the environmental impact of her artistic practice.
Workshop 2: Bio colour workshop with Kari Cahill
Saturday 4th of September 2021, 10am-12pm
Join Kari for an introduction to the process of harnessing colour from your surrounding landscapes. Whether deep in the wilds, in a small garden or surrounded by a concrete jungle, this workshop will provide the basic methods and tools needed to go out and create natural usable colour from surroundings.
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Kari practices in an array of mediums including painting, printmaking, sculpture, colour-making and installlation. She works collaboratively with artists and communities to produce large-scale exhibitions and residencies which are presented in remote, wild locations, inviting audiences to experience the works in situ. Her artistic practice contributes to the development of new perspectives on our cultural, historical and natural landscape. In her recent works, Kari has been using the landscape as the source of bio colour to create artworks that respond to that specific landscape, gathering materials such as berries, rocks, seaweed, lichen, industrial scraps, sea water, and bark and processing it into live inks and pigments.
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More information on Kari and her work can be seen here: https://www.karicahill.com/
Workshop 3: Plants as sources of comfort and care: garden medicine workshop with Anna Drews.
Saturday 11th of September 2021, 10am-12pm.
Join Anna Drews for a workshop focusing on preparing natural remedies from herbs and common garden plants. We will explore the properties of plants such as mint, thyme, calendula, rose, fennel, nettle and - everyone's favourite - dandelion, and look at different ways to process and preserve their goodness for our health and well-being.
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Anna is a herbalist and massage therapist, and a co-founder of The Dublin Herb Bike - a mobile clinic providing free, herbal care and comfort to communities in need around Dublin - and a passionate believer in the benefits of herbs for health. More information on Anna's work can be seen here:
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https://www.helloannadrews.co/ and https://herbalista.org/projects/herb-bike/
Workshop 4: Plants as visual inspiration: Leaf patterns workshop with Fergal Brennan
Saturday 9th of October 2021, 10am-12pm
Join Fergal Brennan for a workshop using the beauty and versatility of garden leaves, to learn design skills, printing techniques and an appreciation of nature. Participants will create a page decorated with leaf
silhouettes, by considering pattern, colour and placement.
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Fergal Brennan studied animation and fine art at IADT Dun Laoghaire. He is an award-winning filmmaker, lecturer, and collaborative artist who has exhibited widely in Ireland and abroad. His beautifully crafted projects interweave animation, drawing and recorded speech to ask questions about culture.
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