Workshops & Mentoring

Workshops

Spend a full day immersed in creativity with a 10am–4pm drawing, painting, and mixed media workshop led by landscape artist Addy Gardner. Held either in the inspiring setting of Addy’s home studio or outdoors in a nearby natural space, this workshop offers the perfect balance of structured guidance and personal exploration. Working from elements found in nature or still life, you’ll experiment with pencil, watercolor, ink, and collage, developing your own expressive approach under Addy’s gentle, expert instruction. Suitable for all levels, this day is designed to spark creativity and deepen your artistic practice.

How to book

If you would like to secure a place on one of the following workshops for 2025/26, please complete booking to pay deposit. If you are booking a place, in the same month that you are making the booking, then please pay the whole amount. Thank you and hope to see you soon!

Where

166 Corn St, Witney, Oxfordshire. OX28 6BY

Level 1 Art Class Series

Beginners & Intermediate | Wednesdays From March - May 2026 | 10:00–3:00 | Oxfordshire Home Studio

A structured, supportive introduction to drawing, painting and mixed media, taught by a highly experienced professional artist in a calm, inspiring home-studio environment. This course is ideal for complete beginners and those returning to art who want to build strong foundations with confidence.

Small group: Maximum 4 students

Full-day sessions: 10:00–3:00

Materials demonstrated and guided

Tea & coffee included

No prior experience required

Level 1 Course Structure

  • Session 1: Drawing Foundations- Line, Tone & Still Life

    Charcoal & Graphite

    You’ll begin with practical drawing exercises followed by a longer still-life study.

    You will learn:

    Introduction to still life

    Line quality and mark-making

    Understanding tone and depth

    Measuring and proportion

    Basic composition

    How to observe and draw accurately

    You’ll finish the day with a tonal still-life drawing and increased drawing confidence.

  • Session 2: Introduction to Colour with Acrylics

    Colour Theory & Limited Palette Painting

    This session focuses on understanding and controlling colour.

    You will learn:

    The colour wheel

    Warm vs cool colours

    Colour mixing and harmony

    How to create impact using a pared-down palette

    How to take an acrylic painting from start to finish

    You’ll complete a resolved acrylic painting using a limited palette approach.

  • Session 3: Introduction to Oils & Composition

    Oil Handling, Structure & Visual Impact

    This session introduces oil paint while developing compositional understanding more deeply.

    You will learn:

    Use and handling of water mixable oil paints

    Blending, layering and brush control

    Planning a painting using thumbnails and tonal studies

    Creating strong focal points

    Balance, rhythm and movement in composition

    You’ll produce a finished oil study with a clear compositional structure.

  • Session 4: Introduction to Mixed Media

    Optional Extension Day

    Texture, Layering & Experimental Approaches

    This creative expansion session encourages exploration and play.

    You will explore:

    Combining drawing with paint

    Collage and textured surfaces

    Ink, acrylic, charcoal and layered media

    Experimental mark-making

    Developing your personal visual language

    This session is ideal for loosening up creatively and discovering new directions in your work.

What Will You Gain?

Alongside individual session skills, you’ll also develop:

  • Confidence with professional materials

  • Strong visual observation

  • How to start and finish artwork

  • How to assess and improve your own work

  • How to work from observation


Level 1 Pricing & Savings

To book, please choose one of the options below and and click the link to complete the booking. You will need to state which month you would like to book. 

Early booking is strongly recommended due to very limited places.

  • £95 per session

    Perfect for first-timers, tasters, or flexible attendance.

  • £270 total (Save £15)

    Instead of £285

    → £90 per day

    Best option for students wanting a complete grounding in drawing, acrylics and oils.

  • £340 total (Save £40)

    Instead of £380

    → £85 per day

    Best value option for students who want both strong technical foundations and creative exploration through mixed media.

Book

Artists Mentoring

Would you benefit from artist mentoring? Are you just starting out on your journey as an artist, or doing a show for the first time? Or has your practice become stuck and you are looking for a new direction?

  • I have twenty years of experience as a professional artist.

  • I have experience of a Foundation in Art & Design, Art & Ecology Short Course and a degree in Applied Psychology including Counselling as a module within this.

  • I have experience both working with galleries and self promoting including curating my own shows and in all aspects of running an art practise.

  • I am proficient in Photoshop, Wordpress and have years of experience designing and sending marketing information to print.

  • I can provide feedback and advice on practical painting techniques and on creating collections. 

Short term mentoring

  • 1 Hour online for £85 (Discounted from £100)

  • Short preliminary questionnaire to access preferred outcome for session

  • Feedback based on a selection of work

  • 10-15 Mins spent looking/ 20 mins feedback/ 30 mins focused discussion/ OR your own preferred format

  • As your mentor, I will be looking and reading through your website and social media before the session

Longer term mentoring

  • This would be 6 hours, either every 2 or 4 weeks depending on your preference at the cost of £450 (Discounted from £510)

Purchase session