with Eleanor Measham
We are delighted to have Eleanor Measham, an architect who spent some of her university career studying Stourhead, return to take this workshop. Join her for a guided springtime walk through an 18th century English landscape garden punctuated by architectural features and follies.
At this National Trust property you will produce quick, sketches at each stop along the route, creating a longer study (or studies) in the afternoon at your favourite chosen landscape feature, in a medium of your choosing.
We are not intending to go into the main house unless the weather is very, very bad.
- tutor, Eleanor Measham
- 13th May, 2024
- 10.00 – 16.00
- £80/head
- All abilities welcome and encouraged.
- Please note, you will have to buy your entrance ticket on arrival.
- In case of rain we will seek cover, but come prepared to brave the elements!
What to expect on Sketch and Stroll at Stourhead
When Stourhead first opened in the 1740s, a magazine described it as ‘a living work of art’. The world-famous landscape garden has at its centrepiece a magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, mystical grottoes, and rare and exotic trees, and offers a day of fresh air and discovery. Buildings and follies in the garden include the Temple of Flora, the Temple of Apollo and the Pantheon, which was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
You will spend the morning strolling around the gardens stopping at various vistas, follies and buildings to make quick sketches. After lunch you will choose which of your stopping points you want to investigate further. Eleanor will demonstrate her approach to sketching architecture in landscapes and help students with their choices and their work.
Please bring a picnic lunch if you wish, or have lunch in the cafe or local pub.
To find out more about a visit to Stourhead please follow this National Trust link: Stourhead
Suggested Materials
It is very easy to pack all your art materials into a backpack and exhaust yourself lugging them around. It is important to be comfortable, appropriately dressed for the day and have materials you enjoy using. It is probably best to use materials that work in a sketchbook – a portable easel is a bit of a faff. I tend to have a bag, or a shopper with wheels.
- comfortable shoes/ Waterproof clothing or t-shirt and shorts. Up to you
- Sketchbook (appropriate for drawing and for your other materials)
- Pencil case
- Preferred sketch materials, a combination of the following:
- Pencils
- Pens
- Watercolour
- Graphite
- Charcoal
- Oil pastels
- Brushes
- Rubber
- sharpener
- Clips
About Eleanor Measham
Eleanor is an experienced architect who practices drawing both professionally, to enhance her practice and for pleasure. She has spent many years practicing architecture in the US and UK. Her drawings have been commissioned and displayed in private collections, including the Hearst Foundation in New York. Ellie was awarded the drawing prize for her graduating class at the Yale School of Architecture, and various academic prizes for her design work at Cambridge university.
Currently Ellie works at an architectural practise in Marylebone, London, specializing in the sustainable renovation of heritage buildings for hospitality projects and private residences.
During her masters course at Yale, Eleanor spent the summer in Rome drawing buildings and sculpture, learning to really see her surroundings through drawing. Al fresco architectural sketching encourages you to really notice what’s around you, to celebrate the unexpected and capture a sense of space and character often missed in a simple photo.
