With Kate measham
Start the new year with a fresh take on painting. Kate Measham’s workshops are designed to shake things up a bit. We ALL get set in our ways.
These days will encourage you to take risks, to play, and to enjoy the process rather than focussing on an answer. Doing a still life is not an easy way out, not “I’m just doing a still life”. This is not how we view it. We think it as a vehicle to explore composition and why we paint and draw. It is just the beginning.
On these three, one day workshops you will be given rules, and constraints, suggestions and directions. Kate Measham will guide you through what you are going to do. You will step outside your comfort zone, try something new, take a risk.
You will be working towards one, or many pieces of work via drawing. If you want to use acrylics, watercolour, oils, pastels, ink, charcoal or pencil – all will be fine, or a mixture of whatever you fancy.
Below are three separate workshops. Please buy them individually. Materials lists are alike; your personal preferences are important.
Taking a Long View
- Tutor, Kate Measham
- 9th February, 2026
- 10.00- 4.00
- £90/day
- At Mottisfont Village Hall
- Suitable for intermediate students
- Please bring your own lunch
Please bring materials you are happy using. There must an element of colour (paint, ink, whatever) and drawing materials. You need a pad or sketchbook for taking notes, sketching and thinking. A few bits of large (A2) paper to draw on and a surface that can take colour (canvas, primed paper etc).
Please make sure you have relevant brushes, solvent, erasers, jam jars, apron, rubbish bag, newspaper.
I will provide still life materials.
What To Expect, Still Life, Taking a Long View
The day will start with drawing exercises followed by a brief discussion about still live.
What is ‘a long view’? Is it distance through time, or space? There will be exercises to explore different ideas about ‘a long view’. You will come up with a plan for the day, what you are going to explore and how you are going to start. Kate will help, discuss your plans with you and make suggestions where appropriate
You will be drawing and planning in the morning, and working with colour (or not colour) into the afternoon. The end results may not be finished entirely, but you will have taken a playful step into a new way to approach for all your work, not just still life.
This is a bit of a leap of faith. It will be different, risky (not really) and occasionally tricky.
Starting Somewhere Else
- Tutor, Kate Measham
- 9th March, 2026
- 10.00- 4.00
- £90/day
- At Mottisfont Village Hall
- Suitable for intermediate students
- Please bring your own lunch
Please bring materials you are happy using. There must an element of colour (paint, ink, whatever) and drawing materials. You need a pad or sketchbook for taking notes, sketching and thinking. A few bits of large (A2) paper to draw on and a surface that can take colour (canvas, primed paper etc).
Please make sure you have relevant brushes, solvent, erasers, jam jars, apron, rubbish bag, newspaper.
I will provide still life, and inspirational materials.
What to Expect on Starting Somewhere Else
The day will start with drawing exercises followed by a brief discussion about still live. The name of the workshop is based on the old joke:
- How do I get to the seaside?
- Well, I wouldn’t start from here.
How to start somewhere else involves looking elsewhere. This might be inspiration from other artists, from poets, films, walking down the street, junk shops, or from somewhere entirely different. It might be changing your palette, your methods, or all sorts of other options. This is looking for help, and research.
On this course you will be thinking about other artists and how they have interpreted still lifes.
Why is Still Life so Square?
- Tutor, Kate Measham
- 20th April, 2026
- 10.00- 4.00
- £90/day
- At Mottisfont Village Hall
- Suitable for intermediate students
- Please bring your own lunch
Please bring materials you are happy using. There must an element of colour (paint, ink, whatever) and drawing materials. You need a pad or sketchbook for taking notes, sketching and thinking. A few bits of large (A2) paper to draw on and a surface that can take colour (canvas, primed paper etc).
Please make sure you have relevant brushes, solvent, erasers, jam jars, apron, rubbish bag, newspaper.
I will provide still life and other materials.
What to Expect on Why is Still Life so Square?
The day will start with drawing exercises followed by a brief discussion about still live, and the use of the word square.
How to not be square is the aim. You will be encouraged to be neither square (nor rectangular) of shape, nor square of ambition. This could be as straight forward as painting a still life on a circular support, or it could be extravagantly wild.
We all buy canvases, pads, boards in regular shapes and sizes, pre-determined by someone else. If you turn up at an art class someone else has chosen the bits and pieces in the still life. If you want to enter an open competition there are often rules about size, framing, a theme etc. that you might not necessarily have chosen. Sometimes these constraints are good. Sometimes you should try doing what you want.
“I am here to live out loud.”
― Émile Zola
What to Expect on these Painting Strategy Workshops
Do not worry if it is a while since you picked up a pencil creatively, or a brush, or a stick of glue. If you have been painting for ages these sessions are also for you.These workshops are going to re-introduce the fun, the pleasure, occasional frustrations and delights that painting and drawing can bring. Kate Measham will support and encourage you to explore, experiment and enjoy the process.
If you have any questions email Kate Measham