The Prince's Drawing School...

9th November 2011

North Highland Connections

Working with the community at Lybster

In August and September NHC promoted two highly successful events which both involved the local community.

From 1st to 10th August fifteen postgraduate students and staff of The Prince's
Drawing School were based at North Lands Creative Glass centre in Lybster. This
year, thanks to additional funding support from the Highland LEADER programme, and from the Robertson and Gannochy foundations, the scope of the event was significantly expanded to involve local artists in two open days, when they had an opportunity to work beside the students, under the direction of the distinguished painter and art critic, William Feaver. Another innovation was the morning classes for local children.

One of the 'local' artists taking part was, in fact, on vacation in the area. She
wrote afterwards "I make my best work when I am learning or inventing, which is
what the constant study of nature forces me to do. This event in the North Highlands
was one of the most exciting and productive days of work I have ever done. Amazing
light, ever-changing weather and vast amounts of dramatic, empty country to explore. I am certain to return there."

The local children had an equally engaging experience. On the Friday, a 'Drawing
Lybster' workshop was held. In the first half of the session children (along with
some parents and grandparents) were taken out into the main street with drawing
materials and focused on drawing buildings, local landmarks and other features of
the village, with guidance and encouragement from the students. On returning to
the studio, the children used their sketches as a starting point for more imaginative
drawing onto a large roll of paper that was soon covered with images from local
folklore, nature and creatures of the sea!

The following Monday, the children returned for a portrait painting workshop, with
the focus on colour mixing. A few postgraduate students posed as models so that
the children had a variety of faces to look at. Each time a new model posed, the children added a new colour to their palette so that their paintings became increasingly complex as they explored the ideas of light and shade and tonal variation in the human head. At the exhibition, these portrait paintings were displayed on two walls, with the portraits painted by the Drawing School students lined up beneath them.