Sarah Palmer and Denise Franklin

Our approach to teaching this kind of drawing workshop has come from our creative practice, our shared walks and our talks when we are outside drawing together. Sarah makes sculpture and ceramics and Denise is a painter. They have different approaches to drawing based on their respective training – Sarah was encouraged to draw as a way of expressing craft and design ideas and Denise was encouraged to draw as an end in itself or as a preliminary activity to painting. Together they employ a variety of techniques and approaches that means any group working with them gets huge value – both in 1-1 attention to group members and as two artists illuminating their practice and being able to share their knowledge and philosophy. We do not believe that there is a ‘perfect drawing’ and this two day course is for everyone who would like to record what they see, rekindle their relationship with drawing or just begin to do it. We will encourage you to use the two days to explore your relationships with your creativity and we believe that giving people the the opportunity to explore simple techniques to record what they see can be illuminating for their professional and creative lives.

The group will explore together the use of different papers, pencils, charcoal, chalk, water based paints and inks, wax, fine liners, sticks, erasers, pens etc. Each person will leave the course with at least four handmade books which will document their personal recordings. These books will include drawings, marks, collage, words, inspirations, found objects, thoughts, conversations and montage. The books that are made are personal documents which can be extended or referred to once the weekend has finished. We think you will leave with Increased confidence, a greater insight into your creativity, an intentional shared experience and rich conversations with other people. We recently ran a similar workshop with the Crafts Council new awardees and this is quote from a person in the group: “I could have done this all day! It was great to be drawing without a purpose in mind and reminded me how important these exercises can be in developing space for thinking.”

After warming up in the Orangery we will take you to draw outside in the wonderful grounds of West Dean and ask you to develop some timed sketches using a variety of papers and drawing materials. We will then come back to work in the airy Orangery studio to develop ideas and play with materials and techniques. We will be working small and large scale and we will encourage you to experiment with mark making in the broadest sense of the word. Part of the two days will include an informal feedback and reflection period where we will encourage everyone to talk about the days and their recordings.

The work for the joint exhibitions that Sarah and Denise develop together are inspired by their observations of the landscape to the east of Hastings around Romney Marsh, Pett Level and Rye Harbour - an area of remarkable coastal vegetation, cliff land dwellings, nature reserves and ancient fishing and farming communities. We have used the experience of regularly meeting together to draw in the landscape as a way of sharing thoughts about our creative practice as well as instilling a discipline which feeds into our studio work. The collaborative nature of this work has been the backbone of several landscape inspired exhibitions. We most recently worked together to create Land 2, a showcase for ourselves and other contemporary artists who are also inspired to create work about the environment.

Currently, we are working towards a show in October – “Of night and light and half light” which will comprise paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures and furniture. The show is at Rye Art Gallery and is on from October 16th – November 14th. We will be curating a show in Fairlight, East Sussex, this September as part of the Coastal Currents festival – the show will feature print, paintings, sculpture and drawings. Sarah is showing her work as part of the Rye Society of Artists from July to September 2010.

Sarah: University of Wolverhampton: M.A. in Art and Design (Distinction) State University of New York at Buffalo: Advanced course in Ceramics Goldsmiths College, University of London: B. Ed., Cert.Ed. Denise: University of East London – Post Grad Dip. Visual Theories Newcastle Poly – BA Hons Fine Art & Art History Middlesex Poly – Foundation Art

Denise teaches visual art regularly as part of the Excellence cluster in Hastings. She is a qualified Teacher/assessor for Trinity Guildhall Arts Awards and a qualified facilitator for ‘Drawing & Talking’ (therapeutic work with young people). Sarah has taught at BTEC, Foundation, City and Guilds, undergraduate and post graduate levels. She is a fully qualified arts trainer and has delivered many workshops as a visual arts practitioner and consultant to the creative sector.

Denise and Sarah have shown their work widely both here and abroad. Joint exhibitions include - Hastings Museum; The Easton Rooms; Rye Art Gallery; Cockpit Arts, London; Claude Andre Galerji, Brussels, Belgium; Wolverhampton Museum; For Arts Sake, London; Six to Six Gallery, New York; Carnegie Cultural Centre, North Tonawanda, New York; Oak Passage Studios, Hastings; Rye Harbour Church, Coastal Currents; St. Mary’s in the Castle, Hastings; Brewery Arts Centre, Gloucestershire.

Denise was featured in Coast magazine in 2008 – profiling her work as an artist in the coastal environment. Sarah is an advisor to government bodies such as the Crafts Council and has contributed to evaluation and academic research in her role as a consultant to the creative sector.

Denise is co-founder of Carbon - www.carboninteriors .com Sarah is co-director of Palmer Hamilton Partnership LTD. www.palmerhamilton.co.uk Rye Society of Artists. Founding members of ‘Walking Talking and Drawing’ group. Consultant to Claremont Studios – an artist’s led studio complex in Hastings. Member of ‘Drawing and Talking Ltd.’