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On our Creative Mindfulness Courses you can relax, unwind, and develop both your creativity and well-being.
With this in mind, you will find a great selection of creative courses here, among which are: Developing Creative Flow, Nature Journalling and Slow Stitching.
So, simply scroll down to discover more details.
Select a creative mindfulness course to jump to the relevant sections on this page.
Developing Creative Flow
A 2 day course designed to reignite your creativity and develop your ability to make impactful imagery.
Nature Journalling
In this 2 day course, you will explore the benefits of becoming immersed in nature and develop creative content for a nature journal.
Slow Stitching
This creative 2-day course will explore the wonderful art of stitch. You will learn how to develop stitched patterns and create your own unique textile pieces.
Developing Creative Flow Course
This course ignites creativity and gets the creative juices flowing. Furthermore, when working in a ‘flow state,’ you can experience the joy of being creative and fully absorbed in a task. This is the very essence of creative mindfulness.
So you may want to attend this course if you are in need of inspiration or a creative reboot. Whatever your artistic experience, this course will surely help you to unleash your creative potential.
What is creative flow?
In summary, creative flow is producing art intuitively and without a script. In other words, you will experience creating art by making creative decisions as your work develops.
Furthermore, when creating in a flow state, you will also experience being fully immersed and absorbed in your work. You will learn how to let go and make art purely for pleasure with no rights or wrongs.
In conclusion, this course is a must for anyone in need of inspiration and willing to unleash their creative expression.
Overview of the creative flow course
To start, you will develop a playful approach to using media by completing lots of experiments. Therefore, the focus will be on mark-making and abstraction rather than depicting accurate representations of a particular subject.
In addition, there will be lots of source material to use for inspiration. Whether this is the patterns of animal skins or even tree bark. Whatever your choice, you will surely be inspired to make great art.
Throughout the course, you will be fully guided through step-by-step demonstrations in order for you to develop personal and creative art pieces.
Therefore, this course is suitable for all creative ability levels.
The techniques that we will cover during the creative flow course include…
- Being inventive with basic art materials such as wax crayons and oil pastels
- building layers and textures with collage and watercolour
- using resist methods such as wax resist
- how to use colour effectively
- how to ceate interesting and successful repeating motifs and patterns
- working intuitively and making spontaneous creative decisions
| Session | An example itinerary of the creative flow course: |
|---|---|
| Sat | We will meet at Backbury Studio at 10:30am for welcome introductions and morning refreshments. Afterwards, we will start the day by completing expressive experiments using mixed media. This will be a fully guided session with step-by-step demonstrations. The session will conclude at 3:30pm. |
| Sun | We will meet at Backbury Studio for morning refreshments at 10:30am. Following on, we will continue our creative flow experiments. The tutor will offer you a choice of imagery to be used as inspiration for more developed creative artworks. By the end of the course, you will have developed a range of experimental and creative artworks to help you in your future practice. |
| The course will conclude at 3:30pm. |
Developing Creative Flow Course
A 2-day course which includes professional tuition, refreshments and all course materials for just £185
To discover the next scheduled course and to book your ticket, please visit our Events & Bookings Page.
We do not include accommodation for this course. So, please visit our accommodation page to explore places to stay within the area.
Nature Journalling Course
This creative mindfulness course will involve becoming fully immersed in nature and experience the benefits of this activity. So, come and join us for this fabulous creative well-being course and escape from life’s pressures and reset your mindset.
In summary, we will start the course by undertaking a gentle nature walk where you will record observations about the beautiful nearby surroundings by listening, looking and investigating. In addition, you will be encouraged to record your observations through sketches, creative writing, rubbings, and foraging for creative inspiration.
Afterwards, you will use your experiences to develop a personal nature journal which may contain creative writing and sketches, for example. You will also explore techniques such as: collage, printmaking and other crafting techniques in order to develop a creative approach to nature journalling.
What’s more, we include both a spring and autumn nature journalling course in order to capture the diversity of the different seasons.
Please note that great care will be taken to cater for all artistic ability levels as we offer one-to-one tailored support for all attendees.
During the Nature Journalling course you will:
- Experience a gentle 2/3-mile nature walk within the surrounding picturesque Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Undertake practical sessions exploring how nature can inspire creative writing and expressive drawing.
- Receive expert tuition through practical workshops in drawing, painting, printmaking and crafting techniques.
- Benefit from individual, tailored support from a fully-qualified teacher.
| Day | An example itinerary of the Nature Journalling Course: |
|---|---|
| Sat | Meeting at Backbury House at 10:30am, we will then complete a nature walk to a nearby nature reserve and woodland. During our gentle walk, we will take time to absorb our surroundings and develop our observational skills. This will be a fully guided session. Later, back at the art studio, we will start to develop our nature journals and you will be guided in drawing and painting activity inspired by your findings. In addition, you will be encouraged to use annotation and poetry to develop your responses. The session will conclude at 3:30pm. |
| Sun | We will meet at Backbury Studio for morning refreshments at 10:30am. Following on, we will then spend the day exploring a variety of creative techniques in order to further develop your nature journals. The emphasis will be on completing expressive and explorative pages. During these sessions, you will be offered tailored one-to-one support in order for your to develop your personal approach to nature journalling. |
| The course will conclude at 3:30pm. |
Nature Journalling Course
A 2-day course which includes professional tuition, refreshments and all course materials for just £170
To discover the next scheduled course and to book your ticket, please visit our Events & Bookings Page.
We do not include accommodation for this course. So, please visit our accommodation page to explore places to stay within the area.
Slow Stitching
This wonderfully relaxing and creative course celebrates the art of stitch. So, you will not only learn how to create unique and special pieces, but you will also discover how stitching can be a creative mindfulness practice.
In short, when you stitch, you are encouraged to slow down and become fully absorbed in your work. As a result, your mind and body will become relaxed. Therefore, slow stitching offers a truly creative and expressive way in which to improve your wellbeing and creative mindfulness techniques.
Overview of the course
The focus of the course will be on producing creative stitching. Therefore, there will be no prescribed or complicated patterns to follow. Instead, you will develop free-flowing and meaningful textiles pieces.
This course is suitable for all abilities as there will be full demonstration and individual support offered throughout.
In summary, you will learn:
- how to use basic embroidery stitches to create pattern
- how to develop effective and creative samplers
- how to use appliqué expressively
- how to incorporate scraps and found objects creatively
A contemporary approach
Contemporary textiles artists use stitch in a creative way in order to produce imaginative artworks.
Textiles artists such as: Lindsey Gradolph, Jennifer Lamontagne and Helen Wilde all use stitch creatively.
During the course, you will have opportunity to view and discuss other artist’s work in order to gain insight and inspiration.
| Day | An example itinerary of the Slow Stitch Course: |
|---|---|
| Sat | We will meet at Backbury Studio at 10:30am for welcome introductions and morning refreshments. Afterwards, you will start creating a stitched sampler exploring basic embroidery stitches. Following this, you will be invited to experiment with decorative patterns using stitch combined with applique and embellishments. By the end of the first session, you will have created a range of creative stitched samples. The session will conclude at 3:30pm. |
| Sun | We will meet at Backbury Studio for morning refreshments at 10:30am. Following on, you will then be introduced to the work of different textiles artists who use narrative within their work. After an initial discussion about the artworks, you will then be invited to create your own personal designs. You will have opportunity to fully explore a range of stitch techniques in order to realise your design ideas. You will be offered individual tailored support throughout the day, as required. |
| The course will conclude at 3:30pm. |
Slow Stitching Course
A 2-day course which includes professional tuition, refreshments and all course materials for just £185
To discover the next scheduled course and to book your ticket, please visit our Events & Bookings Page.
We do not include accommodation for this course. So, please visit our accommodation page to explore places to stay within the area.
Creative Mindfulness Further Reading
Quick links to alternative weekend courses
Backbury House Retreats
Backbury House
Checkley
Hereford
HR1 4NA
sbrookes@bhretreats.co.uk
07584 081970