Workshops and Retreats
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Northumberland, October 2023
I am over the moon to be sharing my local area of Northumberland for another workshop. This time we dive deep into history and a sense of atmosphere and place – the castles and ruins that dominate this landscape and remind us of times long since passed.
We will explore iconic historical landmarks such as the gloriously decadent Alnwick Castle and Gardens – Ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland (and, of course, made famous by the story of a certain boy wizard Harry Potter).
Holy Island is a very special place – separated from the mainland by a tidal causeway, the Priory is the scene of the Viking invasion of Britain, and the Lindisfarne Castle is an instantly recognisable silhouette on this tiny island.


Warkworth Castle is my favourite castle in the area and is fascinating in its darkened and shadowed chambers, passageways, and archways. Wonderful, mysterious and sure to inspire our creativity during this workshop.
There are so many hidden and treasured locations to explore in Northumberland. It’s a challenge to pick only a few! Layers and layers of history, shape, texture, atmosphere and narrative are abundant, and we will gather lots of inspiration to create unique interpretations of our response to all that is to be discovered here.
Doorways, arched windows, crumbling walls, ancient textures and text. Silhouettes and shadows. Heraldry and statues. Decadence and decay. The marks left by those long since departed. The colours in the landscape and ancient buildings. We will gather personal interpretations of all these things, which we will use to spark even deeper exploration back in the studio.
I will be demonstrating various simple ways of gathering inspiration from the fascinating multi-layered forms of castles and the priory. The shapes we find in ruins will be the spark that will inspire sculptural book forms with mixed media with an additional focus on texture and atmosphere. Shadowy, inky colour washes, flowing, gestural lines and wonderful mark-making and textural details. Layers that fold out to form fascinating interpretations of the wonderful ancient architecture of the area.
These books could then inspire some larger mixed media interpretations and compositions that build history and atmosphere, lost and found structures and evocative details layer upon layer.

This workshop is organised by Kathie Vezzani of Bellissima Art Escapes. Please visit her website for further details and registration information.
https://www.bellissimaartescapes.com/art-escapes-2023/northumberlandgillianleesmith