Botanical Artist • Creative guide • Circle Keeper
Botanical art, seasonal women’s circles, and nature-led creativity with Ellie Green — guiding you back to your wild spirit.
If you've been longing to use a sketchbook but keep getting stuck at the blank page, perhaps Soul Journaling could be your way in.
You don't need to be an artist. You don't need to know how to draw. And you certainly don't need to know what you're going to make before you start.
Read MoreIn early 2023, an enquiry dropped into my emails from Hampton Estate in Puttenham, just the other side of Guildford.
The team there were looking for an Artist with a keen interest in Nature to help create some visual elements, including a map, for a beautiful restoration project - rewilding an old dairy pond on their farm - aiming to bring it ‘back to life’ so it could become a dipping pond / outdoor education space for local primary schools and other visitors.
They already had some funding and had acquired the expertise of the inimitable ‘Pete the Pond’ to undertake the physical and natural restoration of the pond, which included a detailed planting plan to invite wildlife back to this body of water.
Having met Pete and the rest of the team, I could not have been more thrilled to be involved in this project and I visited the site multiple times to see the works progress.
By the summer of that same year, the pond was utterly transformed - and I can’t tell you how good it was for the soul to see the pond now teeming with life, wildflowers abundant at its borders and dragonflies whizzing around and skimming the surface.
My task was to create a map of the pond and an illustrated information board - letting visitors know what kind of plants, fungi and wildlife to expect on site. I also created an educational learning pack for local primary schools with a range of suggested activities and endless information about the living beings in this space.
Every part of this project was a delight to work on - it gave me so much hope to see such a small and dedicated team create such a monumental change in such a short window of time - literally breathing new life into a body of water that was dirty and stagnant just 6 months prior. A great reminder that it only takes a small group of people working together with a shared vision to create tangible and lasting change in this world.
Earlier this Autumn I was invited to the ITV This Morning Woodland set to share my love of Botanical Monoprinting with award winning designer Banjo Beale.
The brief was to show Banjo how to print from Nature onto paper menus and fabric napkins and I couldn’t think of a better plant to choose than our native Bracken which grows in abundance in the woods around here and prints well onto both surfaces.
We used my favourite Cranfield Safewash Inks to ink up the bracken - using the back of the fern (which is more textured) for the paper menus and the front (flatter)side of the fern for the fabric.
A little technical note when printing onto fabric : because the surface of fabric is already textured, you’ll need a lot more ink and will get a better effect by inking the flatter side of the fern. You’ll also need to apply as much pressure as possible when burnishing your print. Once the ink on your print has dried completely, put the fabric in the wash at 30 degrees (40 degrees max) to fix the final print.
Did you know that ferns are one of the oldest living species of plants? They are an ancient plant Ancestor - dating back 350 million years when they first emerged from the sea and started to grow on land. Not only were they one of the first plants to emerge, when they did they created oxygen which enabled more plants to grow.
If you’d like to learn more about Botanical Mono-printing, check out my Botanical Monoprinting online tutorial here which comes with an optional starter kit of materials with everything you need to print at home.
You can also pick up one of my hand-made prints in a new section of our web-shop soon!
“From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring...”
Hello beautiful people and a warm welcome to our Spring Newsletter,
I’m going to kick off with a few happy headlines for the season ahead…
Happy Headlines:
Our Spring season of Print Club kicks in just a few days (it’s not to late to hop on board) and booking opens on our Spring Season of Sketchbook Club this week too!
In person workshops wise I’ll be at Painshill Park this Friday - bringing my dose of mindful chill to a lovely Eggs and Nest Painting workshop playing with Watercolours and Ink. If you’re in the Cobham area, come and play!
I’m back in the woods with The Salt Box later this month too - we still have a few spots left on our Spring Events if you’d like to join us in the woods and be #nurturedbynature 🌲
And finally, I’ve just added NEW dates for our Mindful Photography Walks at the stunning Buckland Park Lake. Join me for a Woodland Walk and learn all about moss and lychen; or take an early summer stroll with me and look for Wildflowers. As with all my teaching, these walks are beginner kind and all you need is your phone-camera and an open mind.
It’s been a long Winter my friends and in many ways, Winter is still biting at our ankles as the first days of April unfold. This past couple of months, couple of years have been hard on us all, stretched us to our limits and this year I’ve felt I’ve needed Spring more than ever before. That certainly that things will shift, lift, and lighten as the days pass. That nothing is ever permanent, that we are and always will be in a constant state of change.
When the days are at their darkest, when the shadows creep in, Spring is hope. Spring is sun on our skin. And when it feels like it’s all going to shite - it’s more important than ever that we all seed the light.
This Spring marks the closing of a chapter for us here and so it many ways it feels like a new year. Despite ‘it all’ my friends we are still here and with each new day, each new spring bloom I spot on my walks, I feel my heart shifting, softening, as it lets the light in…
Over the next year we’ll continue to hold space for our vibrant online communities at Sketch and Print Club. I’ll be teaching in person once or twice a month, working some incredible practitioners and in some stunning locations.
And I’ll be taking one day a week to focus on my own budding creative practice over at elliegreenartist - answering a deep calling to sink into my own expression - through pen, through brush. The days of Ellie Green rushing around from pillar to post are a ghost of the past as I no longer want to move fast - I’d rather take things slow, let the little moments move me and let life unfold.
As always, deepest gratitude to you all for staying with me on the ever unfolding journey…
So much love and light - Ellie xxx
Spring is a busy time of year over here, as all the seeds we planted at Imbolc burst into life. With Easter just around the corner, this week sees the launch of our Spring Season of Sketchbook Club on Tuesday 5th April and there’s still time to sign up to Spring Print Club too - the first lesson goes live on Thursday 7th April with a focus on Lithography!
Our Spring Season theme is Floriography - simply put, this is the language and symbolism of flowers. Within the art of floriography, every flower carries its own special meaning or symbolism, and this can also be influenced by its variety and colour. Over the Spring season we’ll look at which flowers are in ‘bloom’ in May, June and July - with each tutorial exploring flowers associated to the month of the year when they appear.
The Spring season focus for Print Club is Lithography and is suitable for complete beginners as well as those looking to extend their current practice.
This season we’ll cover:
Kitchen Lithography (a simple approach to lithography using kitchen materials)
Photo / paper Lithography ( working with photocopies of drawings or photos to ‘lift’ a print from the surface)
* Profits from this workshop go towards the protection and preservation of Painshill Park for future generations..
Join Surrey Art School founder Ellie Green at the Eggs and Nest Painting Workshop*
A calming and mindful art workshop, where you’ll be working with drawing inks, a range of brushes and Daniel Smith Artist Watercolour paints to create a lovely seasonal study of eggs in a nest. This workshop is broken into simple stages that are ever so satisfying and beginner friendly.
All materials are included in this workshop.
Join us for an inspiring, beginner friendly, Mindful Photography Walk at the stunning Buckland Park Lake*, led by Surrey Art School founder Ellie Green. All you need is your mobile phone or digital camera and an open mind!
Woodland Mindful Photography Walk - Friday 6th May or Saturday 6th May 2022 | 10:00 to 11:00 am
Summer Wildflower Walk - Friday 3rd June or Saturday 4th June 2022 | 10:00 to 11:00
We have some beautiful collabs planned with The Salt Box this season including our ever popular Mono-printing & Woodland Lunch (new date added due to popularity!) and a beautiful NEW! Spring foraging Walk and Botanical Drawing workshop coming up in May. The latter will include a new approach to learning about and recording our surroundings - as we delve into Nature Journaling and will finish up with a lovely Spring inspired picnic!
For those of you a little further afield - or preferring the comforts of home right now - let us bring Spring to you! We have a Wild Inks Gift Set now available in our Art Shop, which includes FREE tutorial for creating Inky Easter-inspired eggs - a great little taste of what we do here that comes with all the tools to do it and can be posted straight to your doorstep!
And for those of you looking something a little more in depth and deeply calming - Ellie’s NEW Spring Watercolour Wreath Workshop will have your creativity blooming in no time - packed with nifty little tricks for painting botanicals - this tutorial comes with the option of a full starter kit too! Woohoo!
This gift set is for the wild ones, the free spirits who roam the hills foraging for inspiration. This gift set includes a free 25 minute pre-recorded tutorial with some of SAS founder Ellie Green’s best tricks getting wild with inks!
This gift set contains:
An A5 Surrey Art School Sketchbook containing 140gsm All-Media Cartridge Paper
2 sheets of A5 Watercolour Paper, NOT surface (cold pressed), 300gsm acid free
High pigment 20ml Drawing Inks in Black (Indian Ink), Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber, Bleachable
A Wooden Dip Pen and Size 2 Copperplate Nib
A Size 6 White Synthetic Round Brush
Click here for a little taste of Ellie’s NEW! Spring inspired Watercolour Wreath Workshop!
A little reminder from me that there is no set path in life, no ‘one way’ you could say. The path ahead splits, twists and turns to the tune of your own thoughts. Our beliefs, the stories we hold true - that hold me, hold you on a set course, are mapped entirely by our own design. And we can change direction at any time….
And as it’s Sunday - pop this little soul soother, heart opener of a hymn on and take a moment to let these words move through you.
This is a time of deep healing, deep release, as we let go of old stories, versions of ourselves, relationships, energetic cords that bind and entwine us and free up space for grace, for new and beautiful things to arrive in our lives.
I know there are so many beautiful things on the horizon for each and every one of you...Make space.
Hello beautiful souls, members of the Sketch community past and present,
It’s been a while so I wanted to pop on and say hello…
What little of you may know, and I felt called to share with you today - is that through the highs and lows of running Surrey Art School, since the very beginning and to this day – I have always considered Sketchbook Club and it’s members to be the beating heart of our school.
This, the one we made together, is a coming together of souls all of whom share a deep love and appreciation of / a deep sense of belonging to / the natural world and it’s seasons.
All of us, looking to express this divine connection through creativity.
It’s safe to say that you guys really are ‘my people’.
And so, as I stand at the precipice of an exciting new era over here - a new beginning, both for Surrey Art School and for me, as an Artist – I wanted you, my heart community, to be the first to know how I see this bright new tomorrow unfolding…
Firstly after 5 years of running our studio as a venue for workshops and classes, I have decided not to reopen the studio for regular classes. Running this space has been a dream come true, with so many beautiful memories made that I will treasure forever - however it’s time for me to move out of the role ‘venue manager’ and to dream a new dream my friends!
The studio will remain closed as a venue but open on Tuesday mornings during term time from 10:00 to 14:00 for click and collect on our Art Shop.
We’d like to reconnect with you – whether you’re an existing subscriber, used to attend our classes in the past, or are interested in learning more about what we teach and how – it would be so nice to see you at one of our upcoming Socials at Capel Memorial Hall.
Social dates: Tuesday 22nd February & Tuesday 15th March 2022 12:30 to 14:30. Follow the link below to join us for a Social or read on…
What’s on offer:
- Unlimited Tea and biscuits
- Demos from Ellie and a chance to ‘have a go’
- Individual sketchbook advice / feedback and technical support.
- Time to work on your project
What’s it for?
To raise money for Wildlife Aid, reconnect with our local community and friends, to offer inspiration if you’re feeling ‘stuck' creatively. Support and advice from Ellie.
I’m taking a running jump at something new my friends and it’s thrilling and terrifying in equal measure - as the best things often are.
In life I believe there are two paths we can take - the fated path, the one that seems seems somehow limited to one aspect of the self - or the soul led path - one that embraces all aspects of the self, nurtures each facet of the heart.
On this latter path, I believe that there are hidden gems within us, just waiting to be discovered, awakened…
In order to live a soul led life, we must first let go of the expectations that we have placed upon ourselves, or unwittingly absorbed on our journey through life. In their place we must make space - to be quiet, to listen, to try new things and to explore - only then will these new aspects of ourselves to be revealed.
As we gently peel away the layers of conditioning and allow ourselves the right conditions to flourish - we begin to discover our true talents.
This is the journey I’m on right now and I’ve found that launching my own artist page is already allowing me to express parts of myself that have until now, not had the space to emerge…
Follow my unfolding journey here: https://www.instagram.com/elliegreenartist/
As the weather begins to shift and we move ever closer to Spring, it’s time for me to gently poke my nose out from my Winter hibernation and to kick off my seasonal workshops at some stunning venues in and around Surrey. You best hurry though as tickets are moving fast my friends…
I’m back in the woods with The Salt Box come Spring doing my thing with Botanical Watercolours, Mono-Printing and a gorgeous NEW Spring foraging and Botanical Drawing Walk in collab with my dearest Salt Box Beckie. All these events include a delicious lunch and take place in the freshest air!
Mindful Photography at Buckland Park Lake
My workshops at Buckland Park Lake are divinely simple and totally beginner friendly - bring along your Iphone or Android Phone and join me for a beautiful, slow and mindful walk around the lake. Just 1 space left if you’d like to join me in March.
A lovely Easter- themed workshop as I return to Painshill Park this Spring, bringing a fun, beginner friendly egg and nest painting tutorial to the table. A lovely mixed-media workshop working with inks, watercolours and some of my very special brushes!
As you know, I like to reward those of you who reach the end of my words with a little anecdote, a story or some music.
Well today I’m offering all three…
On the VERY last day of a VERY long January that had felt VERY much like wading through treacle…I dusted off my hat and took a train to London to watch the amazing Spells Songs live in concert.
And as I watched Jackie Morris waving her magic paintbrush, hymns of nature swirling around her in notes and song, I was just so deeply moved, inspired and utterly, well, spell-bound.
What inspired me most I think, was witnessing this incredible collaboration between musicians, writers, artists - bringing together their skills in harmony to create an offering with a heartfelt message.
A message of hope to all the ‘silver seekers’ out there, little gifts of light in the rising darkness of the modern day.
I needed that light, that reminder, that moment.
I needed to know that there were others out there, like me, who believed in a better future for our planet, who wanted to be a good ancestor.
And most of all, I needed to know that in order to do this I didn’t need to change a thing - simply wave my magic paintbrush and raise my voice to sing about the things I care about.
If you’re still here, scroll down to the link below to listen to the Lost Words Blessing.
May it inspire you to raise your voice, your magic brush too.
May it spark something in you…
Artwork by : Jackie Morris
Happy Friday beautiful people and welcome to my little weekend round up of local creative events coming up over the month of June!
Summer is on its way folks and at this time of the year, the Surrey Hills truly burst into bloom. It’s high season for creativity and the perfect time to get out and re-connect with the local scene.
June is always a busy month for us creatives here in the Surrey. With lockdown restrictions easing and spaces and places slowly re-opening, my calendar is suddenly brimming with opportunities to reconnect with my fellow creatives.
So much so I couldn’t resist popping together my own little creative guide to Surrey letting you know about some of the workshops, exhibitions and markets happening locally that you do not want to miss.
As I mentioned earlier this week, so many of my creative colleagues are embarking on new adventures this season and I’ll be heading out to visit them over the coming month, I wanted to throw out the invitation to you guys too.
Check out my selection of little local studios, workshops and events below…
Artwork: Carolyn Gavin
Do you remember the lovely Emily Chilvers and her beautiful basket weaving workshops at the studio? Well Emily is very much back from her travels and ready to weave, breathe and make with you all once again. She’s got some lovely workshops coming up in Brockham and over in Sutton over the coming month and I highly recommend checking them out! Interested? Emily is offering an exclusive 10% discount on all her upcoming workshops for members of the Surrey Art School community (that’s you guys). Book via her website using the code: SAS21
Tis the season for Artists across Surrey to throw open their doors and share some of their beautiful creations with the local community. We’d love to be taking part this year but with things still a little up in the air in terms of the studio the timing just didn’t work for us this year. We are however delighted to share some of our top tips of local studios that we think will be just dreamy to visit!
Remember the magnificent Jo Hannah Ceramics? She used to teach regular mindful ceramics workshops here at the studio pre-pandemic and became a dear friend to me over the years. I’ve always had a deep love for Jo’s work, with its inspiration deeply rooted in nature, state changes, transformation. You can see Jo’s work at the Wey Ceramics Society Open Studio this weekend. Click on the button below for more info.
If you’ve not had the pleasure of visiting the lovely Andy at Parkgate Pottery right here in Newdigate, you are in for a treat my friends. Andy runs a variety of in person ceramics workshops from her stunning garden studio as well as working on her own unique creations. This one is a magic maker with a pottery wheel and her glazes / designs are divine. Plus she’s the kind of person I could sit and chat to over numerous cups of tea because she’s such a darling. Why not pop her a visit this weekend and dive in to her world?
Three wonderful creative souls under one roof - I just had to give a shout out to my lovely friends Imogen Hartridge and Tania Busschau whom I had the pleasure in exhibiting with in 2019 and 2020 at Denbies pre-pandemic. These two talented local artists have teamed up with yet another local legend Cathy Brett and you can visit them in Leatherhead over the next couple of weekends. Check out there opening times here.
And finally, this Sunday 13th June you can catch the Summer Market - curated by Dapper and Suave - 11:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG
” A curated pop-up department store for handmade businesses featuring artwork, beauty, candles, jewellery, ceramics, fashion, food & gifts for the home and you. This event gives exhibitors a showcase to share their passion for what they make by bring their events into the 21st Century where a friendly, unique, and creative welcome will await you as a customer.”
As always Jason has put together a cracking line up of creatives and makers of all kinds. This event is FREE folks but you’ll have to book a ticket to gain entry using the link below!
I’ve always felt that fate brought me here, to these beautiful hills, this place I now call home. It is so rare to find a place where there are so many creative people and such a thriving creative community. Art and creativity have been such an anchor for us all over the past year and now our Artists need us more than ever - to keep the arts alive! So lets get out there and support this beautiful community of makers this month!
Hope to see you at a workshop, market or open studio soon!
Artwork by Jenny Askew / Sketchbook Club Autumn Season
Listen to the wisdom of the trees..for trees know you can be still and grow at the same time…
The Autumn of 2020 has truly been a season like no other - the first certainly where we’ve been actively encouraged to stay as far away from one another as possible. One where many of us have felt isolated, alone and yet, despite all this, as a creative community we have still grown, together. Since the end of the summer in late August, Sketchbook Club tutors and students alike have been gently percolating on this beautiful theme - The Wisdom in the Woods.
After the wild shifts of the summer season, where we spent much of our time adjusting the sails to the stormy seas around us, it was time to connect to an energy and a theme that would ground us and help breathe light into the darker days of Autumn - and this journey has been nothing short of awesome.
For those of you curious as to how the structure of our online class works, here’s SAS founder Ellie Green introducing the theme for the Autumn season. We teach using a combination of approaches - pre-recorded tutorials and general pep talks, a private facebook group where we connect as a community to share our progress and gain feedback on our work and our online learning portal which is packed with downloadable resources to keep the inspiration flowing from week to week. Because our lessons are pre-recorded, students are able to acccess the tutorial in their own time, at their own pace. There’s no race to the finish line with us, we give our students plenty of time in between and after lessons to gently digest each stage of the process.
For the first time this Autumn we were able to gather our members face to face, albeit outdoors and at a safe distance, for a morning of mindful creativity. This was a very special moment for us all and a memory we truly treasured as we moved through the season.
After a long summer spent working apart, together, our hearts were oh so full when we stole ourselves away to Leith Hill, Surrey for a morning of socially distanced creativity, connecting to the magic of the woodland at Leith Hill. Ellie ran a beautiful forest bathing meditation and shared some tips on Mindful Photography as we moved through the woods. From the top of the hill we used brush pens to create some quick studies of the stunning pines that line the hillside and are so characteristic of the Surrey Hills. We hope to be able to meet again at a later stage of the Winter season when its safe to do so as this was such a special moment.
Photo: Leyla G Photography
Photo: Leyla G Photography
Our starter kit for the Autumn term, as with every term of our online Sketchbook Club class, included a mystery item. For this season we included an Oak Gall Ink making kit! Working from an original recipe that dates back to medieval times, when oak gall ink was used in some of the earliest written manuscripts, we created our own ink and used it to capture the majestic beauty of Autumnal Oak trees. We learned that Oak Gall ink is quite simply magical and should be used with a light touch as the ink itself changes tone as it dries - much to everyone’s surprise!
Take a look into the Sketchbooks of some of our students over the Autumn season. Through a mixture of observational drawing, photography, print-making and painting we captured the changes in the forest through the season - creating studies of trees, leaves, bark, mushrooms, woodland mice, moss, lychen and so much more! Mono-printing was a firm favourite with our students this term so we’ll definitely be bringing some print-making magic to our Winter season too.
And finally, here you’ll find but a small snippet of the absolutely spectacular outcomes that some of our students have shared with us this term. Of course outcomes are but a small part of the creative journey itself but they are a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and these students have come such a long way both in confidence + skill this term - so its a true honour to be able to share some of their highlights from the term here. To all our students - we are so proud of you for being brave, stepping gently out of your comfort zone with us and making this commitment to your own creativity and well-being!
A huge thank-you to everyone in our growing online community for taking the leap and joining us to learn online this year. On behalf of my tutor team we’d like to wish you all a lovely restful Christmas break and can’t wait to get back to class in early January for the start of our Winter Season. For more on Sketchbook Club follow the link below and if you’d like to hear what our students think of Sketchbook Club, scroll down for just a snippet of some of the amazing words you’ve shared about your creative journey with us this year!
Hop on board!
Everyone is welcome to join our warm and supportive online community and we’ll be there to support and guide you every step of the way!
And so today we offer you a rare and so precious sneak peek INSIDE the sketchbooks of some of the students who joined us this season online, for our summer project: METAMORPHOSIS 🌱
What an epic time to sink into this theme. We kicked off the project in early May, just as the lockdown restrictions began to ease a little and used as our sketchbooks as a chance to reflect on the continual changes around us on the inside.
The theme allowed us to observe the natural world - a place where change seemed almost effortless. As they say, a flower never asks when it’s time to bloom.
We encouraged our students to use their daily exercise to take some mindful photos and to look to their gardens and closer surroundings to note the tiny changes around them.
Here are a few highlights and milestones from our summer term online - so kindly shared by our students so you can get a SNEAK PEAK inside their sketchbooks - oh my how we’ve all grown despite the restrictions in the wider world!
With special thanks to: Honey, Angela, Ian, Izzie, Aurelie, Jenny, Rachel, Lizzy, Alison for contributing to these images!
And so as our summer term comes to a close, our students are just beginning to bring some of the ideas they explored over the summer season, to some sort of a conclusion. Here are a few of the final pieces they’ve developed in the past weeks - which really speak for themselves in terms of the love and care that has gone in there! We’ll keep adding to this as our students send them through!
And finally, you don’t need to take our word for it - here are a few beautiful words from our current students reflecting on the summer term with us!
So if all of this feels like your cup of tea, why not join our online community. Our regular online classes are suitable for all levels and abilities and you’ll find a gentle supportive creative community that you can reach and out and connect to from the sanctuary of your own home as we move into the Autumn season.
With immense gratitude to all our existing students who have made this summer term just so magical - each and every one of you brings joy and inspiration to our lives on a daily basis and we love you dearly!
Ellie, Jacqui, Janice & Nikki xxxx
How can we make sure we start the day right, even if we get out of the wrong side of bed?
These days the thoughts seem to rattle around in my head before I’ve even opened my eyes. It’s all part of the process, I guess, or the subconscious processing that these strange times seem to have accelerated.
So I’ve made a few changes to my morning routine that help me get my head in check first thing:
1. Wake up, kettle on and drink a pint of water whilst I wait for the kettle to boil (let’s face it the body always needs a drink first thing.
☕️
2. Go outside (if you can). As I take my first sips of tea I sit on a little cushion in the garden. I soak in the sounds, the smell, the feel of the day. This morning, for example, the frogs are singing for the sunshine ☀️
3. Morning pages. Before I pick up my phone at all I’ll scrawl out 3 pages of free-writing into a little book I picked up from paper chase. I dump everything here - my weird dreams, any anxiety or fear (better to get it out and leave it here than carry it with me all day).
✍🏻
4. Visualise. Close your eyes and get a clear picture of your day. It really doesn’t hurt to visualise everything going ok, or really well for that matter!
👁
5. Breathe. After this I’ll close my eyes for 10 minutes and focus on my breathing. I’ll let the thoughts come and go until my mind feels a little emptier, a little clearer. It helps to set a timer or you spend the whole time wondering how long you’ve sat there for.
💭
That’s it! Takes around 15-20 mins, no more. And the ripple effect it has on the rest of my day is frankly immeasurable.
Do you have a morning routine to help calm your mind? I’d love to hear your tips too! 🌱
Dear SAS community,
In light of the announcement by the Prime Minister on Monday with regards to the Corona-virus, we are touching base with students regarding upcoming classes at the studio this week, and the coming weeks ahead.
We have taken the decision to postpone all workshops and classes booked in the studio until the end of April. We will schedule in revised dates once we have more information and guidance from the government regarding the situation.
We'll be adapting to these changing times and offering some online classes very soon. We'll be adding to our free you-tube channel with weekly updates of ideas, techniques and other creative activities you can work on at home from now until the end of April. You can subscribe to our FREE Youtube channel over here right now! This means you’ll get updates of new content as soon as its live - I’ll be adding NEW VIDEOS next week with lots of fun ideas and links to downloads! We’ll get through this funny old time together as we always do!
The shop will be open for the time being if anyone wants to pop in and purchase supplies to continue developing your skills. As the shop will be open we are continuing to implement all the government guidelines regards to minimising the risk, and as a small venue, following current procedures for maintaining and cleaning down common areas, we are a relatively low risk environment. We now also have the opportunity to launch our ONLINE Surrey Art School shop where you can order and have packs of materials delivered to your door! Keep an eye out for this over the coming weeks. Every cloud ;)
If you’d like to continue to support our small business over the coming months, you can also pay it forward by purchasing Gift Vouchers for future events, as a gift for yourself or to your loved ones, which will be redeemable as soon as we are up and running again! In these difficult times for small businesses we really value your support in keeping our dream alive!
Stay healthy and well and we look forward to welcoming students back to the studio just as soon as it is considered safe and appropriate to re-open our doors.
Wishing you love, light and a slightly gentler pace of life over the coming weeks,
All our love
Ellie, Nikki and our incredible team of tutors xxxx
The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of….
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As I sit here in a huge jumper with the rain lashing at the windows I can’t help but allow a little smile to creep across my face. I was pondering why exactly I relish the Autumn season so much this morning in as I taught my Sketchbook Club class and one of my students enlightened me by asking - when were you born? I realised that as a late August baby its perhaps only natural that this is one of my favourite seasons. Gone is the skimpy summer wear and bare (mighty white) legs of summer - time to bring the focus inward, light the fire and as my mum always used to say- if you’re cold, put another jumper on!
If you, like me, are inspired by this bountiful harvest time, you’ll no doubt find plenty of rich pickings in our Autumn menu. If not, I have a few ideas on how to stay bright when it all gets a bit cold and breezy. This has to be the best time of the year for creativity as the weather outside gives us the perfect excuse to take a brisk walk before to popping the kettle on and settling down for some mindful making.
Ready for a slow down? Here’s a few of my tips to help you connect to the beauty of this wonderful season…
Take a Photo-walk..
Last Thursday I was delighted to be invited back to the ‘woods’ for a mindful photography workshop in collaboration with The Salt Box. We used their stunning site on the Priory Farm Estate to inspire us slow down and notice the small things. If you missed it, don’t worry, we’ve got plenty more in store for you this season - but here’s a taste of my photography as meditation workshop:
Close your eyes and focus your mind
If you close your eyes, just for a few moments, in any situation (not whilst driving please!) it gives both eyes and mind a rest and can help you to re-calibrate. Take is as a CTRL ALT DELETE for your brain. Whilst they are closed, give yourself a few creative boundaries for ‘looking’. Use your mind to help you tune into your surroundings before you even reach for the shutter. You can try simply looking for texture, or for pattern, choose one colour and notice where it repeats around you, look for patches of light and the shadows that fall around them. You might also like to try limiting yourself to a small amount of captures. Pick a number - 10 to 20 - that’s probably PLENTY for a photo-walk. Next time you’re taking a tootle in the woods try this and let me know how you get on!
Make a wreath
Wreaths are by no means just for Christmas! There is plenty of inspiration on the hedgerows right now and forage from gardens to be gathered! September offers up a wealth of colour and texture so there’s plenty to adorn your door! This season we’re delighted to have teamed up with Renee aka the Girl Who Gardens to bring this idea to the studio. We’ll be making moss and wire bases for our wreaths (which are so much more planet-friendly than the traditional florist foam) and then filling them to the brim with forage. You might even be able to ‘wreath cycle’ your base for your Christmas one! There’s still time to join us this Sunday 28th September / 10:30 to 12:30 to learn how to make a beautiful Hedgerow Wreath. Click here to get involved, all forage included!
Pop down to Polesden
You may remember that this summer we contributed to a sculpture project at Polesden Lacey. Although it was a fab idea, we realised that it was probably a job for a professional sculptor and so the team there recruited an artist from Devon to create their vision of sculptures that reflected the change in season and could also serve as ‘leaf collecting’ vessels. The idea is that families and kids can get involved with helping the gardeners keep on top of clearing the leaves this season. So get on down there and get involved - its good for the soul to engage in these seasonal activities!
More info here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey/features/autumn-art-at-polesden-lacey-
Learn to Knit
As a young sprout, I tried countless times to master the basics of knitting - to the tune of many an exasperated sigh from old granny green! Whatever I did, I got my knickers in a right twist and my wool in a terrible tangle and as a result I didn’t touch anything knitting related for well over a decade or lets face it - two! Cue new knitting tutor Sarah North and her Knit Yourself Calm Course. Earlier this year, over 6 sessions (spaced out nicely once a fortnight so we had time to knit in between) square by square, row by row, Sarah FINALLY got me going. And once I started, I did not stop. Every boring netflix series, every sit down (even when I nipped home at lunchtime) I knitted! And every time I sat down to knit, after a few rows, I’d let out a little sigh.
Why?
Well because it turns out you can actually knit yourself calm given right guidance and a good (no offence granny g) teacher! After the initial alarm we all go through when learning something new, it just clicked. And once it clicks it is probably the most relaxing pass-time I’ve ever known. Not only that, I now have a stunning blanket, that has grown steadily, to curl up under during this tricky time when the boys are hawking over the thermo. All I can say is give it a go! Knit Yourself Calm with us!
Learn how to cast on, cast off and knit for calm
If I can knit these squares, I know you can!
Starter kit and loads of helpful resources included
Give something back
They say charity begins at home, but mine’s a bit messy since my dear partner in crime decided to go free-lance too so we’ve decided the studio is probably a better fit for our fundraising coffee morning for Macmillan this Friday 27th September / 10:00 to 11:30! We’ll be offering tea, coffee and cakes plus the chance to catch our Print-making expert Paul Wye sharing some nuggets of insight into the daily life of an artist teacher.
Paul will be bringing along a selection of his sketchbooks and an array of his print and sculpture work for you to peruse. He’ll talk about his journey as both artist and teacher and will be offering a demo on Paper lithography (creating vibrant prints from photo-copied drawings and photographs).
If you’ve never visited the studio before, or you’d like to come along and support this important cause, just drop us an RSVP to booking.surreyartschool@gmail.com. It’s a free event, (although there will be a chance to make a contribution or buy a cake!) so we just let us know if you’re coming so we can save you a seat. We’d love to see you there!
Learn something new
We’re ever so happy that the world has caught up with us on the impact of Calligraphy on well-being. We know that our students find a sense of ‘flow’ in our workshops and that time seems to evaporate as they concentrate all their attention on the up and the down-strokes and on remembering to breathe as they do so. As I’ve mentioned many times in this post - learning something new can be the most challenging and yet the most rewarding thing you can do for you. Once you get over the starting blocks, the thrill at building a new skill is second to none. If you’ve yet to dip your toe into the world Calligraphy I’d recommend giving Brush Lettering a go. The pen we provide doubles up as a drawing tool and the starter kit of worksheets we supply gives ample opportunity to continue to practice. With Christmas just around the corner this is the perfect time to brush up on your lettering!
Ok, so its getting dark now - as it will do day by day from here on out, so its probably time for me to wrap up this little post, don my raincoat and attempt the swim home from the studio ;) But I’ll leave you with these thoughts:
There’s no such thing as ‘bad weather’ - weather is just weather, we can choose to dance in the rain or see it as a pain, its a choice!
Autumn is prime time for cuddles - summer is too sticky for that - and so make sure you find time for lots of these with your nearest and dearest
Change your habits, change your life. Make a habit of making time just to be or to do the things that light you up! Bake a cake, take a walk, talk to someone you’ve been missing deep down, join a class, write a diary. Whatever it is, shine a little bit of light back on you as the days darken and you’ll feel a little bit lighter and brighter as a result. Time is our most valuable resource - claim some back!
Wishing you a gentle start to the new season,
Ellie (SAS Founder)
“Photography brings me stillness. It freezes time, captures memories - holds them in perfect focus when they would usually be hazy - anchors me to the present moment. ”
We love a cuppa at Surrey Art School.
Breakfast, herbal, coffee… the urn sits in the corner sustaining our staff and students as they explore new creative avenues. Something new has been brewing though, something we think you might like to try with a biscuit or two: our Friday morning artist’s talks in the studio.
Each month, one of our talented tutors will take over the space to share their own work with us. There could be generous displays of new artwork, or technical demonstrations of personal processes. Each artist will speak about their personal journey to their current practice, giving you insight into the life and mind of each practitioner. It’ll be an informal affair, cosy and sincere, always with time for your questions and discussions. Have we piqued your interest?
We’re sure you all know Ellie as her SAS-founding, holistic art-tutoring, welcoming-in self, but do you know Ellie as practicing artist? With a recent successful exhibition in Dorking, Ellie’s alternative photography and immaculate printmaking is at a real high point.
There will be plenty of tea and coffee, and cake provided by the gorgeous Tanhouse Farm Shop and Cafe - this is a fundraiser so all profits from the talk will go to Ellie’s chosen charity - The Patchworking Garden in Dorking.
Join us on the 3rd May in the studio to hear more about the methods Ellie uses to make each piece, and the soulful inspirations behind her elegant and poignant imagery.
We are so delighted to announce that we’ll be teaming up with The Salt Box (Beckie and Christian) this summer for a series of woodland based events from their new HQ at Priory Farm! Born out of a passion for local produce and seasonal ingredients, they’ve set out on an adventure to bring people together through food and fire in and around the South East of England.
Kicking off in May we have both an Adult (mono-printing and woodland feast) and a family workshop (family natural inks and woodland lunch) in store for you - and after a recent meet up around the fire, it seems there will be more to come this summer too!
Get ready to re-wild your inner child with us this season!
Christian and Beckie aka the absolutely awesome Salt Box!
Ellie taking a rest after an intense fire-side meeting with the Salt Box crew!
Our mission here at SAS is to give you permission to step off the treadmill for a moment and make a bit of time that’s just for you. Too many of us work silly long hours, with even longer commutes or spend way too long each day at our computers trying to keep up with the increasingly hectic modern world.
We know that engaging in activities such as knitting, weaving, drawing, painting, yoga, reading..any of these analog activities can help us to feel calmer and more relaxed. And calm, relaxed people feel so much happier right? So here’s a few bits we’ve been up to this season and a few more to come, designed for you and with your mind, in mind…
A huge thank-you to everyone who has joined us this year so far for one of our ever so special Sunday Yoga and Art retreats at The Sussex Country Yurt. The feedback from you guys has been phenomenal and we have loved every minute too. Here are a few pictures from recent events for those of you who haven’t had the chance to join us so far..
I’d also like to say a heart felt THANK-YOU to the lovely Georgie from GLO YOGA for her unwavering energy and the beautiful insight she brings to these retreats. The idea of running a Yoga and Art Retreat has long been in my mind, I was just waiting to find the right person to collaborate with. Not only did I find that, I found an absolute soul sister, a work wife and a really good friend. If you’d like to join our next retreat, click the link below:
As you already know we are endlessly inspired by the changing seasons in the Surrey Hills and so our workshop menu flows in time with these beautiful rhythms bringing new ideas and fresh inspiration in as the winds change…
“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.”
Leading on from our introductory sessions to the Ebru marbling process, this paper marbling masterclass will teach you how to create beautiful botanical inspired prints that mirror that flora of the spring and summer seasons. Join our tutor Ebru Koçak in the studio on Sunday 23rd of June 2019 and watch as the colours bloom at your fingertips….
We are delighted to be joined in the studio this summer by local ceramicist and basket weaver Emily Hall for a mindful and soulful Sunday weaving workshop, using a mixture of bought, found and foraged seasonal materials to create a stunning hand-woven basket.
This super-fun and highly experimental day course will walk you through the process of creating a printing plate using tin-foil and then using a fizzy drink to bite at the plate so you can then use it to create a print!
Lastly but by no means least we are over the moon to announce that we’ll be collaborating with The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden this summer on a series of Afternoons in the Garden inspired by their stunning site nestled deep in the Surrey Hills. Heralded as one of the first of its kind in the UK, The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden has been proudly exhibiting contemporary sculpture in a unique and magical environment for over 35 years.
Join us for an ever so special afternoon of creativity for well-being at the stunning Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, In the grounds of this stunning garden nestled in the heart of the Surrey Hills - we’ll be taking a moment to connect to nature, slowing things down with a mixture of mindful creativity and Yoga in this beautiful, peaceful location.
As usual we’ve got lots more in store coming soon, including half term family workshops in late May, early June and a full summer school programme for both adults and families including opportunities for life drawing, relaxation, meditative making and some wild and wonderful outdoor events as the weather warms up.
May marks our third birthday as your local Art school and its an amazing feeling to have created this beautiful community showcasing the work of so many amazing local artist-teachers and bringing new ways of making and learning to our Surrey community!
Thank-you to each and every one of you for making each day a blessing and for believing in us as we make these dreams come true not just for us, but for you too!
We’re looking forward to meeting and making with you all this season, as always!
Ellie - Founder and Director - Surrey Art School / May 2019
Artwork by: Lisa Congden
March holds a freshness about itself, with the weather freeing us from the warm indoor refuges of winter. It was even the original first month for the early Romans and they celebrated it as the beginning of the year as well as the new spring season.
With this in mind, we’re throwing up new shoots here at Surrey Art School with our blog and newsletter. There are exciting things being added to our changing seasonal menu of workshops and classes, so we wanted to bring you a little dish of hors d’oeuvres every now and then. You can keep trying new tasters, or maybe you’re ready for the main course of Improver’s sessions: whichever you’re hungry for, there’s a seat at our table for you.
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We're delighted to announce that following the success of our half-term Youth Art Camp in June, we'll be adding further dates this summer to get your teens out and about getting creative at the gorgeous Surrey Hills Yurts site in Dorking.
Join us on the 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th August for our Youth Camp afternoons for 11-16's. More info here.
Calm, creative and innovative workshops for 11-16's with fresh air, fun and creativity at the core.
Having held the post of Head of Art at her school and as an experienced teacher, Ellie is very experienced with working with young people, and loves to encourage their creative process.
Our youth workshops were borne out of this, with her wanting to bring a fluidity and hands on approach that you can’t really experience in a school environment. Following extensive planning, Ellie ran her first SAS Youth Workshops in May half term, and the feedback was absolutely fantastic:
" He loved it yesterday Ellie, his photos were fab & his plaster leaf is already up on the mantelpiece! Thanks SO much ☺️ Here is his beautiful leaf ~ G. Mellors
Thanks Ellie , Ben had a great afternoon. ~ A.West
Thank you Ellie! Julian loved it! ~ M.Montford
The summer holiday workshops on 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th August 2017 promise to bring even more creativity, with a wide range of activities planned from printmaking, yarn bombing, sun-print photography and sculpture.
As at the last sessions, there will be a fire pit and light refreshments. Ellie’s approach encourages confidence and skill, and she is looking forward to getting back to the wonderful environment at Surrey Hills Yurts in order to focus on mindful making in this incredible setting.
You can book online for one or for all sessions. Double up Discount available on 2 day Art Pass with further discounts for booking for all 4 days. All materials are included in the price of the workshop as are light refreshments. Workshop leaders are all experienced artist teachers and are all fully CRB checked. Sessions run from 1:00 - 3:30 pm. Book here.
Tis the season for darker days and colder nights!
But rather than hibernate the days away, Get Out this season with Surrey Art School's unique pop-up events, courses and classes for all abilities!
Sketch deathly drawings from creepy stone models that could come alive after dark with Art Macabre and Surrey Art School founder Ellie Green.
Hear the Wattses’ gardener George Andrews tell haunting ghost stories in the woodlands.
Become a ghastly goblin, scary skeleton or warty witch for the night with facepainting by Fascinating Faces.
Explore Limnerslease by candle light on a guided tour.
Warm up your chilled bones with seasonal food and hot drinks on the lawn.
Listen to live music and Make! Halloween Crafts.
Check out the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/563385170516455/
Join our blazing masterclass hosted by Surrey Hills Yurts
Saturday 19th November / 12 - 4.30PM
Learn how to carve a relief tile from a sand mould and then watch as your design comes to life through the flames of the forge! You will be able to take away an Aluminium tile at the end of the session. Expert tuition and a chance to watch a mobile forge in action!
More info here: http://www.surreyartschool.com/events/
We hope to see you out and about Surrey!
Surrey Art School will be running FREE Nature / Craft workshops for all the family at Pippfest 2016! Join us on the 11th September in Dorking for a free community festival to raise money to keep Pippbrook House in public hands.
Creativity cannot exist in isolation and we at SAS believe in the power of community and in working together to create the world we want. This wonderful community event brings together artists, musicians and local businesses in a fun day for our local residents to enjoy.
Our workshops are sponsored by Gilliangladrag and the fabulous Fluff-a-torium in Dorking.
Come and meet the team, sit and make with us this Sunday!
@ S U R R E Y A R T S C H O O L
Like what you see but not quite sure what you want yet? Join Surrey Art School artist community anyway and stay up to date with the latest classes, course and events in the area. And if you join our club today you will automatically get 10% off your first course, class or event with us.
If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit join our club!
#artists #art #community #bettertogether #surreyartists #surreyartschool #specialoffer #10%
Surrey Art School is featured in this week's Dorking Advertiser.
Although we are delighted by the local promotion we'd just like to stress that Surrey Art School was founded to extend what schools are able to offer in terms of Art Education. It is restrictions such as the Ebacc that are wholly out of schools' control and that have been pushed by the government, that are having such a negative impact on creative subjects.
Having taught in schools for the last 8 years, I couldn't have more respect for teachers and schools and the wonderful, relentless and rewarding work they take every day to ensure our young people have a bright creative future!
See the full story here
