In a colourful studio, a short walk from Shakespeare’s Globe, we find Sam and Diana – a delightful couple – who eagerly shared their creative knowledge with us through their vision, MYO London!
Before the class started, I had a chance to walk around the studio and peered at the different mediums that artists worked with. There were ceramics, paints, embroidery threads, patterned papers, and myriad of artistic tools.
Before the class began, Sam directed us to a bookcase full of unpainted (bisque) ceramics and gave us free reign over what we wanted to paint. There were the usual bowls, plates and mugs that we could paint, but the more adventurous artist could paint a masterpiece of a gnome or one of the adorable dragon figurine.
I decided to go for the safe option and paint a mug (I don’t think my girlfriend would have appreciated a dragon figurine – even if it is super cool).
Once we’d all picked our blank-canvasses, we sat down and looked through books to find inspiration for our paintings. We looked at some Banksy art, animal themed stencils and festive decorations. Eventually I settled on a smiley face with heart-shaped eyes that I’d actually found referenced in one of the books of Banksy art.
Some of us printed out our designs and started stencilling them onto our ceramics using burnt umber (a dark brown pigment found in clays). Diana gave a quick demonstration of the stencilling process and we were on our way. Those who created their design free-hand etched it onto their ceramics with pencil.
We painted our designs as we chatted and sipped our (BYOB) beer and wine. Sam and Diana were both consultants but decided to quit in order to bring art to adults. They’ve created a fun environment where people can learn and be inspired creatively.
Once the paint dries, Sam and Diana will dip our ceramics into a glaze and fire the ceramics to give them a beautiful shine.
If you want to check out other incredible workshops led by artists like Dianne and Sam, hit the link to have a look at what we’ve got for you on EmptyChair! apple.co/2iujL5x
#KeepDiscovering #EmptyChair
