our Ardington directors

Yvonne Sonsino
My artistic inspiration has always come from the outdoors and natural materials. As a child I was always busy peering at flowers and dissecting them to understand the structure. I have an enthusiastic and fun teaching style and I'm very action focussed! Alongside being a Director of Ardington School of Crafts, I enjoyed a career in the city too. I wrote Amazon best-selling book ‘The New Rules of Living Longer – how to survive your longer life’ which explores, amongst other things, how art and creativity are good for mental and physical health. I’m inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe, Rory McEwan, Rosie Sanders, Jess Shepherd, and Fiona Strickland and also love and practice Chinese freestyle and meticulous brush painting. As well as gardening and art, I am a trained yoga teacher and novice potter. I am the former Vice Chair of Trustees of the Royal Female School of Art and also exhibited and sold my own watercolour work locally for many years. From a gardening perspective, I have studied garden design with the RHS and KLC, and our garden has been featured in Country Homes and Interiors, 'Beauty by Design'. It has also been opened under the National Garden Scheme. I have successfully competed at a regional level in floral art with NAFAS.
Simon Sonsino
Learning from other artists has been instrumental in shaping my creative journey. Seeing how others approach their craft, experimenting with their techniques, and drawing inspiration from their styles has enriched my work and helped my artistic voice evolve. I find immense joy in sharing ideas and techniques through workshops and demonstrations. Since we took on the role of Directors at Ardington School of Crafts, my time for personal art has been limited—but If I were to give myself an artistic title, it would be Textual Artist, reflecting my fascination for letterforms. These days, my work leans toward the abstract, with a focus on artistic calligraphy rather than practical lettering. Lately, I’ve been drawn to mosaics and pottery, exploring how I might combine these with my textual art to create something truly unique. When I’m not working or creating, I’ll be playing competitive table tennis, cooking, or tackling building projects in our garden. My career highlights include authoring Textual Art (2015) and Textual Art II: Impact & Intrigue (2020), earning a Design Degree from the Open University, demonstrating at Art in Action (2015 & 2016), completing numerous commissioned works, and leading Ardington School of Crafts to inspire creativity in others.
Gemma Gittins
Students always ask me what my craft is but, honestly, I wouldn't want to be tied down to just one thing. Consider me a dabbler…! Coloured pencils are a go-to favourite but I'm growing to love watercolours too. Like many of you, I'm also a magpie for pretty art supplies and absolutely love a good book. Years of working in the charitable sector have shaped the way I look at the world and left me with a real passion to explore the power of art and its place in improving well-being. For me, arts and crafts are a tonic for life. Heading up our ONLINE programme might be my 'job', but really it is so much more than that to me. Every day I get to see the power of creativity in action as I watch our students discover boundless ideas, meet like-minded people, and learn awesome new skills. It is pure comfort food for the soul!
our Ardington tutors
Hand-picked for their friendly and inclusive teaching style, our tutors are all outstanding artists in their own right. Working across a diverse range of arts and crafts, they all have one thing in common - a firm belief that creativity is key to wellbeing.
Our programme is constantly evolving, aiming to include 'guest' tutors and 'regulars' as often as possible throughout the year. Below is a sample of just some of the wonderful artists who have taught with us over the years:
Calligraphy & Lettering
-
Gemma Black
-
Ewan Clayton
-
Gaynor Goffe
-
Heather Held
-
Eiko Ishida
-
Mark L'Argent
-
Jan Mehigan
-
Brody Neuenschwander
-
Mary Noble
-
Massimo Pollelo
-
Satwinder Sehmi
-
Simon Sonsino
-
Beatriz Vicente
-
Carry Wouters
-
Sharon Zeugin
Mixed Media, Paper & Books
-
Sai Banerjee
-
Karen Carter
-
Jo Dixon
-
Martin Frost
-
Christine Green
-
Mark L'Argent
-
Janina Maher
-
Pat Southern-Pearce
-
Rachel Warrillow
-
Sophie Wootton
Paint, Print & Illustration
-
Rachael Anders
-
Liz Baldin
-
Martin Beek
-
Richard Box
-
Samantha Buckley
-
Lucy Burton
-
Karen Carter
-
Maggie Cross
-
Clive Eastland
-
Sharmina Haq
-
Heather Held
-
Nicky Hunter
-
Janina Maher
-
Jan Mehigan
-
Samira Mian
-
Sheila Murray
-
Jonathan Newey
-
Colin Palmer
-
Korky Paul
-
George Popesco
-
Kevin Scully
-
Nagihan Seymour
-
Pat Southern-Pearce
-
Clay Thompson
-
Toni Watts
-
Kerri Williams
Textile & Stitch
-
Alberto Atalla
-
Janice Botterill
-
Amanda Brown
-
Pete Cant
-
Mary Crabb
-
Christine Green
-
Anne Griffiths
-
Anne Kelly
-
Joanne Lamb
-
Sarah Maddison
-
May Martin
-
Mary Jane Mucklestone
-
Hanny Newton
-
Angela Pawlyn
-
Polly Pollock
-
Katy Rundle
-
Ushma Sargeant
-
Faith Young
Glass, Metal & Wood
-
Mike Amphlett
-
Melanie Blaikie
-
Shirley Eccles
-
Nicola Kantorowicz
-
Quentin Smith
-
Yvonne Sonsino
Clay, Mosaic & Stone
-
Andrew Hazelden
-
Debbie Page
-
Tom Perkins
-
Simon Sonsino
Plus many more!
We also have new tutors joining soon, so please check back for details...
