Class timings (UK time)

• 2pm - 2:45pm ArtTalk with Martin Beek
• 2:45pm - 3pm Q&A session and short comfort break
• 3pm - 4:30pm Live demonstration by Karen Carter

 

Our 'In the Style Of' classes bring together our ever popular ArtTalks with the joy of a traditional class. Join us for an engaging talk with our resident art history expert, Martin Beek, followed by a live demonstration by the wonderful Karen Carter.  This fantastic collaborative ONLINE class is inspired by Chinoiserie and is open to students of all abilities.

 

ArtTalk
Chinoiserie can be described as a European Chinese aesthetic, derived from the French ‘chinois’.  The style emerged in the eighteenth-century, inspiring European artists and designers to create exotic art and design inspired by the Far East.
 

Martin’s talk cites various aspects of art that are connected with China, and latterly with the art of Japan. Access to China’s interior was forbidden; as a result of trading through its ports there was a hunger for objects with its mysterious exotic motifs. Hand-painted Chinese style wallpapers, pottery, furniture and decoration became fashionable. William Chambers’ famous pagoda at Kew (1761) epitomised this cultural obsession. 90 years later the Great Exhibition of 1851 reignited the public’s taste for the curious designs and decor of China. Shortly after the opening up of trade with Japan (in 1856) and the eastern seaboard of China, the Oriental influence again reasserted itself.
 

Martin's talk will be illustrated where possible with original photographs and slides. He will also provide a list of helpful books and links to further explore on a PDF following the talk. 
 

Demonstration
In the demo part of this session we will take our inspiration from the decorative traditions of Chinese Gongbi painting – a more controlled and layered form of Chinese brush painting. Popular in Europe during Victorian times, it is a very stylised form of artwork depicting trees, blossoms, birds and landscapes.
 

Chinoiserie encompassed many things including furniture and ceramics as well as art - which was often painted on a grand scale and used in much the same way as we would use wallpaper today.  We will be working on a much smaller scale!
 

During the session we will complete a series of exercises exploring colour mixing, stylization of imagery, consistency of paint, layering and fine detail – plus a tiny bit of shimmer and shine! And there will be a few tips and tricks along the way. 
 

We will then make a start on a simple composition using the techniques covered, for you to finish in your own time – or possibly scale up and paint a whole wall!
 

You can work along with Karen at a gentle pace if you wish – so grab yourselves a cuppa, turn off your phone and enjoy a peaceful afternoon playing with paint!  This is a slow-paced detailed project so you may not get it finished within this session, but you will have all the techniques needed to continue at your own pace to create a beautiful picture.