We’re so looking forward to seeing you!
We’re so looking forward to seeing you!
Welcome Artists!
We're really looking forward to getting started with the Beginners / All Abilities course, and hope you are too!
Here is some final information for you, so you know what to expect and what to bring.
The classes will take place at St Mary’s Church Centre (opposite the church), on Chart Lane. You can find directions here.
You can park for free in the car park, or there is extra parking along Chart Lane (highlighted in yellow in the picture).
We are in the main Church Centre Hall on the ground floor.
Doors will open at 10am (class starts 10:15am), and we kindly ask students to wait in their cars or in the foyer if they arrive early, so we have time to prep.
The Tutors
Our tutors are the wonderful Amanda & Hayley, plus Nicky our classroom assistant.
Lindsay will be around to say hi some weeks as well.
You can find out a bit more about us all here.
Everyone attends for different reasons, but you're all on a journey and we’re there to help each person make progress. Please don't hesitate to ask for help, and let us know if you don't understand something - there’s no such thing as a silly question! And if you’re new - please don't feel anxious about your first class - everyone's very friendly and the tutors are there to help you enjoy yourself as well as learn!
The Curriculum & Term Dates
You can find a copy of the curriculum in the 'Student Hub’ of the website. The password is LoveArt.
To access the Student Hub, you can find the link for this on our website at the bottom of any page or here.
Here you will also find a list of term dates for each course, and other useful information, including our Student Gallery that we update regularly so you can see the work from our artists across all of our classes. We will have paper copies of the curriculum when you arrive, if you'd like one.
If there are any dates you can't do and would like to swap to another class, please let us know and we will check availability for you. We would also appreciate if you could let us know if you cannot make a class for any reason.
Also in the Students Hub, you will find a link to our store where you can buy some branded Art For Life goodies! We highly recommend the ‘Artisan Apron’ (found under Accessories) for £22.99.
Please note - we take photos for our website and social media pages to share what we’re doing. Please let us know beforehand if you’d rather not be included.
Materials and Course Notes
All of the art materials and paper you’ll need in class are included in the cost of the course. We also have a selection of rubbers, rulers, scissors and sharpeners for you to share but you're welcome to bring your own if you wish. Please make sure you label your own belongings so we know who to return them to if you leave something behind by mistake.
If this is your first 10-week course, you will be given a document folder on arrival containing 10 Starter Fact Sheets, which are full of useful information you can refer to at any time. Please remember to bring your folder as most weeks you'll receive additional skills and fact sheets which will help with the lesson, and it’s so handy to refer to these in class.
We also recommend bringing a sketch book (up to A4 size) in which to make notes and sketch out or plan your artwork during the tutor’s demo and throughout the class. We'll have some for sale at the class should you wish to buy one.
We sell a Welcome Art Pack containing an A3 art holder to keep your masterpieces safe, a selection of artists pencils, eraser, ruler, sharpener and an A4 sketch book for £20. Please let us know in advance of your first class if you would like one. Cash only please.
NB. Useful to bring your own pencil case for the above art pack or for any pencils etc. you bring or buy from us going forward.
We also sell larger art jute bags (£8), which are useful once you have more to bring in each week, plus wooden art boards for drawing and painting at home, as well as a selection of art materials relating to each week’s project should you wish to buy any paints, brushes or accessories for use at home. Cash or bank transfer only please.
Please note you don't need to buy anything! It just saves you taking a trip to the shops and wondering what to choose, as we have tried and tested lots of products over the years and know what is worth the money and what isn’t!.
Final thoughts….
Some students like to bring their own reusable mugs, but we have plenty you can use (which we kindly ask you to clean in the kitchen before you leave).
We provide tea & coffee, plus a variety of chocolate biscuits (and some times cake!) to keep us well-fuelled throughout the class, but do feel free to bring anything you prefer.
You may also want to bring an apron/old shirt to cover up, especially when we get to our painting weeks. Acrylics paint does not come off your clothes!!
We kindly ask you to use the final 5-10 minutes of each class to clear away your art materials and any rubbish. Brushes/palettes are to be cleaned in the sink and then put back in the art boxes at the end. Art boards and easels can remain where they are for us to pack away.
Additional Activities
In addition to our courses, we run occasional art evenings, workshops and free social events like Plein Air painting or Gallery visits. You can find these here or on our social media pages, and we let you know about them via email too.
Do let us know if you have any questions, otherwise we we look forward to seeing you soon!