Abstract Florals - Workshop

Tutor: Sarah Hemmings

Date: Saturday 12th June 2027

10am to 1pm

Venue: Arlington Arts (Mary Hare, Snelsmore Common, Newbury RG14 3BQ)

Maximum participants: 12

Overview

Join experienced artist and teacher, Sarah Hemmings for a vibrant and inspiring abstract floral painting workshop.

Suitable for beginners as well as those with painting experience, this hands-on workshop will guide you through the process of building a rich, layered background using acrylic paints, exploring blending techniques, colour theory, and composition to create depth, light, and atmosphere. 

Over the workshop we will create a colourful acrylic floral painting on canvas. We will start the workshop by looking at how to blend and layer acrylic paint to give us a beautiful background for our painting, including areas of light and shade. We will also cover colour theory, as well as composition and arrangement. Once our background is complete, we will begin to plan and create our main focal flowers, drawing on inspiration from a still life floral arrangement. We will look at the expressionist style, using fast and loose brush strokes to create our stunning flowers. Finally, we will finish our painting by creating our fillers, a range of smaller flowers, buds and foliage. To finish your artwork, you’ll learn how to apply gold leaf to selected areas, adding a beautiful decorative touch and a luxurious finish. By the end of the session, you’ll take home a unique floral canvas and the skills and confidence to continue exploring expressive acrylic painting.

£35 tuition

Pay in 3 interest-free payments with PayPal. Learn More.

Skills covered
  • Learning how to use and layer acrylic paints to create depth, texture and vibrant colour.
  • Exploring techniques for painting loose, expressive abstract florals, leaves and botanical forms.
  • Understanding composition and design principles to create a balanced and visually engaging artwork.
  • Developing confidence in colour theory, including colour mixing, complementary colours, tints, tones and shades.
  • Experimenting with texture, mark-making and layering to add interest and movement to a painting.
  • An introduction to applying gold leaf to enhance and embellish finished artwork.
  • Building confidence in combining a range of techniques to create a unique, contemporary floral abstract painting.

All materials and equipment for this course are provided and included in the course fee.

  • Parking is free on site; please ensure you use the entrance on Arlington Lane. There is a car park at the bottom of the lane upon entrance to your left and a smaller car park outside of Arlington Arts Centre.  There are disabled bays outside the venue, if the barrier is down, please use the speaker to the right of the barrier to contact the staff who will open the barrier for you. 

All participants must be over 19 years old, we can sometimes accept minors if accompanied by an adult, please contact us at enquiries@creative-communities.org.uk if you would like to discuss bringing a young person with you.

  • If you are unable to attend the course, we require a minimum of 10 working days’ notice before the start of the course in order to receive a refund. Admin fees may apply. You will also have the opportunity to transfer your fees to another course.
  • If Creative Communities are forced to cancel the course due to low enrolment numbers, you will be notified immediately and issued with a full refund, or the option to transfer your course fees to another course.

Please see our Fee and Refund Policy for more information.

Book your preferred start date below

*Please note, once this course has received sufficient bookings to run, you will be contacted by a member of the Creative Communities team to complete an enrolment form with West Berkshire Council.

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