Mixed Media Methods: All the Marks Play Their Part - 30/08/2024

This drawing and painting course is open to anyone with any amount of experience. The simple steps in each session will build into an in-depth investigation, that will increase your understanding of the properties of a variety of media. We will start with some directed tasks through demonstrations and prepared examples to introduce and guide you. A wide variety of media and different papers will be used to discover their potential and limitations. Then through negotiated tasks you will explore how the varied media can be integrated, modified or adapted so that you can enhance and refine your skills. Working either from the earlier tasks or your own interests, create personal images with very distinctive characteristics.

Tutor: Stephen Joyce

Steve has been practicing his art and teaching art in a variety of further education colleges and other contexts for over 25 years. He studied Fine Art at Norwich School of Art and attained a BA (Hons), then later MA in Contemporary Art & Professional Practice at Colchester Institute. He has a wealth of experience from his diverse practice and teaching and great enthusiasm to share his fascination for how pictures can be made differently

"I am a multi-media artist, currently focusing on drawing, painting and mixed media, after some exploration of other methods including collage with printmaking. I use different media from time to time, out of curiosity and depending on the subject matter and the theme I am working on. I combine techniques and media partly to experiment, but also to create specific effects or dynamics within the picture.

Mixed media for me is about investigating the properties of the media. When different media are combined, the potential and limitations are revealed. From this experimental approach, it is then possible to direct the interchange of the different properties and effects to create images with intrigue or distinctive character.

In my teaching, I seek to inform and guide, but also to 'open doors' for the student's imagination, and help them build and develop their own creativity. I use a progression of tasks moving from tutor Directed, to Selected options, then Elected direction by the student. As they respond to the initial tasks with each different media, their understanding of the properties increases. So they move on to different options and combinations, leading them to follow their own creative interests."