Lino cut printing- botanical & natural forms with Laura Sowerby - a Quirky Workshop at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Ullswater and The Lake District

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Description

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: A lovely course with this extremely talented and exciting designer and printer. Laura Sowerby is an up and coming print maker working in lino cut out of her a picturesque studio in the Langdales in Cumbria to create intricate botanical designs for fabric, prints, wallpaper and soft furnishings. Her designs are joyously detailed and bold and reflect a love of the nature and colour of her Lakeland surroundings. Her primary inspiration comes from the urge to take a long look at plants and flowers and capture their combined forms on paper. Her evocative designs on cushions, lampshades and giftware have recently been widely featured in Country Living, Gardens Illustrated and several Interior design magazine. ‘Discovering that I am a direct descendant of James Sowerby, famous 18th-century botanical illustrator is a delight’ she smiles. We are delighted that Laura has agreed to take a ‘Botanical and Natural forms’ Lino Cut workshop again here in Greystoke. Students are encouraged to bring any inspiration they can, be it fresh/ pressed leaves or flowers, prints, pictures and any other references that may inspire you. Laura too will bring plenty of material ideas. Over the day you will learn how to plan your original design, the principles of lino cut and master various cutting techniques with the goal of producing your own multi-coloured linocut print by the end of the day (up to A4 in size). All abilities are welcome. There may be a small materials charge around £5 to £10 to cover ink and materials costs payable directly to the tutor on the day. The print blocks you create can be taken home and used to print onto fabrics and soft furnishings such as cushion covers etc. Since 2005, ‘Quirky Workshops’ in Greystoke has been offering an eclectic and un-rivalled range of arts, crafts and heritage skills courses. We now run over 140 ‘Quirky Workshops’ each year from our pretty 17thC farmhouse on the fringes of the beautiful Lake District and Eden Valley in Cumbria. In July 2020 we opened a lovely new, listed & spacious 'Covid-secure' teaching studio - the 'Swallow Barn', which now enjoys consistently excellent feedback; please see below for all details. About the Swallow Barn: “I’ve been thinking about last week’s workshop session. I am SO impressed with the loveliness of the Swallow barn. In the midst of this COVID world of chaos and uncertainty, it’s such a calm, safe space and I’m sure that everyone who visits will agree. I also appreciate the abundance of extra safety/hygiene measures that you’ve put in place. It works so well. Also, as Gwen mentioned, the extra space and its layout has made for a more social environment - it’s easier to chat and to look at what others are doing. I’m so glad I came, I feel uplifted, somewhat healed and much more positive as a result. Oh... and the salad lunch was just wonderful! “ “Attended an art class with artist Margaret 23 August and was extremely impressed with the tuition and the venue. All possible precautions were taken to maintain social distances and enable personal sanitization. The Swallow barn was a fantastic place to paint, light, airy and very peaceful, all mod cons were set up to show tuition and display our work on a screen. The lunch food was homemade, three types of soup, hunks of bread and two pudding choices. I couldn’t fault any of the day and look forward to going back if any more art courses are run. Well done all’ We spent the time during lock down upgrading a first floor barn and our very spacious ‘Swallow Barn’ is now up and running! The new Quirky Workshop studio allows plenty of distancing for up to 10 people using 8 separate tables, two hand washing stations, a one way system, 2 stairways, sanitising and a large screen on which to project the live stream of tutor’s detailed work, allowing students to stay at their desks for all the previous ‘gather round’ moments. Lunch is provided on separate trays and brought to each student at their desk by staff wearing masks. We’ve had very positive feedback from students remarking how safe they feel, whilst still being able to enjoy a favourite crafting day out, under as normal as possible circumstances. Here are some of the measures we will have in place, both within the Swallow Barn and its environs, to ensure the safety of us all during the workshop day: • Each student has their own desk unless you have booked with others, in which case we could seat you together at the same table. • Hand washing facilities and hand sanitisers will be available at key points, on entry and within your room. You will be asked to wash your hands frequently, especially just before and after breaks. • There will be several windows open to ensure the room is well ventilated throughout the day. So please also bring ‘extra layers’ if the day outside is cooler. • Lunch will be provided individually on trays and students can take this at their desks. Of course, you can bring your own lunch if you prefer. • You will keep your allocated mug for the day, the usual hot drinks will be available and served at arm’s length. • Please bring a face mask with you. Although, during the normal course of the day the wearing of face masks is optional, they may be required if you're moving about or in the event that close tutor contact is necessary for whatever reason - in which case both tutor and student should wear masks. We have some beautiful handmade masks for sale here for £3. • We have a camera in place that films the tutor demonstrations close up, allowing a projected live feed to a large screen at the front of the room. This means all previous ‘gather round moments’ have been replaced with students remaining safely at their desks watching from afar. • Sanitising procedures for ‘shared use’ tools will be in place. Many tutors will provide sets of tools for each student. • There will be one-way circulation with distancing maintained in compromised spaces, including stairs ‘up and down’ for students. We look forward to welcoming you here in Cumbria and the Lake District.

What's included in the price?

Welcome drinks: fresh coffee & home-made biscuits; a lovely 2 course Aga lunch served on individual trays at your desks or outside on the Tea Lawn if it's warm enough. To finish off the day, a freshly made Cream Tea (including Aga-baked scones, cream and jam). Our days are considered special treats; many come back time and time again and often combine it with a short break to the Lake District. We have been hosting and organising 'Quirky Workshops' since 2005, from what was the original C2C Greystoke Cycle Café situated on the northern fringes of the Lake District. It was with great sadness that the Cycle Café was closed to the public in 2018; we since have become ‘Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns’. All our tutors are carefully hand selected professional experts and many are considered as national leaders in their field.

Duration

1 day

Cancellation policy

Medium - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 4 weeks before the course starts

Maker


Situated in a tranquil location on the fringes of the Lake District in north west England, we have been hosting a Quirky range of workshops since 2005. We are now proud to offer over 140 Arts, Craft and Heritage Skills Workshops each year, led by an incredible and talented range of local and national tutors, all experts in their field. We have two teaching studios, the 'Squirrel Barn' and the newly renovated, spacious and airy 'Swallow Barn', the latter of which, at 60m2 was very popular in the months post Covid, allowing 2m distancing, hand washing and two staircases. We have several garden teaching spaces too. Lunch (included) can be taken outside on the Tea Lawn in warmer months and teas/coffee with Aga home-baking is served at your desk. Our days are considered real treats.

Suitable for

  • Adults
  • Seniors
  • Teenagers
  • Daytime (weekdays)
  • Romantic
  • Accommodation offered
  • Mother's Day
  • Suitable for beginners
  • UK Holiday
  • Intermediate level
  • Parking provided
  • Suitable for all abilities
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Venue

Greystoke Craft Garden, Greystoke, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0UT