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I really enjoyed taking part in my first wool painting course to create a poppy wool painting. Raya was a very enthusiastic and positive teacher encouraging and allowing us to use our creativity to create very individual wool paintings rather than just a copy of her work. The pace was suited to the beginner level and she explained everything very clearly. There were plenty of materials provided in our kits and although Raya taught us on zoom (as it was lockdown) I felt as supported as if she was with us. I would recommend this course to anyone who likes working with natural materials and wants to create a painting using a medium other than paint.
Hello Raya,
I very much enjoyed participating in your zoom course. The kit you sent out to me was perfect and included all the materials I needed (except scissors and glue stick).
You gave us very clear instructions and demonstrated the processes step by step along the way.
I had never created anything like this before so it was rewarding learning a new skill.
I am pleased with my finished picture and have had quite a few lovely comments from friends and family.
Thank you for your encouragement and including me in your class.
Best wishes
Jean Taylor
This is the second course I have done with Raya and I am already enrolled for the third! I did one-day wool painting which I loved and went home with a beautiful wool paint a couple of years ago. Raya was really good, telling us how to work with wool and making sure that we created our own picture.
Now, I have just finished doing Fundamental art skills level one and I can already see how much this is helping all my other crafts. I wanted so much to learn about light, perspective, shapes, tones, etc. all the basics that I did not know properly and make a huge difference in my work.
I can highly recommend Raya, she is brilliant! and her courses very well designed, rich in content and joyful to do!
I attended Raya's excellent Introduction to Portrait Course online. While I had done some painting, I didn't have a lot of drawing experience. Raya patiently & expertly taught us to use pencils, charcoal, pastels and more. I learnt so much about drawing, proportions, capturing expression and tonality. A fantastic course with a great teacher, would happily recommend it and I've signed up for the intermediate course now. Can't wait!
Best thing I’ve done Raya Brown! So grateful for your tuition, encouragement and guidance. Can’t wait for the next course. Many thanks and gratitude.
Mags
I've just completed the online Fundamental Art Skills Level 1 with Raya and an enthusiastic class of students. In 10 weeks, I have been astounded at the progress that I, and the other students, have been able to make as Raya has patiently explained, demonstrated and worked with us to awaken and develop our drawing and understanding of form, shape, colours, as well as our observational skills. Raya is a warm, encouraging, enthusiastic teacher whose lessons are always interesting, well-structured and professionally delivered. I have signed up for Level 2 and am looking forward to learning further techniques and to making further progress.
I have not long finished the online Introduction to Portraiture course with Raya and I have thoroughly enjoyed the classes. Raya is the most wonderful teacher; the classes are well organised and Raya is so patient and encouraging. I've tried lots of mediums from charcoal to pastels in this course and it's increased my confidence no end. I can't wait to start the intermediate class!
Thank you Raya for reigniting my love of portraiture and drawing. Your help and encouragement enabled me to look at various areas of a portrait with fresh eyes, to concentrate and continue exploring the human face. I am very grateful to you.
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Gill,Have just finished the Introduction to Portraits course online. I can say that Raya is a truly inspirational tutor! - she encourages you all the way and is also good making constructive comments to improve your drawing. The course also gave me a lot of new experiences using charcoal, chalk pastels, pencils & crayons. I was also impressed with the way that she arranged the sessions on Zoom - clear demonstrations, clear guidance and great recordings to go over techniques etc. I will definitely start some sketching and visit some portrait galleries after lockdown. You never stop learning
Definitely recommend Raya's classes both on line and in her studio. I have just completed the online Introduction to Portrait course and enrolled onto the Intermediate level Portrait course. I have learnt such a lot from the courses I have done. Her classes are well prepared and her feedback constructive. She has a wonderful ability both in her teaching and encouraging you to try. Looking forward to the next online Portrait course starting in April.
Dear Raya,
I really enjoyed the course I did with you and since then I have tried to make a wool painting for a friend with some of the remainders and am finding the technique really relaxing. (I have attached a few pictures of the wool painting for my friend just in case you are interested)
I have enjoyed it all so much and I can’t wait to do more so I just wanted to thank you again for making the course so amazing!
I’ve also looked more at the pictures of your own wool paintings on your website and was just blown away by how realistic and beautiful they were - I especially loved the cat. You are so talented!
Best wishes,
Zoe
I enjoyed this course so much. The pack of materials you get sent are beautiful and Raya was such a patient and kind tutor. She took us through each stage step by step so it was really easy to follow along. I was so pleased with my painting at the end and everyone's work looked fantastic because of Raya's brilliant teaching. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Lucy,This course was brilliant! I still can't believe what fabulous pictures we each created. Raya was a super tutor, really kind and encouraging and she made the session both relaxing and fun. I'm so glad I signed up - it felt like a real treat and was completely absorbing. I strongly recommend it. Thank you so much, Raya!
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Amanda,Really enjoyed the course and super impressed with the picture I made. Lovely to connect with some new people and relax for a while. Great tutor and very patient with us all. Hoping that some more wool art kits will be available soon.
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Jo,I bought this online Zoom course for my Mum who is 89. She was worried that she may not manage to follow all the instructions but Raya demonstrated everything so clearly and in such a patient manner that my Mum soon relaxed and enjoyed the course. She made a lovely wool painting and we are just looking for a space on her wall to give it pride of place. Thankyou Raya, what a lovely, friendly atmosphere you create amongst your online students.
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Sandy,Excellent course with plenty of support and opportunities to ask questions. Time to work on the pictures and suggestions of how to improve aspects as necessary. I would highly recommend this course and will definitely attend another.
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Joanne,Wonderful craft session that eased the boredom of lockdown by 4 hours. Raya is a super teacher and it was great to meet other students all over the U.K. I enjoyed learning the basic skills of painting with wool with helpful feedback from Raya. I loved my finished picture and will be booking another session with Raya soon.
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Catherine,Had a wonderful time making our wool paintings, Raya is a great teacher who explains each step of the process clearly and creates a relaxed atmosphere for the course. It was alot of fun and the results were quite impressive for absolute beginners!
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Nicole,I spent a wonderful few hours learning a new skill, chatting to other enthusiasts and to make it better I ended up making a wool painting picture I am proud of. I am not a natural artist but Raya made the process very easy with her gentle demonstrations and oodles of patience. I think I may have found my new favourite art format.
Will definitely keep in touch with Raya and take some more classes with this medium and then will hopefully courageous enough to have a go on my own.
I haven't felt so relaxed and positive about things for a long time, so thank you very much.
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Helen,Fantastic Course and a wonderful way to escape from work! Can't wait to do another one in February! Thank you for an awesome 4 hours
Response from Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio:
Dear Lucy,