Creative Workshops

An important part of my art practice is sharing my skills with others at workshops and similar events. It is a privilege to be asked to visit groups. Recently I visited the Wanaka Autumn Art School (https://www.autumnartschool.net.nz/). This event has been established for around 30 years and is well known. The event is held in the beautiful Wanaka autumn, well worth a trip in its own right. The tutors cover a wide range of subjects from watercolour, print, bookbinding, photography, singing, writing, jewellery, textiles and more. Some tutors are so popular that they are invited back as stalwarts each year, but others are changed and bring variety of subjects for attendees.

Inspired by this event Jo Connor decided that Auckland needed something similar. She developed the successful event known as Creative Matakana (https://www.creativematakana.nz/). Its aim is to bring nationally and internationally recognised masters of their art to the Matakana area and provide a place for creativity to be nurtured and celebrated. As this is on my home turf, I am able to offer myself as a tutor on this event. It is the only event which I teach from my home studio.

These events bring people together. It is not all about learning and working, socialising, sightseeing, and enjoying time well spent is also important. If you ever wonder how to extend your skills and ignite your creative passions, events such as these offer very special and memorable experiences.

I asked one of my participants from the Wanaka Autumn Art School why she loves attending it. Before her first year, Jessie rang me to chat. She explained that she was a creative person but had no experience in the textile arts, she wondered whether she would be capable of joining in. It was such a pleasure to have a creative free spirit in the class, and she has attended either my class or those of other tutors ever since. This is how she describes the value of the event for her:

“I am a seeker of creative people who value exploring new ways to express themselves with all forms of art. therefore, it was my great fortune to find the weeklong art school in Wanaka. I happen to live in a very isolated part of New Zealand and although I make art nearly every day it is almost always a solitary affair. Being in the company of others who share similar interests and most often have very different styles and techniques, brings a rich opportunity to share and expand the scope of my own vision. Not all classes and teachers bring the same result as it depends on so many factors. When I am in a workshop setting that is well planned and orchestrated, I am in my bliss. Alysn is a perfect example of a teacher who is generous with her knowledge, honestly encourages each student to be unique and also is patient and kind in her approach to support and teach everyone no matter where they are in their artistic pursuits. Having a workshop where you are able to bring home enough experiences to forge ahead on your own is also so valuable. When I am stumped on how to proceed with concept or techniques, I can often reflect back on what I heard Alysn say or do and continue to draw from the teachings she gave me or other students. Rubbing elbows and listening to other artists going through the creative process extends the learnings way beyond what I might learn in a private class. My own personal goal is to actually be part of a larger network of artists in New Zealand. As a retired woman with an abundance of energy and desire still left in me… art workshops are the perfect venue for me to be an open-minded learner where it is safe to “be a kid again” and feel really good about facing my own insecurities and dazzle myself with the joy of what i created no matter how simple or complex.”

Jan is a regular participant in workshops at Creative Matakana, “Creative Matakana has become an annual holiday for me. Matakana is a great place to hold such a creative festival. I look forward every year to seeing what classes there are – the hardest part is which class to choose. The great variety of classes means you could go with friends who have different interests or as I do use it as my time out to just indulge myself in trying new ideas and processes. I have been doing Alysn Midgelow-Marsden classes. Every time I learn something new and always go home with loads of ideas and trial pieces to use in more creations. I always meet lovely people, so with the help of Alysn and the other participants I make an effort to go right outside my comfort zone which is really exciting. The end products created in class are all so different sometimes you do wonder if you have all spent a week doing the same course - that is really stimulating”.

So, look out for places to book yourself onto creative workshops. The class groups are generally made up of people with mixed experiences – from nothing to a lot! There is always sharing, always new viewpoints and always we leave with enriched lives.