Layers in the Landscape Making Art on the Isle of Skye, Scotland

Layers in the Landscape -
Making Art on the Isle of Skye

18 - 22 May, 2018
Registration for this course is now closed. We plan to have a similar course in May 2019.
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Registration for this course is now closed

Intensive 5 day art course on Skye, Scotland.
Teachers: Caroline Dear and Jan van Boeckel

This art course will take you to the wild terrain of the northern part of the Isle of Skye. Situated off the west coast of Scotland, the isle is known for its beautiful scenery and unique land formations. The Isle of Skye or Eilean a’Cheo (misty isle in Scottish Gaelic) is the largest island of the Inner Hebrides, and a vibrant place of legend and myth.

A sense of enchantment still pervades the mystical island with its dramatic coastline and rich greenery. The beauty of the landscape, with its rich variety of mountains, lochs (lakes) and glens (valleys), is further accentuated by the abundant Scottish storytelling traditions.

On Skye, we will open ourselves to the richness of the stories, and experience the dramatic landscape through making art right in the middle of it. Teachers are local artist Caroline Dear and art teacher Jan van Boeckel.

Caroline will introduce you to this particular part of Skye through a series of three stories, looking at the myths and the human stories that are contained within the landscape. She will invite you to think about our place, as humans, in the landscape and to create your own personal story in the form of a linear folded book. This will act as a story line recording your own personal responses to the places we visit and you will be able to use this book as reference when making additional art works.
Your recordings can be text notes, sketches using pen, watercolour, graphite etc. or indeed using the natural materials around you. As part of this we will learn to make rope from local plants and gain an insight into the past uses of the common plants in this part of Skye.
Jan will guide you in exploring the vivid landscape through painting - working with colour, tonality and composition. Some sessions will be inside, where we explore ways in rendering the experience of being a natural place in two-dimensional form. When weather permits, we will work outside, among the rocks and fields, or at the coastline. Jan will invite you to paint in ways that you have probably never tried out before, to encourage you to work beyond your habitual ways of making art - and thus to see 'the misty isle' with fresh eyes!

Caroline Dear studied Botany in Dublin before qualifying as an architect and working in Europe before settling in Skye, 30 years ago. She has developed her artistic practice in response to this particular place; influenced by archeology, botany and the Gaelic culture and landscape and combined this with ancient traditional skills. Caroline’s work explores our changing relationship with the natural world and investigates the connection between our inner selves and the outer physical landscape. She has exhibited worldwide and received many awards.She is currently undertaking an MA in Art and Social Practice and teaches art part time to adults at West Highland College, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
carolinedear.co.uk

Jan van Boeckel is a visual artist, art educator, researcher and film-maker. Currently, he is professor in art pedagogy at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn. Previously, Jan was program director in design theory at the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavik. Together with others, Jan established the international research group on arts-based environmental education at Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki. In 2013, he presented his doctoral thesis there, At the Heart of Art and Earth: An Exploration of Practices in Arts-Based Environmental Education. From 2007, Jan is a member of the International Eco-Art Network.

Practical

Art Course

We will start on Friday morning, May 18. Participants arrive latest on Thursday, May 17. The course will be taught by Caroline Dear and Jan van Boeckel. On Tuesday, May 22, we will have a closing off session. On Wednesday morning participants leave home
again.

Course Fee

The course fee is €810 and includes art materials, excursion, lodging and meals during the course days. To book, please contact Caroline Dear or Jan van Boeckel. Please note: in the event of too few participants, we reserve the right to cancel the course. In this case we will offer the participants the opportunity to enrol in another course or to receive a full refund of the course fee (see Terms & Conditions). When the course is confirmed, it can be wise to be early with your bookings of flights and trains/buses, in order to get a good rate.

Lodging

Lodging is included in the course price. We will be lodged in a small family run outdoor centre, in a fully equipped accommodation.

Whitewave

Our base will be Whitewave, Skye’s Outdoor Centre in Kilmuir, a village on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula.

Meals

We aim to provide good quality meals that are reflective of the local region and culture. If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please inform our host in advance.

Location

Our atelier is Whitewave outdoor centre
Local contact: Caroline Dear
email: [email protected]
phone: +44 1470582330

Travel options:
- Flight to Glasgow or Inverness
- bus from Glasgow or Inverness to Uig.
Then local bus or get picked up or taxi from Uig to Linicro ( about 5 miles)
- Car

Comments by former participants

Somehow I feel less controlled and more playful when I paint in stronger colours, I can let go. And I allow my ‘personal handwriting’ to grow, and the pictures develop to be much more expressive. I feel that I have finally found my own ‘language’ in how to paint. Susan

Jan van Boeckel is a warm, engaging art teacher. His outstanding teaching methods, his painting skills and his passion for art and art history are very inspiring. He attends to each student's unique potential - no one will feel overlooked under Jan's caring guidance. In addition, he has the exceptional habit to join in with the students and paint for himself along with them. Thank you for a wonderful course!
Ida

Good atmosphere. "Högt i tak", as we say in Sweden. The food - made painting even better!! Nice reviewing sessions.
Karin

Art course on Skye
5 days
18-22 May, 2018
€810
which includes:
- food
- lodging
- art materials
- excursion