Summer workshops at Kirkcudbright Galleries, Dumfries and Galloway

There has been a hustle and a bustle in the studio lately as this Summer finds me putting on my 'ART EXPLORERS' hat! My brand new business partner Susi Briggs and I have been designing a whole heap of crafts for the family drop in workshops we are running at Kirkcudbright Galleries.

We were so pleased to be asked to work in this beautiful B listed building which has recently been completely transformed into a gallery of National significance here in the Artists town of Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. You can find us up on the mezzanine floor every Wednesday throughout the Summer.

We have developed a lovely range of topics to delve into and are thoroughly looking forward to meeting all the busy bees who come along to participate. Our 'Nip Nebs' workshop with crafts inspired by our new book (more about that in a later post) was a huge success. We did wax resist painting, web weaving and peg doll pixies.

and the paper stained glass inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh went down a treat today too. 

18th July - Mad Hatter hats

25th July - Puppets, 1st August - Clay house tiles, 8th August - paper portraits, 15th August - Masks

22nd August - Lanterns

29th August - Create your own family tree

5th September - Art Journaling for kids

So do hop along and join us every Wednesday through the Summer for a fun filled workshop!

The workshops run from 10.30 am -12.30 pm.

There is a minimal charge of £2 per child.

No need to book just pop along.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Aimed at ages 7-12 years, though we can accommodate younger children too.

Settling in and a sketching group

The sun is streaming through the window, and I can hear the birds singing in the garden as I sit looking out from my new wee studio.  I always feel that the setting down of new roots and making fresh memories, the things that make a new place feel like home, take a wee while to happen and need quiet times and pondering times and so I have allowed the moments to tick by here as I have allowed those things to happen.

We have been exploring, wandering through still woods as the sun begins to set and  glimmer through the trees. We have climbing sheep strewn hills to catch  glimpses of sparkling sea, and we are feeling very blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the world here in Dumfries & Galloway.

The May blossom has been so late this year, it almost seemed as though it was waiting for us to settle and find time to appreciate it's tiny blooms. But at last the hedgerows are bursting into life all ready for the coming of July.

We can't wait to see what the coming month brings in the garden after all our digging and weeding and planting and a-building of walls. Next stop the vegetable patch!

June saw me run the last of my workshops for a while, so ending a wonderful first half of the year filled with meetings of  lovely folks all getting creative. It has been such a pleasure having the opportunity to share my creativity with so many and watching them spread their wings and start to discover the joys of creative play. Thank you each and everyone for coming along and helping make the workshops such special events. ( How beautiful is the bouquet of flowers I was given by the lovely ladies from Gretna!)

New workshops and happenings will be announced in September.

The 'sketch-a-day' facebook group I set up is going from strength to strength, and what began as a personal challenge to encourage me to stick to the task of sketching for the 365 days has now grown into a group with over 60 members from all around the world. It has proved so popular that numbers have had to be limited as we were overwhelmed with requests of people wanting to join and I really want it to stay small and friendly and manageable.

The group is now run by three sketchers, the lovely Valerie (who has a real eye for detail), one of my nephew's Stu (who always finds a fab and quirky way of representing a topic) and me!  Every day a new topic is posted to be interpreted freely by the groups members and then shared on the page. We have covered really varied topics and each one comes with it's own unique challenge, it makes you tackle subjects you might normally avoid! (sketch topics: Above~ hot air balloon, red and fox. Below: favourite film character, Japanese, self portrait))

I am a little astounded but very happy to announce so far we are up to sketch 173 already!   There is something very inspiring about doing this challenge with a group and there is much  encouragement and sharing of information that goes on too. I have learnt so much already and developed my style in leaps and bounds and look forward to the next 173 days!

My sketches will be on show at the 'Kirkcudbright Art & Craft Trail' from 31st July to 3rd August at my corner of the event at venue 16, the beautiful historic Broughton House.

If you feel up to the challenge of sketching daily topics such as a strawberry, a Hamsa or  some canal art and improving your sketching in the process do get in touch as we do have places to spare!

Creating with HeART ~ workshops & journals

What a whirwind February has been, filled with creativity, writing and workshops.    

I mentioned back in the Autumn, my first HeART Journaling workshop and why it was something I really believed in & wanted to continue (see here). I am happy to report that five months on, I have lots of workshops lined up.

 There is always much chat and laughter in the air at the workshops which makes for a great atmosphere, helped along by lovely folks such as Franca,  the owner of the Franca Bruno shop  our Gatehouse venue.  She not only keeps us topped up with cake,tea and coffee but endless supplies of clean painting water too!

 It brings me immense pleasure to share my creativity with others, encouraging them to let go and play, and what wondrous creations they make. The pieces below were done at my 'playing with colour' workshop.

 I often hear folk mention they haven't 'played' for years, some since childhood, so it it a joy to stand back and watch those creative muses showing face at last, being allowed free rein to get messy and have fun with all the delicious art materials to hand.

Hearts seem to work appear often, I wonder is it anything to do with the fact it's called 'HeART Journaling perhaps!   This was the  'Introduction to HeART Journaling' Valentines workshop.

 Last year I was asked by storyteller, author and poet extraordinaire Renita Boyle,  recently  appointed  'Reader in Residence'' for the year for Dumfries & Galloway, to see if I would be interested in running my 'HeART Journaling' alongside her own 'Memoir in a month' workshops, part of an innovative partnership between Dumfries and Galloway library service and the Scottish Book Trust. Renita is a wonderful, whirlwind of enthusiasm and inspiration and I just knew it would be a pleasure to work with her, so dates were duly set.

 I have held two of these workshops so far in Castle Douglas and Whithorn (there are more on the way) and they have proved such a huge success that I  have been asked to return and hold monthly HeART Journaling workshops in the community centre in Castle Douglas which start on 12th March! .

Many of the folk attended both mine and Renita's 'memoir in a month' workshop, and I was right, we have all been hugely inspired by her teaching, words and readings of her magical work. There has been much wonderful writing a-happening, and a coming together of folks over it, but that is to be saved for  another day.

 There is something very soothing and therapeutic about putting things down on paper whether it is words or images and since I began creating in my own  HeART Journals I have learnt to be brave let go and had great fun in the process and so it is wonderful to see that my workshops are now inspiring others to do the same. 

Talking of journals, I have a real passion for them and wanted to try making my own using materials I had lying around.  It was great fun and I loved the outcome, particularly the fact that I had found a use for those often discarded cardboard boxes, used pieces of wrapping papers etc, I am all for re-cycling!

Of course this inspired my next workshop 'Journal making' which is on Tues 3rd March, The Franca Bruno shop in Gatehouse of Fleet.

If you would be interested in coming to any of my workshops you can find a complete list along with dates and info over on my brand new,  re-vamped website, which I hope is much easier to navigate. www.ruthieredden.com    I hope to see some of you very soon.

Family Tree Workshops at the Wickerman . . .

I am back from a wonderful Wickerman Festival experience!

Such a fantastic weekend filled with scorching sunshine, beautiful sunsets, much music & singing & dancing,  and my workshops going down a storm!   I arrived in the Lowland Links tent on Friday morn to set up amidst roaring Vikings in full chain mail & helmet getup, a storyteller clad in medieval gown and so many other entertaining happenings. 

I hung bright coloured bunting in a huge blue tent

unpacked oodles of paint & pens & arty things.

Propped up my family tree samples & inspirations. 

Laid out sketchbooks stuffed with ideas & info.

Spread out a feast of templates & worksheets, 

then sat back & waited with baited breath!

 and very soon they began to arrive, lots of smiling & inquisitive wee ones

filled with enthusiasm & ideas of their own they began to create their very own family trees.

Masterpieces a-plenty, flowery trees, branchy trees, trees with lots of family names, trees filled with family fingerprints, some with birds & butterflies, others with beasties, each one quite unique.

There are far too photo's of the creations to share here, so if you want a peep at more

of the lovely works of art  & folks who made them take a look over here.

Thank you to each and every one of you who came along to say hi, lend a hand, or have a go. To Susi sweetpea provider of provisions & mansion sized tent & Mr O for an endless supply of tea, delicious food & an extra pair of hands and the biggest thank you to all you wonderful youngsters for sharing your creativity and laughter.  Can you tell I had a wonderful weekend  folksies.

My family tree workshops are great fun as you can see,

if anybody fancies having this activity at their event do get in touch.

A wickerman workshop . . .

Some of my best inspiration comes whilst I walk in my favourite places

down deep in the ancient forest, listening to the trees whispering their stories.

On early morning walks up past dew kissed fields,

I  watch crows rise amongst branches scribbled across pink tinged skies, 

their calls breaking the still air of a brand new day.

Of course it is no wonder trees so oft find their way into my paintings.

and lately I have been working on designs for family trees

tying together three things I love ~ trees, stories, genealogy. 

I am endlessly fascinated by all that history, all those happenings and connections.

As I add twining branches, names and dates running back into the past

 I ponder the stories, the connections, the history there.

For stories are what we are made of and my family trees a way of keeping those stories alive

I am thrilled this year to have been invited to demonstrate my family trees and lead "family tree workshops" for children in the Lowland Links Tent" at the Wickerman Festival. It is part of this years Homecoming Scotland celebrations, which is all about encouraging folk to explore their Scottish roots, and discover more about their heritage.

It should be altogether much fun and I cannot wait to see what magical creation willow sculptor Trevor Leat has conjured up for this years festival. As you can see last year we had a magnificent horned beltie.

It is almost a shame to see the sculpture go up in flames as part of each years spectacular festival finale. Do come and find me and say hello if you are at the Wickerman Festival this year!