On the 8th May, I attended the Bubbly & Art class hosted by the lovely Jackie at The White Lion in Streatham which is held once a month. Upon arrival, I was impressed by the set up of all the individual easels, paints, brushes and aprons for the attendees of the class, the positive energy and great background music! I've always loved art but haven't done any since I was in high school so I was really excited to get back into it. You don't have to be a pro to attend the class, everyone is of varying abilities but if you're interested in testing your creativity skills and developing them, this will be a great class for you!
The reason for the title of this post is that I honestly felt the most relaxed and present that I have felt in a while during the class. Your mind completely switches off and you focus solely on the paper and what is infront of you, which is rare in this day and age when we are all doing a million things at once and are glued to our phones when we're not! I personally found this to be a great way to unwind after a busy day at work and if you suffer with stress, this will be a fantastc way to relax too!
With free flowing prosecco all evening, this is an art class with a twist! A great way to meet people, relax and unwind whilst getting creative and doing something you enjoy (snacks were also provided incase you were feeling a little peckish and there was also non-alcoholic beverages available too) . Everyone in the class was really friendly and warm and Jackie did her upmost to make everyone feel welcome as it can be nerve-racking to attend a class on your own.
Once everyone had a glass of prosecco in hand and were set up at their individual art station, the class was ready to begin. As this is a life drawing/painting class, our lovely nude model Fatima, entered the class and posed in the centre of the room where we had 30mins to sketch/paint then a 15 min break before continuing with another 30mins of art.
Prosecco in one hand, paint brush in the other... I've never felt so refined ;)
Sketching...
We were provided with black and white paint, I used the black to create the outline and then started shading by mixing in the white. The class uses a a variety of materials, last time it was graphite pencil, this time it was oil paint, so its' a great way to try out different art materials and pick up new skills! During the class, Jackie came round to everyone individually to see if they needed any help, provided tips (and top up empty glasses too!).
My finished work!
At the end of the class, we all revealed our work to eachother - life drawing is all about what each individual sees and how that translates to paper which is always really interesting and it was a great way to see everyones working styles too. The model, Fatima, then chose her favourite and the winner received a prize, which was a really nice, unexpected touch!
I would highly recommend attending the Bubbly & Art class, I had such a great time and I'm already looking forward to the next one which is on the 10th July at The White Lion.
Katie x