Artists of Shambellie House

Scottish Colourist Series – F. C. B. Cadell – Vibrant Still Life Painting

From: £140.00

Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th february 2025

10aM to 4.00PM

Get ready to dive into the colourful world of F.C.B. Cadell’s still life masterpieces. Learn about his life, work, and close connection to Shambellie House. See some of his original work on display and learn from his dynamic techniques in this unique two day workshop.

Perfect for beginners and seasoned artists alike.

 

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Description

Our Vibrant Still Life painting workshop offers a unique opportunity to explore the life and work of “Bunty” Cadell and his connection to Shambellie House.

Over the weekend, you’ll practice observational drawing, learning key techniques in perspective and compositional planning. You’ll deepen your understanding of tonal values to create depth in your paintings. And through colour theory and colour mixing exercises, you’ll gain insights into Cadell’s palette and how he used it to evoke mood and atmosphere in his work.

You’ll have plenty of time dedicated to painting, in a relaxed and informal setting with like-minded individuals. There will be one-on-one support, expert guidance, practical tips and lots of encouragement throughout the weekend, to help you learn from and apply Cadell’s techniques to capture the essence and vibrancy of your chosen still life composition.

Your Tutor

Your Tutor

Ailsa Mackay

After graduating from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Ailsa has spent over 30 years as a professional artist and designer. Her designs have been sold globally, appearing on fashion, home décor, and household products in the UK, Australia, Germany, and the USA. She has also worked as a stationery and interior designer and as an art tutor. Commissions for her original paintings and prints have sold widely across the UK and internationally.

Ailsa’s bold and dynamic style, influenced by her design background, breathes life into her acrylic, gouache, and soft pastel works, drawing inspiration from daily life and the  natural world.

Now back in Scotland after working in the south of England for the majority of her career, Ailsa has become an established art educator, teaching core drawing and painting skills to all abilities.

She is a Director of  “For Enjoyment CIC” an arts based social enterprise that teaches core creative skills throughout Dumfries and Galloway. She is a Trustee of the DGUnlimted, the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of the Arts, and sits on the Artists of Shambellie House Steering Group.

Beyond art, she works across academia, government and practice, as Lead for the National Centre for Resilience, a scientific research centre focusing on community resilience to natural hazards and climate change. She is passionate about employing creative approaches to improve health and wellbeing, utilising them in a way that can help individuals build better and stronger resilience to the inevitable challenges that we all face throughout our lives.

Ailsa is the co-author of a number of research projects exploring community resilience building and fostering resilience in young people with special needs. She was recently interviewed on ITV Border news for spearheading a landmark creative Burns event in collaboration with Dumfries Museum. She has regularly displayed her work across the UK and her most recent exhibition was at Shambellie House, New Abbey.

About the Day

The workshop will take place from 10am – 4pm  both days and refreshments will be provided throughout the day including plenty tea/coffee and cake and lunch on both days. Accommodation is not included however there are a number of local providers on our website. See here for details. 

This workshop will take place  in the Gallery which is only accessible via a flight of stairs. Please let us know if you have any access needs and we will try to accommodate you.

Skills gained from the workshop include:

Improve your observational drawing skills

Learn to create bold colour palettes

Expand your understanding of creating depth and dimension

Develop new painting techniques based on Cadell’s approach

 

Positive Outcomes:

 

  1. Increased confidence in drawing and painting abilities as they learn easy-to-follow techniques that can extend beyond art and positively impact other areas of their lives.
  2. Improved creativity and inspire participants to explore new ideas and perspectives. Experimentation with different techniques and styles will contribute to developing their artistic skills, expressing their creativity in new ways and help participants to discover their unique artistic voice.
  3. Providing a calm and relaxing space to concentrate on the process of drawing and painting to promote mental well-being.
  4. Provide participants with a sense of achievement and satisfaction from seeing real improvement through applying simplified and easy to follow steps and motivate them to continue practicing and improving their skills.
  5. Provide the opportunity for bringing together like minded individuals with similar interests and passions and develop a sense of community

 

 

What will be produced:

A series of observational drawings

Spherical perspective exercises

Tonal painting

Colour palette swatches

Final acrylic painting on canvas board

Kit and Requirements

We will use acrylic, watercolour or gouache paint. Acrylic paint does not come off when dry. Please wear old clothes or bring an apron.

There is an additional charge of £15 per person for materials, paper and stretched canvas.

If you have answered yes and would like to discuss your requirements then please get in touch.

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