Nik Pollard came to Rabley to run a 3 day ‘Drawn To Nature’ course last Friday. The sun may not have shined throughout, but this didn’t deter the students from immersing themselves in the surrounding rural, Rabley landscape. After donning their sun hats, or in some instances raincoats, Nik guided everyone through the various local flora and fauna.
What Nik brings to his work and his courses is his immense knowledge of the natural world, combined with his sense of mark, colour and composition.
He really spends time looking at his chosen subject, but more importantly seeing and understanding it. Nik encouraged the students to get familiar with the subject that caught their eye out in the field, whether this was a bright pink campion flower, or seemingly simple blades of grass.
After getting to know their natural subjects inside out, the students then had the opportunity to further explore them in the studio context using various monotype printing methods. Rather than getting bogged down by process and simply copying drawings made outside, Nik prefers to work in more of an intuitive way, using memory to recall the various nuances of the species. The resulting imagery is ultimately more faithful and captures the inherent essence and personality of both the subject and the artist.
“I would just like to say thanks so much for an amazing course this
weekend. Nic was a fantastic and inspiring tutor.” Kareen Jackson
We are really pleased to announce that Nik Pollard is our Artist in Residence in 2014 and will also be visiting Rabley regularly to tutor on our termly studio and print sessions.
See some of Nik’s works on paper available from Rabley Contemporary Gallery…
http://www.rableydrawingcentre.com/drawingsandprints/artist/gallery/174/nik-pollard/drawn-to-nature
Nik will be running his Drawn To Nature course at Rabley again next year from 13-15 June 2014.
Contact Meryl or Amy-Jane if you would like information about future courses:
info@rableydrawingcentre.com / 01672 511999
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This was a really inspiring course. It was so useful to see Nik’s work and to learn his techniques for working outside as well as how he uses these studies for more considered work back in the studio. I learned so much in just 3 days, Nik is a generous and knowlegeable teacher who tailors his teaching to the individual. I would recommend this course to anyone who loves landscape, flora, fauna and painting or drawing outside.
Rosemary
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