"If You Say You Can't Draw, Try This!" The workshops!

There are two workshops coming up next week in Cornwall. There are no pre-required qualifications. You don't even really need to not be able to draw!

The workshops are a one-time experience using effective, tried and tested methods to unlock your drawing abilities.

• Monday 26th September 7-9pm at Porthtowan Village Hall, Porthtowan TR4 8AD
• Thursday 29th September 7-9pm at Miners and Mechanics Institute, St Agnes TR5 0TQ

The workshop costs £23 per person. The proceeds go to St Julia's Hospice, Hayle as a small thank you for looking after our dear friend Nola x

To book, call Cosmic on 07970 307908 TR5 0TQ

The Art Blaster! at PARK LIVE

This oversized ghetto blaster was commissioned for Source Fm's PARK LIVE July event in Kimberly Park Falmouth this Sunday just gone.

It's a large canvas to be drawn all over and the theme was "What do I see in the future for Source FM".

Adults and children left some great images and ideas on the installation, including: "Broadcast from space", "More community news" and the art included some very bold neo-expressionism!

The sun was shining all day and the spoken word (selected by Mac Dunlop) and the live music (selected by Ryan Jones) kept everyone highly entertained.

It's Smallworld after all!

Smallworld May 2015
This awesome conscientious wind and solar powered festival takes place in Kent twice a year, in May and August. It is put together by the people who bring the Smallworld Solar Stage to larger festivals like Glastonbury, Buddhafield, and Secret Garden Party.

This May at Smallworld I did some spray paint art workshops and painted a few other things (if they stayed still long enough).

WW1 art at Hearlands

This summer I spent a few days with pupils from Pool Academy in Cornwall, creating some big artwork. 

The first project was to paint a freestanding streetart wall with a World War 1 theme at Heartlands during an armed forces day.

The artwork we made was well received and a large number of people stopped us to comment. 

Many commented on their surprise at the age of the artists and the powerful messages in the art.

Heartlands Urban Festival

Summer is over and just before we plunge headfirst into the depths of winter I need to crank up the blog. Stand back!

First up: Heartlands Urban Festival

Such a busy weekend with stacks going on like DJs, mini ramps, street skate section, tons of walls to paint on, bands, dance groups and tons more.

From West Briton: Article

Photo Stuart Burton: "Thank you so much for taking the time to teach my boys how to write with aerosols. You really gave them a day they'll never forget."

Photo Stuart Burton

Drawing on: Heartlands!!

POOL
This Saturday and Sunday (Sept 1st and 2nd) I will mostly be running interactive art demos at Heartlands in Pool, Cornwall.

COOL

Heartlands is a massive new project in Cornwall that celebrates the rich heritage to be found here. This urban festival is going to be a great showcase of lots of the "street culture" activities that Cornwall has to offer.

WALL
I have had a free-standing wall made especially for the occasion that is looking very exciting! The wall will remain on site to be a constant reminder of contemporary art being alive and well in Cornwall.

SCRAWL!
During the weekend people will be asked to help out with ideas, inspiration and to paint on the wall with me. No experience necessary, just a clear desire to contribute and create.

More info: West Briton, Cornwall In Focus, Cornwall's Coolest

Newquay Art8 Festival Drawingonthings Workshop

Last Sunday was genuinely the sunniest day of the year by far! Loads of people turned up for this event in the back garden of the Newquay Arms as part of the Art8 festival.

The pub and Art8 had sponsored the event so that members of the public could get involved as part of the festival which is the first of what will hopefully be an annual showcase of art in and around Newquay.

A few adults took part too but other than that, the average age of the artists making these pictures was 10 years old, all participants had never used spray paint before. Some of these guys had travelled from bristol to do this workshop! All were complete naturals!

A Drop-in Drawingonthings Surgery!

LINk in Cornwall are the people who pass on everyone's thoughts and feelings about their health services here in Cornwall to the people who run them.

Using communication to bring about positive change is also something that my Drawingonthings Workshops are known for. Which is why LINk in Cornwall thought it would be a good idea to have me run a drop-in workshop in Truro City centre as a feature of their celebration event called Watch Your Health, last Thurdsay.

Young people could colaborate on a peice in the Drawingonthings Workshop in exchange for the (Yes/No) answer to: "Do you think there is enough information about health services in Cornwall for young people?

A highly creative day followed, filled with discussion on the topic, and some awesome pieces of work were created!



But the best bit...
All the work returns to the donors of the "canvases" (many of whom were there on the day) and will be displayed in their offices, surgeries, etc. This was an important part of this workshop as it showed that the young peoples' opinions are highly regarded, as is their art!





LINk in Cornwall's website: http://www.linkincornwall.org.uk

The Youthy Chillerz vs Cosmic

Newquay youth club, Tuesday last week. This was a Drawingonthings Workshop approached as a collaboration between myself and the group who, when asked to give themselves a name, chose "Youthy Chillerz". Brilliant.

The theme is "positive things (or things we like) about Newquay.




The eagle-eyed among you reading this will spot the quote "Believe In Yourself" which is also in the previous post. This is purely coincidental.

The Liskeard King

Caradon Short Stay School in Liskeard helps young people to find a positive future.

I delivered a Drawingonthings Workshop at the school on 29th Feb, which was a really hot and sunny day. Put together by Barnardo's, the aim of the workshop was to encourage positivity within the group.

There was a lot of interest in using the materials I had brought along: spray paint and paint pens and recycled skateboards as canvases. The whole group worked from initial resignations of not being able to paint or draw (with statements such as "I can't do this!") to finally enjoying the process and creating some very powerful art for them each to keep.

They made some great artwork in the end. Then, as we were packing up headmistress Sue Tysall passed by and the young people (unprompted) asked her if I could paint on a wall somewhere in the school for them! She said "Yes! That one... You had better ask Cosmic though!" I said I would if they helped me, and we got straight to work.



In the end it was me who helped them! The content, words and images are genuinely their idea and there is a lot of meaning packed into this relatively simple looking image. All colouring is their work. The enthusiasm generated to make this piece was very powerful stuff indeed! Good work!

New Drawing On Things Workshops for 2012!

Throughout the year I run the popular Drawing On Things Workshops in Cornwall and throughout the UK.

These are dynamic, friendly, creative sessions and community art projects delivered by me personally to any type of group, business, school, charitable organization, event or educational facility.

There is always a huge piece of art as a result.

The focus of the Drawing On Things Workshops differs according to the needs of the group, and the desired outcome the organizers wish to achieve, but the emphasis is always the same: Positivity!

When a group of people focus on a creative task together, the group dynamic changes to one that creates. Drawing On Things workshops demonstrate how this happens in a nonjudgmental, creative environment. Learning to work like this, either as a group or alone, has massive beneficial value to all involved.

Plus! There is always a huge piece of art as a result for a centre to keep on it's walls, or individual pieces to take away and use as gifts or keep!

This year's Drawing On Things Workshops start next week in Cornwall and are happening in Cornwall and throughout the UK during the rest of 2012.

NYC!!

(...Newquay Youth Centre!)

I re-visited Newquay Youth Centre to paint the walls based on ideas that had emerged from the "drawingonthings workshop" (everybody drawing whatever they wanted on the wall) I held there during an open day at the youth centre almost 2 weeks ago.

Check out the consultation doodles here!

This time it was just me painting to get the walls ready for the centre to open again in September. I tried to remain true to the lively and imaginative use of shapes, colours and imagery that emerged from the first session (which were drawn on the wooden triangular panel, and are a big part of the work! See bottom picture) and almost follow on from those first group doodles in the "drawingonthings workshop".

The major surfing and nightlife town has a bright and colourful reputation but quite often focus, in the press for example, is drawn towards the negative. Projects like this help to remind residents and visitors of all the positive aspects to Newquay.

I purposefully avoided the obvious and direct images and used the open and non-judgemental collective doodles from the "drawingonthings workshop" to dictate the content of the murals to ensure a unique and original piece that could only belong to Newquay.

Hayle Vets Summer Fete Mural

This was a really good project. The vets in Hayle, Cornwall held a summer fete for all their customers to come and meet and raise money for for the National Animal Welfare Trust and the Cats Protection League.

They booked me to paint their new mural during the same day so that their client's younger and more creative owners could help me design and paint as an extra activity during the fete. Which was a fantastic idea!

Read this→ article from The West Briton newspaper. (Make sure you scroll along to see Scampy Williams' fancy dress costume)

Next Generation

On Saturday 25th June I ran a massive drawingonthings workshop in Poltair Skatepark in St Austell as part of a Youthfest skate comp day organised by Barefoot Games and The House youth centre.

These four panels were painted by young people who wanted to have a creative outlet on the day. About 40-50 took part during the day.

This was the first day of the recent heat wave and it wasn't expected. During the skate comp there were DJ's playing and a barbecue after.