Once an architect in the oil industry and now an international mixed media specialist (fun fact, GCSE and A level students frequently choose to study her work), Sera Knight hosted another incredible Mixed Media Workshop today for our adventurous students in Little Berkhamsted.
The subject for our main piece was an elegant flamenco dancer. Sera took us step by step through the creative processes for each stage - first we sketched the face in detail and the dress roughly. Then we painted the face and shoulders with tints and shadows.
Then came then came the fun cutting and tearing part, as we chose our colour magazine pages and set about arranging small pieces of them on our creations, using neat PVA glue and overlapping the pieces to create drama and movement in the dresses. There was an awful lot of sticking ...
Next stage was to create the background with chunks of tissue paper glued on. And then came more painting - after an overall wash, we used deeper acrylics or inks to create drama, highlights and shadows.
And gradually, everything came together in a joyful celebration of paper and paint.
Those of us who finished early were able to complete a second piece, again with instruction and demonstration by Sera.
With refreshments on tap all day and a break for a working two-course lunch, we were all fully satisfied - and extremely pleased with our masterpieces!
