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In the Alchemist’s Studio: Yellow

Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun by Van Gogh
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Subject

Painting

Dates

19 – 20 June 2025

Times

10:00 – 13:00

Location

Online

Full price

£100

Tutor

David Cranswick

About

Yellow in alchemy marks the beginning of the soul’s awakening through the passage of its soul’s journey from darkness to light. In India, yellow is considered a sacred colour due to its relationship to the cow, symbolic of the mother of all creation. Yellow is one of the three primary colours; when mixed with blue or black, it becomes green. When combined with purple, its complementary opposite, its colour disappears, and we are left with grey. When placed beside purple, it vibrates with an extraordinary intensity.

Day 1 of the workshop will begin with a talk on the different yellows found
in nature – in minerals and plants, with examples of the processes by which these can be extracted from nature.

Day 2 will involve colour exercises exploring different shade of yellow and their relationship to other colours, with particular reference to the major and minor colours and how these can be employed compositionally using different colour harmonies.

Key Information

Who is this workshop for?

Students of all levels and experience are welcome.

You must be aged 18 or over to participate in our online programmes.

What days/times do I attend?

Thursday – Friday, 19 – 20 June 2025, 10:00 -13:00

How do I attend the online class?

This class will take place on Zoom, an online meeting platform. A link for joining the Zoom meeting will be in your confirmation email after booking.

What materials do I need?

TBC

Online Learning

What if I have questions during the workshop?

This will be a small workshop; Students will be able to ask questions via chat or unmute themselves.

Students will also have access to our online learning platform, Thinkific, where we share supplementary content.

I live in a different time zone, can I still attend?

We encourage you to attend the course in real time to really benefit from instruction; however, if you are unable to attend live due to the difference in time you can catch up via recordings on our online learning platform, Thinkific. These recordings are available for a limited time after the course.

Recordings cannot be purchased separately if the course is fully booked or if the course has already started.

Tips:

You must download the Zoom app and create a free account before the class begins, so that you can use the full range of features:

  • You can create your free account here
  • You can download the Zoom app onto your computer or device here
  • You can create your free account here

FAQs

Do you offer concessions?

Yes, we offer concessions for full-time students and Seniors/60+.

Concessions cannot be applied in retrospect. To receive a concession, please apply via our online form. We will then send you a discount code to use when booking your space.

What if I need to change or cancel my booking?

No refunds, unless cancelled by the School. If you cancel up to 1 week before the workshop starts, we can offer a transfer to another workshop of equivalent value, subject to availability.

Tutor Biography

Dr. David Cranswick received his MA fine art degree from the Royal Academy of Art. In 1999 he received his PhD from HRH Prince of Wales at St James Palace for practical research into mediaeval and renaissance painting materials and techniques. From 1984 David served as personal apprentice to Cecil Collins until his death in 1989. In 1989 David was invited by Professor Keith Critchlow to run regular workshops to the MA and PhD students, where he continues to teach as senior tutor at The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts. He teaches regularly in the UK and internationally. David is personal tutor to several Royalties and prominent figures. He has works in royal collections (including King Charles III) also prominent establishments in the UK and abroad. David is resident artist in Cowdray Castle. David has appeared in BBC television programmes and radio interviews. Articles published include art magazines and newspapers. He has exhibited internationally since 1979 and undertaken portrait commissions. In 2024 David received the Teaching Award from King Charles III for 35 years of dedicated teaching. Dr. Cranswick has written a book on desert pigments of AlUla. He is currently writing a book on traditional painting methods.

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