Rachel Cronin
Workshops in Oxfordshire, uk
Approaches to Abstraction
Painting the Unseen: Journeys Through Colour and Texture
Friday 14th and Saturday 15th November 2025
10.30am until 4pm both days
£280
Course Description
Get ready for two days of creative adventure! This is a hands-on, demo-packed workshop where you’ll get to roll up your sleeves and make a glorious mess exploring abstracted landscapes.
In the early days of my painting journey I often felt that my work lacked a sense of history and of interest. I knew what I wanted to paint but the route there was far too predictable and the results often felt static. Over the last few years, I have spent countless hours developing a process that feels intuitive and playful and also allows me to build up layers of paint and texture and now I want to share it with you. Expect lots of live demonstrations and useful exercises, with plenty of laughs along the way. Our focus is on having fun, trying new things, and learning from each other in a warm, supportive group. You’ll have a stack of handouts and resources to take home, and you’ll leave with a head full of ideas, a number of new ways to begin and a heart full of inspiration. Absolutely no experience needed—just bring your curiosity and sense of play.
Day 1: Getting Stuck In—Abstraction, Colour, and Texture
On day one, we’ll dive into creating texture with tools like scrapers and palette knives, using bold shapes and colours to break landscapes into vibrant vignettes. Through playful exercises, you’ll layer colours and experiment with contrast and edges, letting previous layers peek through for added depth. We’ll also explore colour mixing with a “mother colour” technique, crafting a harmonious palette that explores bright and muted colours to use for collage swatches and new abstract works inspired by your sketches.
Day 2: Layers of Discovery—Building Depth and Expression in Abstraction
On the second day, you’ll work across two pre-prepared 30cm by 30cm boards, building up your paintings by drawing inspiration from the collages and experimental pieces you created on the first day. I’ll demonstrate how to develop richly textured grounds and layer paint in a way that keeps you open to new discoveries, rather than following rigid steps. You’ll also learn techniques such as sanding back areas to reveal underlying colours and applying transparent glazes with diluted paint or acrylic mediums. Throughout the day, you’ll have dedicated time to work at your own pace, allowing ideas to unfold naturally, but I’ll be on hand to offer guidance, feedback, and tailored support whenever you need it—ensuring that your creative explorations are both independent and well-supported.
What’s provided
· Loads of handouts, cheat sheets, and inspiration packs for you to keep
· Reference images and fun prompts for sparking ideas
· Some acrylic paint colours
· Brushes, palette knives, wallpaper scrapers, silicone shapers, shower squeegees, and more
· Acrylic mediums and glazing colours
· Pre-prepared wooden painting panels
· Paper
What you’ll need to bring
Materials are included in the fee but you may want to bring your own brushes and a sketchbook for making notes and putting down ideas.
Refreshments including tea, coffee and cakes/biscuits will be available on both days and there are plenty of pubs in the village for lunch or you can bring your own.
What You’ll Get Out of It
· New friends, fresh ideas, and lots of laughs
· New ways to begin a painting and keep the momentum going
· Confidence using colour and texture in playful, expressive ways
· Support from your tutor and the group
· Step-by-step guides and resources to keep the creativity going at home
· A handful of experimental pieces and (hopefully!) a some work that feels resolved
About the location
Hook Norton memorial hall is situated in the village of Hook Norton on Chapel Street. There is limited on street parking available but further parking can be found on the High Street and on the Sibford Road. Please allow yourself plenty of time to find somewhere to park. The postcode for your sat nav is OX15 5JT
Note
All booked places are non-refundable, except when a workshop is cancelled or in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances include but are not limited to medical emergencies, natural disasters, or other unforeseen events that prevent attendance. If the class is sold out and I can your resell your spot to someone on the waiting list, you will receive a credit for the ticket value minus the booking fees.
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