mindfulness art class

Time
14.00-17.00

Days of the Week
Friday

Tutor: Ruth Pickard – experienced artist and qualified art therapist.

Course Description

 

What you’ll experience each Friday (2 – 5 pm):

1. Simple breath‑awareness or body‑scan exercise to anchor attention.
2. Introducing a theme and exploring concepts such as instinct, ‘mistakes’ or
materiality.
3. Guided art making, creative exercises and time to explore independently.
4. Opportunity for reflection and closing ritual

Who is this course for:
Adults of all skill levels who want to deepen self‑awareness and explore personal storytelling through art. No prior art experience required—just an open mind.

Why it’s different:
Flow State treats the creative act itself as a mindfulness practice, emphasising process over product. Participants leave with a set of simple mindful‑art tools they can apply anywhere.

Materials: All supplies (paper, paints, charcoal, clay, etc.) provided; participants are encouraged to experiment with the medium of the week.

 

SAMPLE CLASS PROGRAMME (6 of 10 classes outlined)

WK1 – CONTINUOUS DRAWING
Explore intuitive and rhythmic drawing, and experiment with how the hand draws the pencil around the page. This will provide a chance to slow down and connect with the body and drawing. We will explore the theme of ‘mistakes’ and how we can create a piece in response to this.

WK2 – FLUID COLOUR
Creating, mixing and combining colours. A chance to notice the flow of paint, the mixing of colours, and the movement of paint on the surface.
Following this, there will be a chance to create a painted mood palette unique to you and the sensations of colour.

WK3 – TRAVEL THE ROOM
Stroll around the environment and notice the space in a new way. Exploring new perspectives and creating visual or written maps of the space you' re in, how that space feels in the present moment and how you feel in the space.

WK4 – JUXTAPOSITION
How does combining images change a narrative? What comes before, after, or is just outside the frame? A chance to think about the stories we tell ourselves, how can this be edited and altered, how does that affect the story and our response to the retold story?

WK5 – MOVEMENT AND DRAWING
Embodied Drawing, using the hand, the wrist, the arm and experimental drawing tools. Explore movement, control and moments of less control, working with the surprises, with the opportunity to work on a large format.

WK6 – INSTINCT & INTUITION
Demonstrations to explain how to draw intuitively, not necessarily looking at the page, following the hand with the eyes (rather than the eyes with the hand), changing direction, movement, and pace with the changes of rhythm. Individual drawing timed to a metronome and different rhythms, exploring our gut responses to them.