Drawing and mindfulness: the art of seeing
Explore drawing and mindfulness and how the two combined can support new ways of seeing and relating to drawing. ‘The true journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having fresh eyes’ Marcel Proust.
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Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 28 Mar 2026End Date: 28 Mar 2026Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30OnlineFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
An exploration of the enriching relationship of drawing and mindfulness and how this can stimulate new directions in your drawing. Through a series of guided drawing and mindfulness exercises you’ll explore a variety of ways of looking, seeing and expressing your experience through drawing. A practical drawing course engaging a variety of media and sources of inspiration, including the world around us, the imagination and artists’ work. Suitable for enthusiastic beginners as well as those with experience in mindfulness and/or drawing who wish to re-fresh their practice or stimulate new approaches.
What will we cover?
- During the day we will investigate a range of sources of inspiration for drawing
- You will be introduced to ways of exploring how your perception can change when you involve different aspects of your sensory experience, which can lead to more appreciation of your subject matter, as well as renewed meaning and purpose in drawing
- A toolkit of mindfulness and drawing approaches to help you connect to the drawing process with greater ease, simplicity and clarity
- There will be opportunity to investigate a variety of drawing approaches, to refresh your drawing or stimulate new directions
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Draw from a variety of sources of inspiration including the world around you, the imagination and artists’ drawings
- Identify how mindfulness can support new ways of looking, seeing and expressing your experience through drawing
- Practice drawing and mindfulness from observation and the imagination with increased confidence
- Engage a toolkit of methods and resources for exploring and developing mindfulness and drawing
- Connect to renewed meaning and purpose in drawing
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Suitable for those with experience in mindfulness and/or drawing who wish to re-fresh their practice or stimulate new approaches, as well as enthusiastic beginners.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Through guided mindfulness practice
- Demonstration of drawing methods
- Practical drawing exercises
- Pair and group discussion
- Slideshow, hand-outs and other practical learning resources
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Pencil, willow charcoal, coloured pastels, eraser, pencil sharpener, 12 sheets cartridge paper e.g. A2 or A3, plus any other drawing materials you’d like to use.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Drawing and mindfulness: the imagination, Drawing and mindfulness: modern and contemporary nature, Drawing and mindfulness: into abstraction, Drawing and Painting from the Imagination.
Clare Barton-Harvey is a full time artist and tutor/trainer living in London. In her teaching, she specialises in life drawing, drawing and mindfulness, working with colour, and painting from the imagination. She is an engaging and inspired tutor responsive to individual need and encouraging of individual growth/expression. In 2003, she studied at the Royal Drawing School, where she engaged in life drawing and the study of contemporary and historic artist’s drawings as part of the Drawing Year. In 2017 she engaged in post-graduate study with Bob and Roberta Smith (RA) and has exhibited solo and in a variety of group shows throughout the UK. You can see her work at www.cbarton-harvey.co.uk. Clare has been a practicing artist & mindfulness practitioner for over 25 years, and has taught drawing and painting for over 18 years, in a variety of locations currently including the National Gallery, British Museum, British Library, Pallant House and Hampton Court Palace. She is also co-founder of LIMINA collective (www.liminacollective.com) who specialise in mindful engagement with art in galleries and museums.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.