Drawing and mindfulness: the imagination
Discover the enriching relationship of mindfulness and the imagination, whilst exploring a range of methods for stimulating and connecting to what inspires you. This course offers an introduction to mindful drawing, as well as a context to explore it more deeply through the imagination.
Choose a starting date
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: 05 Mar 2026End Date: 26 Mar 2026Thu (Evening): 18:00 - 21:00OnlineFull fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00
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?
Explore how mindfulness practice can help you to access the imagination and stimulate creativity. Through a range of guided drawing approaches discover how to access the imagination and find enrichment within it. You will work from a variety of sources of inspiration to help you express yourself with increased freedom and confidence. Suitable for enthusiastic beginners to drawing and mindfulness as well as those with experience who wish to refresh their practice or expand their skills.
What will we cover?
- Discover ways of accessing the imagination and create drawings from a variety of sources of inspiration
- Explore ways of drawing with more creative and imaginative freedom (and less ‘inner critic’!)
- Mindfulness skills and mindful drawing approaches to inspire new directions and inform your work into the future
- Key ideas on how mindfulness works, with reference to scientific theory
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Identify and employ a variety of sources of inspiration for your imagination
- Create drawings from your imagination
- Employ a toolkit of mindfulness resources to access, free-up and sustain your imaginative engagement
- Identify how mindfulness can support creative practice
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Suitable for enthusiastic beginners to drawing as well as those with experience who wish to refresh their practice or expand their skills in this subject area. Bring an open mind and be prepared to let go, play and experiment.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Through guided mindfulness practices
- Demonstration of drawing methods
- Practical drawing exercises
- One to one tutoring
- Pair and group discussion
- Personal research tasks
- Slideshows, 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, 30 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 Painting from the Imagination, Drawing and mindfulness: releasing the judging mind, Drawing and mindfulness: the art of seeing, Drawing and mindfulness: into abstraction, Drawing and mindfulness: modern and contemporary nature.
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.