Extended drawing for artists and makers

Ruth has taught drawing, painting and mixed media for more than 30 years, at many levels including Further, Higher and Adult Education, all over the country, including Manchester, Birmingham and London. She studied Fine Art at Liverpool and Birmingham Universities and has exhibited diversely, including the Royal Academy in London. As an artist and educator she has an eclectic mix of skills and interests. Drawing is pivotal. Mixed media has become a central focus over the years and her practice has developed towards the interface between Fine Art and Textiles where elements of painting, relief and experimental textiles meet. Coming from a background of accomplished artists and educators’ she has spent many years developing values in educational practice and enabling students to access their own creative potential.

I am an artist living and working in London, trained at Chelsea School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art (University College London). I have shown in solo and group exhibitions around the UK and in Europe (including the Whitechapel Open and Threadneedle Painting Prize) with work in numerous private collections and featured in Drawing and Painting by Kate Wilson (Thames and Hudson, 2015) For over 30 years I have taught in a wide variety of contexts, lecturing in many British art schools, including Manchester (MA), Cheltenham (BA), Central St Martins, UAL. I have run drawing workshops for Microsoft Seattle, Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing, Electronic Arts UK, Vanguard Animation, Tell Me in Mountain View, CA and Kaos Studios (THQ) in New York amongst others. I have also taught renowned opera, television and film directors how to draw (NDAs duly signed) From 2021-22 I was the recipient of an Arts Council England Project Award to conduct research into drawing and the processing of trauma. I have tenure at City Lit where I deliver drawing and painting courses exploring how these activities alter visual perception, with a strong emphasis on thinking through doing.

Claire Hynds is an artist specialising in printmaking, her work combines drawing and photography with traditional and digital print techniques to create hand printed, limited edition prints and books. Claire studied Fine Art at the University of Wales and was awarded an AHRB to study MA Multidisciplinary Printmaking at the University of the West of England. She has been teaching printmaking and drawing since 2002 and specialises in traditional etching, photomechanical intaglio processes (photoetching and polymer), screenprinting, bookmaking and artist books. She is a member of East London Printmakers and the Printmakers Council, dividing her time between teaching and her studio practice. Claire has exhibited throughout the UK and internationally and has work in permanent collections at the V&A, the Printmakers Council Archive and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales. Claire’s research investigates the urban environment. Visiting examples of modern architecture and new towns she examines what remains of the utopian vision of post war Britain, developing work through drawing, photography and print that explores how these spaces are experienced today.

Monika Kita is an artist and filmmaker. Video installation, sound and photography form her practice and works have been shown at festivals and exhibitions across the UK, Europe, and South America, including Museum of Contemporary Art of Oaxaca, BBC Shorts, East End Film Festival and Venice Biennale. Teaching is an integral part of her practice. Her flexible approach encourages connection between conception, making and materials, recognising spontaneity and liberation to be at the ‘beating heart’ of practice and pedagogy.

Amanda Knight studied Botanical, Medical and Natural History illustration at Falmouth School of Art in pre-digital times when encyclopaedias graced bookshelves and Infographics upheld an applied mode of 2D practice. On graduation, Amanda worked freelance in industry, notably at Helicopter studios in Soho, with clients in publishing, advertising and design. She also took her first steps in Adult Teacher training, working as a part-time teacher of A-level art. Community Arts and personal Fine-Art practice gradually replaced industry with freer avenues, accompanied by post-graduate study at Central Saint Martins (2000). Amanda also studied on the transformative City Lit Fine Art course for which she is now joint Course Co-ordinator. Amanda has experience of art-fair and gallery sales, represented by Stark Gallery from 2005-2012. Subsequent project work has seen a return involvement with contemporary, socially driven arts projects and fringe artist communites such as Teatro Vivo, Urban Art and Deptford X. She has twice been selected for inclusion in Creekside Open, and accepted into professional studio groups Brookmill Studios and Deptford Foreshore.

Ute works in sculpture, drawing, photography and print. She exhibits in the UK and abroad, including shows in Janus Avivson- Paris, Gallery Unwahr- Berlin, The Watermans Art Centre, National Trust, The Round Chapel- London, St Pancras Chambers and studio1.1.london. She is interested in 'Art and Landscape' and has collaborated with other artists in this area. Residencies and public art include ‘SelfScapes’ in Dalby Forest, an artistic research project with catalyst funding from York St John University; Hurlingham and Chelsea School - ACAVA;Winton School- The Esmée Fairbairn Charitable Trust. Publications: Kate Wilson, Drawing and Painting Materials and Techniques, 2015; The E list,Winter.No 55. Work reviews include: Time Out by Martin Herbert; Catalogue Essay by Tom Mc Carthy. Ute worked as Trustee member of Shoreditch Town Hall Trust and as gallery curator, Tram Depot Gallery. Ute has over 10 years of experience teaching in Further and Adult Education, on the Art and Design Foundation Diploma; Developing Art Practice; EDAM and The City Lit interior design course, specialising in sculpture - 3D, drawing and colour. Qualifications: MAFA and PGCE

Mario Lautier Vella is a cross-disciplinary, award-winning artist who began his art career at City Lit. After completing a number of short courses in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and textiles, Mario went on to do the two-year City Lit Fine Art course before going back to university to gain his Masters degree. Mario regularly exhibits in the UK and abroad and his work can be found in private collections around the world. Mario has enjoyed teaching at City Lit since 2011. For more info go to mariolautiervella.com

Faith Vincent is a practicing artist with a studio in North London. Her work has a strong affinity with touch, exploring an intimate engagement with the world through sculpture, installation and drawing. She studied Painting BA at Brighton and Post Grad at the Slade, UCL. She was a Wingate Scholar studying buon fresco under Prof Leonetto Tintori at Laboratorio per Affresco di Prato, Italy. Her work has been exhibited widely (including Palazzo Pretorio di Prato Italy, Eagle Gallery, Jagged Art, Whitworth Gallery, ICA, Barbican) and also used as a backdrop for dance on the BBC. She has featured in ID and AN magazine and has acted as a fresco consultant for Bodley Head Publishing House. She has been a visiting lecturer on Chelsea MA (now UAL), BA at Leeds Uni and Byam Shaw (now Central St Martins), as well as teaching part-time on BA at Hallam Uni, Sheffield and on various Foundation Courses. She is currently a tutor on Extended Drawing for Artists and Makers (EDAM) at City Lit. Her work is in collections in Europe and US.

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.