Painting for beginners

Amanda Bracken started her teaching career at the Serpentine Gallery, researching, developing and delivering projects to a range of audiences, which illuminated the art work on show in the exhibition programme, including a teachers’ pack for the Bridget Riley exhibition. She also gained substantial experience developing projects and workshops within the education departments of The Drawing Room, the Estorick collection, The National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria Miro Gallery in particular Alice Neel: Portraits. Bracken holds an MA in Fine Art gained at Central Saint Martins. She also holds a BA in joint Art/Dance and a PGCE gained at Goldsmiths College London. Brackens paintings, drawings and installations have been selected for exhibitions in London and nationally including the Drawing Room, ASC Gallery, C and C Gallery and Atkinson Gallery Millfield. ‘I am interested in colour and form in all its permutations and the qualities of the substance of painting and drawing-the figurative, the abstract and the in-between. Citylit has a diverse Art department where I can use my experience to stimulate students to develop their own work'.

Amanda trained at The Slade School of Fine Art gaining BA Hons and MA Hons degrees. Here, she found a love of figurative painting, tutored by Jo Volley and Euan Uglow. She spent a year studying anatomical drawing in a unique collaboration between UCH and The Slade which won her the Henry Tonks Prize for Drawing. Amanda has a broad knowledge of techniques in drawing and painting. Her work has also encompasssed film, photography and dance. In teaching, this enables her to guide students of any level to learn and develop their processes in a wide scope of materials and ideas. Amanda is also a qualified yoga teacher and has specific interest in links between creativity and mindfulness. She holds an MA Hons in Art History from The University of St Andrews and is passionate about integrating creative practice with inspiration and context from past and contemporary artists. Amanda has 20 years teaching experience in a variety of settings across all age groups including school and gallery workshops, Slade Summer School, private tuition/mentoring and she has devised and facilitated courses and outreach projects for adults with additional needs and mental health challenges.