BFRB UK & Ireland: Monthly online art workshops with Liz Atkin

BFRB UK & Ireland: Monthly online art workshops with Liz Atkin 

Calming and mindful online art workshops led by artist Liz Atkin for BFRB UK & Ireland, designed to help you take important time to refocus, relax and recharge. Liz has lived experience of skin picking disorder and uses drawing to refocus the condition. In the these events she will guide participants through different approaches to drawing, taking inspiration from the work of different artists, with activities designed with BFRBs in mind. Sessions are open to all ages. Art materials suggested here can can be adapted to whatever you have at home. There will be freedom to experiment with your own drawings and have fun. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Sessions are stand alone, so you can join as a one off, or book several sessions or attend them all.

Spring Workshops:

Mon 19 Jan 7-8pm   Theme: Spring drawings inspired by Pierre Bonnard Suggested art materials: White paper, and a range or colourful art materials such as colouring pencils, felt tips, crayons etc. Optional extras: oil pastels, watercolours or paints, and small brushes 

Mon 16 Feb 7-8pm   Theme: Inspired by Yayoi Kusama Suggested art materials: Black fine liner, gel pen or sharpie, white paper, colourful paper or post-it notes. Other felt tips. Optional extras: black paper / other colourful posca pens or acrylic pens

Mon 16 Mar 7-8pm   Theme: Inspired by Anthony Gormley drawings Suggested art materials Graphite pencil, black fine liner, black biro, gel pen or sharpie, optional extras: watercolours, ink and brushes, soft pastels if you have them

Mon 13 Apr 7-8pm    Theme: Inspired by Sonia Delaunay Suggested art materials: White paper, felt tips, marker pens, colouring pencils a range of different sized circular things (bottle tops, coins, small bowl etc) and a ruler. Optional extras: other art materials such as watercolours, soft pastels, oil pastels, crayons etc

Mon 11 May 7-8pm    Theme: Mandala Designs Suggested art materials: White paper, black fine liner or black gel pen - a range of different sized circular things (bottle tops, coins, small bowl etc) and a ruler. Optional extras - other colour paper / colouring pens

Mon 15 June 7-8pm   Theme: Inspired by Bridget Riley Suggested art materials: A range of black pens such as fine liner, gel pen, sharpie or marker pen, felt tips, graphite pencil, small piece of cardboard (A4 size) scissors, a couple of circular objects (such as lid or bottle)

Please note: Each event will need to be paid for at the checkout stage individually. Choose each date you would like and pay the General Admission fee for each one. Once you have booked, Zoom login details will be sent to you for each individual session. 

If the cost of the classes is prohibitive, please contact BFRB UK & Ireland to apply for subsidised tickets.

About Liz

Liz Atkin is an artist and educator. She reimagines her Compulsive Skin Picking and anxiety into drawings, photographs and performances. Liz is a mental health advocate and raises awareness for the disorder around the world. She has exhibited and taught in the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, Singapore and Japan. Her work is permanently held in the Wellcome Collection, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, Derby Museum, and Bethlem Gallery Collection supported by the Peter Sowerby Foundation and National Lottery Heritage Fund. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she gave away more than 18,000 free #CompulsiveCharcoal newspaper drawings to commuters on public transport in London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Cologne and more. Liz teaches art in schools, hospitals, hospices, prisons, arts venues and universities. She is an ambassador for The Big Draw, the world’s largest drawing festival, focusing on the role of creativity for health and wellbeing. Liz received the Unstoppable Spirit Award forOutspoken Advocacy at the TLC Global Conference for Skin Picking and Hair Pulling Disorders in San Francisco in 2018, and was a finalist in the Janey Antoniou Award with Rethink Mental Illness in 2018. Her work has featured on TEDx, BBC News, Woman’s Hour, Vice, Women’s Health USA, Huffington Post, Channel News Asia, Metro, AlJazeera and more.