Art in the Garden

Throughout August you can visit the Art Trail in the Stackpole Walled Gardens and choose from a programme of workshops. 

A Summer Feast will celebrate community, local produce and the culmination of the Sand Palace Arts 'Seasons Project' made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

Saturday 1st August 3-4.30 pm Wildflower Walk with botanical artist and writer Esther Williams.

 
Learn about the folklore of wildflowers on a group ramble on the Stackpole Estate, identifying wild plants and talking about the meanings of their Welsh names, mythology, herbalism, history and ecology. Wild plants have a myriad of Welsh names that reveal fun, fascinating and sometimes sinister insights into their past uses and cultural significance. This walk will open up the rich but often hidden world of Welsh botanical heritage that's contained in the weeds and flowers growing at our feet. Esther is an artist, writer and musician based in Haverfordwest whose work explores the narratives of plants. You can find out more about her work at www.womanwithplants.com.

Meet at the Sand Palace Arts event shelter in the Stackpole Walled gardens. Free but booking is essential as numbers limited. Age12+

Sunday 2nd August 10.30am-4pm. Botanical Dyeing workshop   with Welsh textile artist Siân Lester for a hands-on one-day introductory botanical dyeing experience, capturing the hidden hues gathered from the plant landscape in Stackpole Walled Gardens. Siân will share her skills and guide you in identifying and consciously foraging for local seasonal plants to dye with. We will make up dye baths to dye wool, echoing the plant life and deep woollen heritage of West Wales. There will be an opportunity to try out Japanese shibori techniques to make patterns on cloth and Siân will assist you with making a record of all the colours for your future reference and making. Suitable for beginners. All materials will be supplied. Wear some old clothes, bring an apron, notebook, some secateurs, and gardening gloves. £20. Age 16 +

Friday 7th August 11am-4pm Traces of Place: Creating Memory Structures with artist Pauline Le Britton
Explore memory, place and the garden through sculpture, collage, maps and found materials. Age: 16+. £15. Booking is essential.

I'm really looking forward to spending the day with you in the beautiful Stackpole Walled Garden. Before we meet, I thought I'd share a little more about the workshop and a few ideas for things you might like to bring with you.
For this workshop you are invited to create a layered sculptural piece or assemblage that explores the relationship between memory, nature and place. This could be based around the hidden histories, pathways and landscape of the Stackpole Estate, a direct response to the garden itself or a special place that responds to your own story.
As a starting point I will provide a hardboard template based on the shape of one of the original gardener's cottages. Also, there will be collage and natural materials, shells, feathers, nails, screws and glues, string, drawing materials, paints found objects and copies of old photos etc. There will also be an opportunity to gather leaves, plants, branches from garden and the surrounding woods to create textured backgrounds using simple stencil and spray techniques.
In addition you might like to bring a few small items that connect you to a place, memory or person even. These could be copies of photographs, fragments of maps/postcards, trinkets, keys, fabric, words and poems and small objects to attach to the surface or to hang down as I have plenty of hooks.
This workshop is about taking time out to have fun with materials, reflect and respond. No previous experience is needed. There is relaxed structure to the day which is as follows:
11.00 - WelcomeA short introduction to the project and the history of the Stackpole Estate, the concept and ideas behind the inspiration for the workshop and the choice of materials available and possible starting points.11.30 - Walking and Gathering12.30 - Beginning the BackgroundsLunch 1.30 - 3.45 - Building the structures3.45 - 4.00 - Reflect and Share (optional)
If we imagine the cottage-shape template as a container, how you fill up that space is totally up to you. Although there is a structure to the day you are welcome to come and go at your own pace. I will be there to discuss ideas, offer advice, structural help etc if needed but happy to step back if you want to go off on your own tangent! I'm really looking forward to meeting you all.
I have included these two images as experiments for ideas. One is a simple collage from photos and maps I made on a board in the shape of my own house and the other is a digital image to just work around some ideas. You will have much more interesting approaches I'm sure. Please feel free to email me with any questions.

Saturday 8th August 11am-1pm

Create miniature garden places inspired by nature and the imagination using sculpture, collage and found materials.

£5. Age 7+, children need to be accompanied, booking is essential. 

This family workshop invites you to explore the garden through imagination and making. Using natural and found materials, you'll create tiny worlds inspired by the plants, trees and hidden places around you. Working with twigs, bark, stones, cardboard, drawings and other little objects, you might build a treehouse, a woodland shelter, a creature's home or a doorway to another world. All materials will be provided.

Tuesday 11th August 10am-4.30 pm Willow Handbags/Baskets with Emily Dawkins. Willow Handbags, doable in a day (6 hours) as they have a different technique to most ‘steak and strand’ basketry. They use a Catalan base which Emily will pre-make and willow would be used as well as other hedgerow materials, if people wanted to add colour and texture, people can bring belts/upcycled bits to make their straps.
£20. Age 16 + 

Friday 14th August (Three separate sessions) 10am-11am, 11am-12pm, 12pm-1pm Fisherman’s Door Mats with Sharron Taylor 

Weave your own rope door mat using recycled fishing rope. These mats are designed on heritage crafts and will outlive you! 

3 participants per session.£10 Age 16 + booking essential

Sunday 16th August (Two sessions; 11am-1pm. £5. all ages welcome, children need to be accompanied
and 2-4.30pm 16 + £5) Harvest tokens/Corn Dollies with Emily Dawkins

This seasonal half day session will get to grips with the harvesting, processing and creating with straw and make a corn dolly, harvest token, small badge or decorative item.

Wednesday 19th August 2-4.30 pm. Everlasting Flower Mobiles and Garlands with flower artist Lara Julia Bean
£5. All ages welcome, children need to be accompanied. 

Thursday 20th August10am-3pm Pinhole cameras with photographer James Ramage

Experiment with techniques from the dawn of photography….you will have the chance to construct a simple camera from basic materials, experience the trials and tribulations of extended exposure times, develop a negative using chemicals in dark room conditions. While the negative is drying you will repeat the process as often as time and patience will allow and finally, employing the wonders of modern technology you will receive positive prints from your negatives. You will leave with a basic pinhole camera, knowledge of the techniques, and hopefully, several paper negatives and photographic prints.
£15. Age 16+ 

Sunday 23rd August 10am-4pm Spoon Carving with Lee John Phillips, using traditional techniques and hand tools. Lee is an award winning freelance illustrator, designer and spoon carver.
£20. Age 16+ 

Harvest Moon Feast on Friday 28th August 7-10pm A Finale Summer Feast celebrating community, local produce and the culmination of the Sand Palace Arts 'Seasons Project' made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund with vegetarian Paella and salads and music from Twpsyn and Fox & Hound £15 bookable in advance.

All events take place at the Sand Palace Arts Tent at Stackpole Walled Gardens, Stackpole Estate, Pembroke SA71 5DJ
Further information from; sandpalacearts@gmail.com