Painting The Garden Autumn Workshop: Capturing Nature with Acrylics with Anne-Marie Butlin

Join us at The Serge Hill Project in the height of Spring for an inspiring day of art, creativity and gardens, as esteemed professional artist Anne-Marie Butlin guides participants of all abilities in how to best capture nature in paint. 

With over 30 years of professional experience, Anne-Marie’s work, which is created in her garden studio in Crouch End, has been shown at numerous group exhibitions including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, in solo exhibitions at galleries including Cambridge Contemporary Art, and widely published as greeting cards and prints. 

Taking inspiration from two neighbouring country gardens, the Plant Library if over 2000 perennials and bulbs and Tom and Sue Stuart-Smith’s Barn Garden, participants will spend the day learning how to capture the essence of a garden in an acrylic painting. 

Following a short talk about the garden as important subject matter for painters in art history, for contemporary artists, as well as the influence it has had on her own work, Anne-Marie will share different painting approaches, including compositional possibilities, the use of colour and how to collect and source reference material from the garden. After an exploration of the gardens, participants will practice use of a coloured ground, mark making and colour-mixing before planning the main piece for the day, taking in decisions about scale, composition and shape. Participants will then put their ideas into practice in the creation of a substantial painting, with Anne-Marie on hand to support and tutor them as the work progresses. With reference to art history, and her own work, this workshop is very much about a painterly approach to gardens, with considered mark-making and exuberant use of colour. 

Participants will end the day with a finished painting, a small number of studies and the skills and inspiration to continue experimentation with this subject matter at home. The workshop is open to all skill levels – from beginners to those looking to refine their skills in a relaxed, nurturing environment, along with all the materials needed to bring ideas to fruition. 

Tickets for this workshop includes all materials, access to the gardens, refreshments and a home-cooked vegetarian lunch, using many ingredients sourced from the garden. 

Profits from this workshop go to fund the work of our not-for-profit, The Serge Hill Project for Gardening Creativity and Health, which provides therapeutic and educational programmes to local schools, charities and community groups most in need.