I have 10 exciting and creative online courses. They are on the Kajabi platform. It is easy to sign up with your email and a password, and that is all that you need to access the course. In my shorter courses once you’ve enrolled and paid, you have access to the course material forever! You can devour it all in one weekend or take things slow. It’s your choice! It is not a class that you join with the tutor each week, on my courses you watch the short videos, then have a go.
My courses are self paced; you can complete them in your own time. It may be a binge for a day, or spread over weeks. You log on and off when you want to. There is no weekly timetable.
The five courses are
Creative Concertina Sketchbooks 1 – Buildings
Creative Concertina Sketchbooks 2 – Allotments/Gardens
Creative Concertina Sketchbooks 3 – Abstracts
How wild is your garden? – A mini 25 minute lesson
Free Up Your Sketchbook and Grow – Six week course to free up and develop a personal response
They are suitable for new artists and those more experienced artists who want to learn new techniques. I first started making them after touring the world ? (Sydney, Barcelona, Carcassonne, Whitstable, York, Cambridge) with a one/two day workshop using concertina sketchbooks in a fun, freeing way.
I like to share my techniques learnt over the years, I want to give you the tools and confidence to develop your books in a loose, creative, and often collage way. If you have a lovely new sketchbook and don’t know where to start on those pristine white pages then this is the course for you. You will learn how to use mixed media in your sketchbook, using many creative techniques and exciting mark making ideas. I want to help you free up and respond to the world around you.
My online courses are perfect if you find yourself too busy to attend classes and cannot find a suitable sketchbook class and you are happy to work around your own commitments
I divide courses 1-3 into course into six lessons with sub headings of 5-10 mini video lessons. In each short video I introduce new materials and techniques and as you go along you will build on the techniques learnt in the previous lesson.
Do I need to be able to draw?
Not at all! My sketchbooks are much more about mark making and exciting surfaces, with as little or as much drawing as you like. Some participants draw lots, some collage lots. I do provide some pdf photographs for you to work from for inspiration, if you need them.
What materials will I need?
You will use quite simple materials such as ink, collage papers, pva glue. I do not like to use a lot of fancy materials, that are difficult to source. The materials lists are based on my demonstrations and what I use, but of course you can develop these ideas with other materials. Links to suppliers are given on the course. The basics are: a concertina sketchbook (or you can make your own) posca pens, ink, gesso, spray bottle, pva glue, drawing pens, masking tape, collage papers, scissors, brushes, kitchen roll, sandpaper, pencils, magazines, glue, water soluble felt tip, sticky labels.
Which one should I do first?
I recommend that you start with Buildings or How Wild is my Garden so you can see the way I work. I continue to build on the techniques learnt in Allotments and Abstracts.
If you are ready to fall in love with concertina sketchbooks that enables continuous ‘drawing’ – page after page of changing scenes this may be just what you need.
You can see two small lesson sections here
What others are saying
I am so glad I signed up for this. I have watched all the videos too and I think the course looks absolutely amazing. I need to purchase some bits and bobs and then I will be ready to go. I often include textiles in my work and I can see that there will be an opportunity to do this. Can’t wait to start. Carol
Thank you! I have finally had a moment to go through the course. I teach sketching as well and LOVE your approach. I have told all my students about your work and could see having you come to Texas to teach at some point 🙂 Meanwhile, I am going to play with all the techniques that you showed us in this marvelous, user-friendly course. Can’t wait to sketch with you sometime–in the UK or here in the USA. Thanks again,
Sharon
Now I’ve watched once and taken notes and am so excited to begin! Will share in the facebook group as I go. Thank you, Karen, for this inspiring workshop! So glad I signed up for it. Jackie
Got so excited, couldn’t stop watching. Karen thank you for an inspirational workshop, time now to collect my ” toys” and supplies – and start exploring. Am a fairly experienced painter – but you have ignited my creativity to sketch and begin to explore my new home county of Rutland. A big thank you. Maggy
‘So pleased this online workshop has taken off. It’s really transformed my mindset to sketching’ Gillian
“I’ve been looking at Karen’s work for quite a while and wondering how she achieved the effects in her concertina sketchbooks, so when the opportunity to find out came up, I jumped at the chance.
“And it was well worth the effort! I won’t give away Karen’s secrets – but I will say that she starts slowly to get us over the natural trepidation most of us feel. Dribbling ink and squirting it with water while it runs down five or six pages of the concertina must be a proven ice-breaker. After that it was just one bit of fun after another, involving PVA, gesso, frottage, markers, collage and some hard thinking.
“I ended up with six pages of an abstracted townscape full of references to Crete. One of the fascinations of the concertina sketchbook is that as it’s folded, new compositions come into view.” Harry Bell
“Loved every moment. Karen is such a generous tutor – so informative and helpful. One very happy student – thank you. xx ” Jude B
“I was eagerly trying to soak up all the great techniques and info that you are willing to share with us.” Bernadette
“Thank you for very stimulating lessons. It Is very interesting how everyone interprets your instructions differently. I was somewhat out of my comfort zone as I normally like everything very ordered but there was a fantastic freedom doing the collage and I will definitely develop it further. Thank you for your time and enthusiasm.” Jane B