Life drawing & portrait courses in Cornwall
Representing, expressing and transforming the human form and psyche
justlife.art CIC is a friendly and especially inclusive, community directed, not-for-profit creative studio with the current central focus of teaching being on the rigours of seeing, representing and expressing the human form.
How we work
We provide both tutored and untutored workshops / courses / sessions at cost price which we hope are accessible to most.
It is expected that people attending get involved, help out by setting up, clearing up, taking it in turns to provide refreshments, and there are myriad of ways to help further by volunteering (the only folk currently getting paid here are the tutors and models……possibly a paid administrator/manager might be necessary down the line).
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Portraits of Sancreed Community
Untutored. Project involving the local community coming to sit for us.
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Wednesday Life Drawing Term
12 week term of untutored life drawing 10am- 1pm
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Experimental & Extreme Posing - Life drawing with Kiana
Untutored days of variations on aerial acrobatic work in a suspended hoop, modelling on a freestanding pole, outdoor modelling in woods and possibly climbing in a tree….the possibilities are endless
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Anatomy for Life Drawing
Intermittent Sunday workshops each focusing on a specific element of anatomy
Excellence & exploration
As well as aspiring towards developing a centre of excellence for working from the human form, it is anticipated that our focus will over time organically broaden out to incorporate seeing and representing other types of form as well as other forms of seeing / sensing / imagining / expressing - some of which may also involve automatic drawing, parsemage, archetype/transpersonal and possibly even art therapy. Allowing for exploration of the many facets of what it is to be a soul inhabiting the human form and psyche on this planet with all the man-made densely solidified constructs.
There will also be the need at times to consider contextualising what we are developing in relation to art history, the contemporary art world and critical art theory.
JustStudios
The juststudios project is a potentially exciting development where we are exploring an opportunity to acquire both a large permanent communal studio for our courses and collaborative community group sessions, as well as a number of studios to rent out at low cost, plus a cabin and studio for any invited artist in residence to inhabit whilst delivering courses/workshops, hopefully attracting high calibre artist/tutors from around the UK who have relevant practices.
INCLUSIVITY
We are keen to collaborate and work with all members of the community, and particularly encourage models, tutors, directors, volunteers, and attendees with lived experience. Whether they are disabled (including mental health), part of the LGBTQIA+ community, are Black, Asian, or part of another ethnic minority group.
We believe it is important to celebrate, learn from and respect the diversity of people, their skills, minds, knowledge, experience and bodies, no matter how they identify.
We are aiming to increase engagement from and collaborate with groups with lived experience and are looking to commence this with hosting a drag life drawing workshop in collaboration with the Penzance Queer Book Club incorporating some queer art history. Also in 2024 we aim to start a peer led creative group for people experiencing trauma and dissociation.
