Art and Mindfulness Retreat with Second Home Studio and Café
Join this special Art Weekender, a two-day Art and Mindfulness Retreat lead by Kirsty Cameron, the founder of Second Home Studio and Café.
The aim of these two days is to allow participants the opportunity to really sink into a relaxed weekend of creating abstract art combined with a mix of mindfulness exercises delivered by inspiring guest tutors Giulia Mazzola and Megan Alexandra Keith.
Day 1
Following a welcome brunch, the weekend will start with integrative change-worker Giulia Mazzola who will guide participants through a mindful movement session which involves the process of visualisation and journaling. Through this process participants can expect to feel pulled deeper into themselves where they are invited to reconnect with their intuition and visualise their best creative selves. With this support, participants are encouraged to channel their creative process throughout the weekend.
After this, artist Kirsty Cameron will deliver brief lessons in abstract art. This will involve an exploration of examples from different artists combined with the opportunity to play with basic elements such as line, colour and texture. Alongside this, participants are provided the time to build a collection of experiments using different materials such as charcoal, pastels and acrylic paint.
Weather permitting, participants are invited to begin their first project outdoors. This is where participants are asked to collect an image or item from nature that they find inspiring. This selection will inform the creation of your own small abstract art piece. To form this work you will be guided through the scale of abstraction and will be provided with a canvas as a base to translate onto.
Day 2
The next day invites you to start with Yoga instructor Megan Alexandra Keith who will guide you through a breath work class involving embodied movement. During the session, fun and curiosity will replace the focus on physical strength to form an adapted creative and engaging practice. Next, feeling renewed, participants are encouraged to carry that embodied feeling from yoga into an intuitive mark-making session with Kirsty Cameron. Responding to music, participants are asked to make marks on paper using the sensations generated within their own body to draw.
Following this, participants are urged to carry this feeling through into their final project of the weekend. This involves drawing inspiration from a personal photograph or item in order to create a further abstract artwork. Rather than re-creating the image /item itself, each participant is asked to focus their attention on the feelings these personal items bring. This can be created using pencils, pens and acrylic paints.
First and foremost, the aim of this particular art weekender is for participants to take away a feeling of ease and rejuvenation following the weekend.
Disclaimer
The University regularly reviews its courses. Course content and structure may change over time. See our course and module disclaimer for more information.
Learning Methods
This course will be delivered on campus over 2 days from 10:00 - 16:00 each day.
Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mat and yoga blocks if required.
Participants are asked to bring a personal photograph or item to respond to during their final project.
Everyone is asked to prepare for an outdoor project therefore we ask you to bring:
- Sunscreen to protect from sunburn
- A jacket to wear in case of rain
- A blanket, cushion or camping chair to sit on. Alternatively, a stool or chair can be provided if required
Activity Summary
- Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 12 in the group
- 5 hours of teaching in total over 2 days, 10:00 - 16:00 each day with a 60 minute lunch break from 12:30 - 13:30. Please bring your own lunch, tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.
Assessment
This course is not formally assessed.
Staff Delivering on this Course
Second Home Studio + Cafe
An open art studio and cafe in Aberdeen city centre, providing creative space and workshops for the people of Aberdeen, as well as delicious food.
Kirsty Hilda Cameron
Kirsty Hilda Cameron is an artist, writer, and also a professional facilitator and host. Her work focuses on themes of comfort, connection, home and mental wellbeing. Cameron mainly explores these themes by hosting events through her businesses called Second Home Studio + Café and Ritual and Play. Occasionally she picks up a fine liner to sketch or write.
Giulia Mazzola
Giulia Mazzola is an integrative change-worker for magic-makers whose aim is to harness imagination away from anxiety and into channelled creation. Mazzola pulls creative thinkers deeper into themselves to reconnect with their intuition and guides each person to a better way of building their self-trust and belief to create a more beautiful authentic way of being.
Megan Alexandra Keith
Megan Alexandra Keith is a qualified vinyasa instructor and is the face behind Breathe Sisters. She creates safe, playful and pleasurable practices designed to allow you to connect inward and develop greater body awareness and confidence through well-structured sequences that reconnect you back home to yourself.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course.
This workshop is suitable for beginners - intermediate level.
Required Age
All students are required to be at least 16 years of age on the commencement of the course.
For Academic Year 2022/2023
Course fee: £160 per person.
The fee is to be paid as part of sign up process and prior to workshop date.
After completing the registration form, you will be directed to the payment page. Your place on the course is not confirmed until payment has been received. If you have any difficulties locating the payment link or if you have registered for this course but have not completed the payment form, please contact us for a direct link to pay which will bypass registration.
Additional Costs
Essential core materials are provided.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided, however participants should bring their own lunch as most catering outlets on campus are closed during the weekend.
The following course-related costs are not included in the course fees:
Course Cancellation
If minimum participant numbers for this course are not met, the course will be cancelled and participants will receive a full refund.
Disclaimer
For new intakes course fees are reviewed and published annually for each mode of delivery. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a course at the rate confirmed in advance. For further information see:
Any questions?
Get in touch with the Engage Team and we'll do our best to help.