When turkey and tinsel time comes to an end, we are faced with a new year, a fresh start. Swansea Curriculum Coordinator, Sam introduces us to 2 new Arts & Crafts tutors – Lawrence Mathias and Emma Jenkins and to 2 new courses added to the Swansea offering – An introduction to Watercolour and Sustainable Practices for Interior Design.

Meet Lawrence:

An artist and tutor from Pembrokeshire, West Wales, I have worked professionally in the arts for over 30 years, working in London and elsewhere on a wide variety of project work, from community projects to private commissions. In my lessons, I aim to give my students the skills and confidence to begin their own journeys in the arts, from basic drawing to more challenging work in watercolour, acrylics and other media.

For more information on Lawrence’s course click here:

Introduction to Watercolour Painting | Adult Learning Wales

Meet Emma:

Passionate about creativity and the natural world, and a Master of the Arts, I infuse every lesson with enthusiasm and originality. I thrive as a teacher who embraces the unique and inspiring. My love for nature, the ocean, and the joy of teaching fuel my mission to connect deeply with others and make a lasting, meaningful impact. Understanding and down-to-earth, I aim to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and included. My passion for the outdoors and the ocean drives me to inspire and connect with my students in unique and meaningful ways. With a compassionate heart and a zest for life, I bring a fresh perspective to education, making every lesson a journey of discovery and growth.

For more information on Emma’s course click here:

Sustainable Practices for Interior Design | Adult Learning Wales

On the first day of the new classes, Sam had the pleasure of visiting both classes and meeting the learners. Read on to hear more about 3 of our Introduction to Watercolour learners.

Emma with her learners:

A deeper dive into watercolour!

Teresa:

“I am a retired teacher who is loving having the time to develop my creative side and try out new things. I now quill, needlefelt, crochet, belly dance, embroider, play Samba and make pottery. I am also in a choir and musical theatre group.

I have always said I can’t draw or paint but after having cancer last year and now being in complete remission, I have decided that I can do anything. So, when I saw this course, I jumped at the chance!”

Ruth:

“I am a retired headteacher and after 40 years of doing what I knew I could do, I decided to branch out and become the learner again. I enrolled at Gower College and started a silver smithing course. I am certainly not the best but am overcoming my fear of getting things wrong!

I started experimenting with watercolours a few months ago. Again, I am not the best by any means, but I am enjoying having a go and extending new skills.”

Lauren:

“I have always enjoyed arts & crafts but don’t have enough experience to begin my own projects so would like to learn some skills and techniques.

After a difficult year, I’m pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone and learn new things, especially around other people who are learning at the same time.”

Below, tutor Lawrence runs through what the learners got to do in their first class!

“We did a mixture of things in our opening lesson – a basic study in using watercolours with mixing principles and the using of watercolour washes for colouring. The first piece was a simple warm up study, then we progressed to a study of a piece of melon, a still life effectively, and then a study of a tree. They were progressively more complex in approach, but all the students worked with attention and produced high standard pieces of work.  Several of the pieces are attached along with the study pieces used. In the coming weeks we will look more at individual creation and imagination-based studies as well, all important elements in developing a personal vision and style in individual artwork.”

We’d like to welcome everyone to Adult Learning Wales and look forward to seeing what our learners create in the future!