We are delighted to have teamed up with local artist Sarah Hercod to offer family-friendly Summer Sketch Club sessions here at Botelet during August 2024.   

There are three sessions taking place on consecutive Fridays in August; each workshop has a different theme and you are very welcome to join one, two or all three! The session dates and themes are:

Friday 2nd August, 1.30pm to 3.30pm - Nature’s Palette:
We’ll head off on a walk around Botelet finding as many different natural colours as possible.  We'll extract colour from soil, stones, leaves, grasses, petals and maybe even some fruit or berries.  You'll get the chance to explore how to mix a wide range of colours from a limited paint palette, then use these to create your own pictures as you experiment, develop your own interests and ideas and enjoy learning and creating alongside your children.

Friday 9th August, 1.30pm to 3.30pm - Fur, Feathers and Fleece:
Explore the texture of fur, feathers and fleece using some quick warm up techniques with pencils, charcoal and chalk pastels. After a quick chat about using shape to capture form, we’ll head off around the farm to sketch our real life furry, feathered and fleecy friends in real life; with ponies, chickens, sheep, cattle (and not forgetting our cat!) roaming around at Botelet, there’s lots to choose from!

Friday 16th August, 1.30pm to 3.30pm - Earth and Egg Paint:
Participants will create paint from natural materials and discover the wide variation of pigments available on our doorstep. Be prepared to fall down a rabbit hole of exploration!  Please bring a clean, empty, lidded jar to take your paint home.  

Local families are welcome to join, as are those staying at Botelet.  Please note that parents or carers must accompany children.  Children (and adults!) of all ages are welcome, no experience required.

Each session costs £10 per person which includes all resources. Please bring a water bottle and snack (if required) with you.

Sketch Club places are limited, please contact Tia at Botelet for more information or to book your places - stay@botelet.com or 01503 220 225.

About Sarah …

Sarah is an artist and illustrator with a joyful style which she uses across a range of mediums and materials such as painting, printing and the digital arts.  Sarah has over twenty years experience of pre-school and primary school teaching, and she particularly enjoys working with families, especially seeing adults and children grow together.

“I don’t subscribe to the belief that some of us are arty whilst others aren’t. If you would like to learn or develop your arty-ness then it’s never too late and I’d encourage anyone to start with playful mark-making. My workshops nurture confidence, enthusiasm and a general sense of well being. The focus is on EXPLORING, CREATING & ultimately DISCOVERING joy through art - whether you’re an observer or a participant. Practising these small steps seems to unlock a positive, enabling and unique sense of what art making means for YOU!”