Each session will include both practical and theoretical activities, the majority of the time will be spent making work, but will also include a presentation of the weekly topic by Michael with reference to other painters and theoretical / art-historical concepts and examples from his own practice. Some of the artists and theorists mentioned will include Isabella Graw, Peter Doig, Michael Kreber, Mark Bradford, Amy Sillman and Norman Bryson.

All the students will be present for this introduction and for a “clean-up” session at the end, when all the students will show their day’s work and we can wash our brushes together. In-between students will be expected to complete the week’s exercise and the tutor will be available for the full two hours to answer questions and give advice specific to individual students.

Across the four sessions the students will work towards the completion of one ‘finished’ painting, but this will be accompanied by a number of smaller drawings and studies as students ‘fine-tune’ what it is they want to paint and how they want to do it. There will be tasks to be completed between the sessions and short individual meetings between tutor and student to workshop any problems the students might have with this homework.

Class 1
What should I paint?
Some people want to start painting, but don’t know what to paint. Some people know what they want to paint, but don’t know why. This session introduces the topic of what it means to paint today and suggests approaches for thinking about painting.

Class 2
Beginning a painting
How do we turn these ideas of what we want to do into a painting? How do we begin a painting, choose our composition effectively? This session uses studies to help students answer these questions.

Class 3
Staying focussed in the middle
This session is focusses on continuing with our paintings, how to use studies and sketches to resolve doubts we may have while working.

Class 4
Endgame / Completing the work
How do we decide when a painting is finished? And how to present your work.

Evaluation: Continuous assessment and feedback on weekly tasks, via digital hand-in of exercises to ensure student progress. Final work critiqued.