Kickstart your creative and wanderlust ideas for 2024
Over the Autumn and the Winter, I have been gathering seed heads from the garden. I’ve made a set of handmade natural Art Brushes out of dried prairie plants and used them for making expressive botanical ink drawings to add to future collages. In addition, I’ve been making notes of words and phrases from my thoughts and from poems that conjure the spirit of the prairies and other gardens over the period between November and May when the garden is closed to visitors and when most gardens are, on the surface, dormant but in reality, are getting ready for regrowth.
I’m also trialing paper pot, sculptural, and relief forms to capture some of the essence of the distinctive monumental prairie grasses that evolve and exist over the Autumn and Winter months.
As the year progresses, I will experiment with different plants, the leaves, the flowers, and the roots to dye fabric and thread samples to see what prairie plants can offer the natural plant dye process. This residency has helped focus my attention on slow processes, sustainability, and lower-impact art materials.
My offering of courses in the Spring and Summer on the Prairie reflects my ongoing relationship with the garden, its owners, and its visitors. I continue to learn more about the forces of nature, seasonal rhythms, and the sense of well-being the annual growth cycle brings. I bring this understanding home with me and to other outdoor places. My locality has so much to offer, enjoy, protect, and sustain. Whilst we are in a cold and wet snap of weather right now there is already a great deal of evidence of the spring to come. Let’s all get ready for coming out of this hibernation period.
My courses are up on the website here, please contact me at amandagduke@gmail.com if you would like to make a booking. I’m holding early bird offers on course prices until 31st March of £10 off any 2-day course and £5 off any 1-day course.
New adventure – Join me on TIGERS & TEXTILES TOUR OF GOLDEN TRIANGLE 2024
Dive headfirst into the vibrant tapestry of Rajasthan's arts and crafts! Learn the secrets of intricate block printing in workshops, and watch masters transform humble fabrics into living art. Master the alchemy of indigo dyeing, witness the magic of creating blue pottery, and see how recycled cotton breathes life into handmade paper. Witness the meticulous skill of block carving, then try your hand at gota patti embroidery, a delicate dance of gold and silver threads. Learn to paint miniature worlds on tiny canvases, and create colorful rangoli patterns that dance across floors. Immerse yourself in the Anokhi Museum, where the history of hand printing whispers through vibrant exhibits. Every corner promises a new artistic adventure, from cooking demonstrations simmering with spices to the intricate dance of gota patti needles. Prepare to be dazzled, captivated, and forever touched by the magic of Rajasthan's artisans.
10 places are available on this amazing trip!
Book your spot today and experience the rich textile traditions of India!
Highlights of the Tour:
Visit Amber Fort, and Anokhi Museum and drive past Hawa Mahal
Block printing workshop
Bagru and Dabu printing workshop
Miniature workshop
Aari – Tari embroidery workshop & Puppet Making workshop;
02 Ranthambore Jungle Safari by shared jeep or canter
Visit to Fatehpur sikri
Visit the Taj Mahal & Agra Fort
Rangoli making activity and participate in Indian cooking lesson.
Visit Handmade paper factory and blue pottery.
Holiday Dates:28 October - 08 November 2024 click here for booking with Aahilya holidays
Twin Sharing Room:GBP 2250 Per Person
Single Private Room:GBP 2890 Per Single
