all teaching
Courses, tutoring & 1:1 teaching
After years on the chalk face, teaching is in my blood.
I share my processes generously and can teach technical skills. In workshops and one to ones, I move between mentoring and coaching approaches. Creating a relaxed, informal, yet purposeful and productive workshop climate is second nature to me and I aim to inspire and enthuse others. I will help you formulate your own ideas, build self-belief and encourage you to continue your own creative practice.
courses & teaching overview
Regular workshops at
Sussex Prairies (Henfield) & The Lodge (Steyning)
Click to expand and learn more about what is included.
shibori dye days for beginners, improvers
This 1-day course includes all resist materials and the indigo dye bath. Detailed notes about the course processes will be sent to you after the course completion. Linen fabric (prepared for dyeing) and cotton/silk scarf blanks can be purchased from Amanda or you can bring your own prepared fabric.
Explore Shibori - An ancient Japanese resist dye method for fabric
Shibori is a traditional Japanese hand dye technique. Join me in creating surface patterns on fabric by folding, tying, clamping, and stitch samples of fabric. After preparing your fabric you will dip each piece in an indigo dye vat. After a few minutes, magical and exciting surface patterns will be revealed when the fabric pieces are exposed to the air. Make a fabric stash suitable for further textile experiments, stitching, quilting or gift wrapping.
View all upcoming Shibori Dye day courses here.
ecoprint on paper for beginners and improvers
This 1 day course includes all materials needed to produce a series of Ecoprints on paper and the extra materials needed to complete 10 bespoke handcrafted gift cards to DL size.. Detailed notes about the materials and processes used on the day will be sent to you after course completion. You will use flowers and leaves from the location grounds in a contact printing method that allows them to transfer their colour, texture and patterns. This course is an exploration into the surprising and exciting effects that can be achieved by layering plants and paper between clamps and processing the bundles through a simmer or steam process.
View all upcoming Ecoprint on paper courses here.
botanical drawing - joyfully!
The Prairie Garden is the perfect setting for this 1-day botanical drawing course. Amanda will introduce you to step-by-step drawing basics designed to build your self-confidence in observation drawing. Our aim is to reduce any drawing fears and enable your personal creativity to flourish. Weather depending we hope to spend most of the time outdoors.
View all upcoming botanical Drawing courses here.
cloth stash to collage
Explore hand stitching in mindful therapeutic ways, build confidence in making abstract fabric arrangements, develop free approaches to hand stitching
Join me for 2 days to learn about fabric and hand stitch techniques in a relaxed yet productive environment.
Free and experimental approaches in stitching will be supported by some traditional skills. A variety of abstract fabric arrangements will encourage a complete focus on manipulating the visual elements shape, colour, texture, tone, line, pattern. Awareness of aesthetic choices and decisions will be developed when balancing and finalising your collage arrangements. Making these decisions will be contemplative, revealing and fun. The joys of a simple therapeutic running stitch will remind you of a ‘make do and mend’ approach.
View all upcoming Cloth and Hand Stitch courses here.
Botanical Gelli Monoprint for beginners, improvers
Whilst abstraction is inevitable with the Gelli-print process there is plenty of inspiration for more pictorial imagery in the garden which you can develop if you prefer.
An Experimental, free and liberating form of table top printmaking
A Gelli plate is a clear gelatinous slab that you roll acrylic paint onto and use to pull monoprints from. You will experience a relaxed yet productive couple of days
exploring different inking up techniques, creating textural effects, using found surfaces, making stencils from a variety of readily available materials, adding layers to refine your images, and discussing your progress with others. The aim will be to practice skills and create a series of outcomes suitable for framing. You will be supported to follow your own path in developing outcomes that build on your personal strengths.
View all upcoming Gelli monoprint courses here.
botanical hand stitch in a circle - joyfully!
Collect plants, arrange, create a design, transfer to fabric. Choose colours and embellish using simple running stitches. Our aim is to help you increase your confidence to develop your own designs & to introduce you to the abundant uses of the simple running stitch.
View all upcoming Botanical Hand Stitch courses here.
Linoprint workshop
Spend 3 mornings learning the wonderful technique of Lino Printing. You will take inspiration from some beautiful natural resources foraged from my garden and surrounding countryside to create an abstract piece of artwork to create a print edition suitable for framing or for bespoke card making.
Using simple techniques for striking results, this workshop gives you all the skills you need for table top linocut printmaking.
Step-by-step through the creative printing process, from composing your design to cutting and printing your block, using reduction, multi-block, or masking techniques for multicoloured or monochrome prints.
This workshop is perfect for all levels of ability, no experience is needed. All materials, tools, light refreshments, and cake are included in the workshop price, so you don’t need to bring anything, just yourself.
View all upcoming linoprint courses here.
Festival of Quilts
Botanical Hand Stitch in a Circle! tbc.
I propose to teach this course at the Festival this coming year and am just waiting for confirmation. The course will take you through the process from Sketch, design, transfer to fabric, hand stitch with free meandering ‘take a line for a walk’ approaches. I may also be a Studio Demonstrator at the Creative Textile Studio, again this is still to be confirmed. You can find out more information on my Festival of Quilts courses and appearances here.
one to one tuition
Book a mutually convenient date/time for a one-hour discussion about the support you need to develop your existing creative practice or how to start one! Discuss costs and details and decide if you wish to book exclusive tuition sessions.
Get in touch to chat through and book in.
visible mending
We can sometimes get attached to certain items of clothing whether it be a faded pair of jeans or a well-loved knitted garment. It may be due to the comfort of wearing it or the memories found in the shape of the garment, the patterns, stitches, and the feel of the fabric. Mending is a great way to extend the life of our clothing. You will be introduced to traditional darning for knitwear, using a warp and weft technique to create a woven patch to repair holes with colourful wools and threads. You will also be shown how to make a patched embellishment for repairing and decorating jeans or other cotton clothing. You will begin to understand how to adapt your mending techniques to different weights and textures of fabrics and you will start a journey to find your own style of reparation and decoration.
View all upcoming visible mending courses here.
Details & booking
All you need to know
For more details on all upcoming courses, including location, pricing and dates, view all upcoming courses
What to expect
Before your course
You might have been thinking about…
Getting out of the house, trying to find new people to connect with making contact with other creatives
Extending your artistic/technical skills
Accessing some one-to-one tuition tailored to your individual needs
Attending a regular studio day, where you can meet like-minded people, discuss your ideas, access advice and support
Getting together with some friends and family to attend a fun day, learning a new skill
After your course
You will feel…
Energised by the interaction you have had with others
Inspired to make your creative work at home and confident that you have the technical skills to do so
Clearer about your creative needs
Nearer to knowing how to find your own creative contacts
Forget thinking ‘I can’t draw or ‘being ‘stuck for ideas.
I believe that everyone has identifiable strengths and that it is a matter of finding these strengths and developing them.
My story
“When I was at school my favourite place was the Art room. My highly skilled Art teachers showed me how to develop my strengths and abilities. After further rewarding experiences on Art Foundation, a Fine Art degree and a PGCE, I became focused on becoming the ‘best Art teacher I could be’. This aspiration motivated me throughout my school teaching years, it has been a privilege to open creative doors for others. I am now able to focus my time in my own studio.”