A collaborative portrait displayed in the glass link corridor and visible from the road.

Artists from The Whitecroft Studio first created the portrait in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It is a combination of forty nine individual canvasses to produce this unique portrait.

The Whitecroft Studio are a group of artists, both local and from around the world, working together in a studio in Berkshire, benefiting from a tapestry of ideas emerging from their diverse cultural origins.

•  17 May FREE
•  18 May FREE
• 18 more dates...

Led by Jo Hall

We will start by considering how to draw cloud forms and go on to paint skies in sunny, cloudy, night, rainy, stormy and misty conditions using watercolour or pastel, or pastel over watercolour.

Reference artists will include Samuel Palmer, John Constable, Turner and Fred Cuming. Please bring your own materials and equipment as in the information below.

Tues 3 May - 7 Jun
12.30pm - 3.30pm
£120 for the six week course

Information: Materials and equipment
Please bring the following:
Pastels and watercolour paints. A few pastel pencils would be useful
Sketchbook to plan composition
Watercolour paper cold pressed or rough surface and/or pastel paper
Brushes, water pots, palette, small natural sponge
Paper towel, putty eraser or Blu-tak, torchon, soft brush for blending pastel
Craft knife, pencil
Table easel or wooden block,
Drawing board and clips or tape to hold paper.
Some paper will be available from the tutor at cost

References will be supplied and you will be encouraged to bring your own after the first week.

Do contact Jo at johall@mhstudios.co.uk if you have questions about the course content or materials.

•  17 May
•  24 May
• 2 more dates...

Led by Kim Wright

This Floral design course for beginners is for those who are new to floral design as well as those with some experience. Kim will guide participants with demonstrations followed by practical work which will give them the confidence to develop their own floral designs each week.

You will be shown how to prepare flowers and foliage, how to create gifts and how to decorate a party, home or just for a pleasure. You will also receive valuable insights on buying flowers, foliage and sundries on the wholesale market.

Spring
Wed 2 Mar – 30 Mar
11am – 1pm
£130 for 5 week course

Summer
Wed 4 May - 8 Jun (6 week course)
11am – 1pm

Additional Information
Please note that the materials are provided for the first class. For subsequent classes participants will need to bring their own Floristry materials such as flowers, foliage, scissors, containers and some other materials each week to be able to create your own floral design. Kim will advise on what's needed each week.

About Kim Wright
Kim has won a number of awards including the 1st prize of Blenheim Palace flower festival 2021. She began sharing her extensive knowledge of floristry and her unique style in workshops three years ago and is excited to offer this bespoke course at Norden Farm. She also dresses weddings, events and church services with her natural look and romantic and elegant flowers. .

Please prepare for your visit by reading our latest Visitor Information here. This includes important information about face coverings and measures we have implemented to keep everyone safe when visiting Norden Farm.

•  18 May
•  25 May
• 2 more dates...

Led by Eiko Ishida

Are you interested in Japanese art and culture?

On this workshop, you can learn how to concentrate on flow to conduct and apply it with brush and ink in a peaceful setting. You will be guided how to create your first brush strokes and how to build on these basic steps to create some lovely Japanese characters.

Also, you can learn how to make 'Orizuru' (paper cranes). Orizuru is one of the most popular Origami artworks. You can use for decoration with your final writing piece.

No calligraphy experience or Japanese language skills are necessary.

Thur 19 May
1pm - 4pm
£48

•  19 May from £48

Led by Jo Hall

Bring a selection of coloured pencils a few dry and a few water-soluble and capture the movement of water as it cascades downwards. Photographic reference will be supplied or bring your own. A selection of earth, blue and green colours and a purple would be ideal. For full details see information below.

Sat 21 May 11am - 4pm
£40

Please bring the following materials:
Coloured pencils include a few pencils for dry work and a few that are water-soluble (watercolour or tinted graphite etc.) Colours: some darks (Burnt Umber, black or dark grey, dark blue); earth colours to include a yellow ochre or similar, a variety of greens and a paler blue, some reddish browns or terracotta, purple, crimson. The exact colours don’t matter but should reflect those of the natural world.
Paper: cartridge for dry work and sketches, and cold pressed watercolour paper for working wet.
Pencils are a slow medium so you may like to work at a small scale, A3 maximum.
Sketchbook for working out the composition and experimenting with colour marks and layers.

Drawing board and tape or clips to attach paper
Table easel or block so you can draw comfortably
Paint brush one small and one larger
Water pot
Paper towel
Small plastic palette
Craft knife
Plastic eraser

Not essential but useful:
White pencil, burnishing and blender pencils
Small spray bottle

Some paper will be available at cost and you will be welcome to try out a variety of Jo’s pencils during the session.

Photographic reference will be supplied or bring your own

Please contact Jo at johall@mhstudios.co.uk if you have any questions about the workshop content or materials.

•  21 May from £40

The Dash Charity are working on a new creative collaboration with Artist Amelia Pimlott and Norden Farm.

The Dash community will create some stunning artworks during workshops held at Norden Farm to celebrate creativity. Participants will decorate and fill a willow and tissue tree sculpture with colour and life, stories, hopes and dreams.

Dash have provided tutoring and support in a variety of creative arts to local families who have been affected by domestic abuse. The artwork produced forms an exhibition to showcase the stories of survivors, celebrate our Monarch’s 70 years on the throne and raise awareness locally of The Dash Charity and their work.

Dash are proud to be a community group based in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a borough which holds so much royal history and of course has provided the place that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II calls home.

Learn more about The Dash Charity and the work they do here.

Norden Farm Gallery

Free Entry

Thur 26 May - Sat 4 Jun

•  26 May FREE
•  27 May FREE
• 6 more dates...

Led by Mick McNicholas

Explore the complexities of the human form by working from a professional life model. With a variety of short and long poses. Learn both traditional charcoal drawing methods and new experimental techniques.

Half day sessions comprise of a variety of short and long poses.

Any mediums can be used in these sessions. Materials will be provided, although participants are very welcome to bring their own if you have something you like to work with.

Sat 28 May and Sat 30 Jul
11am - 2pm
£25 per session

Suitable for 18+ years

Please prepare for your visit by reading our latest Visitor Information here. This includes important information about face coverings and measures we have implemented to keep everyone safe when visiting Norden Farm.

•  28 May from £25
•  30 Jul from £25

Led by Sophie Keaveney

Do you like to crochet or knit? Join us for a relaxed and creative get together over a drink of your choice.

Suitable for those with experience of crochet / knitting.

Please bring your own project along. Some spare needles and wool will be available.

This class will take place both in person and online via Zoom.

If you are taking part online, you will find the link to access the session in your booking confirmation email

Wed 4 May (online only), 1 Jun, 13 Jul, 3 Aug
7pm – 8.30pm
£6 including a drink from the bar | £3 online

Please prepare for your visit by reading our latest Visitor Information here. This includes important information about face coverings and measures we have implemented to keep everyone safe when visiting Norden Farm.

•   1 Jun from £3
•  13 Jul from £3
• 1 more dates...

Join us for our outdoor markets – held in the Linhay barns and car park.

Browse stalls selling artisanal produce and hand crafted goods. The Café Bar will be open serving lunch (until 3pm), drinks and snacks. The perfect way to do some relaxed shopping on a Saturday afternoon!

Sat 7 May stallholders include: Halo Apothecary, Happy Leaf, Karen Spencer Artist, ArtAble, Marmalove, Como en Casa, Tamsin Denholm Jewellery, Wildwood Home, KaNa Homecooked, Designs By Emma Louise, U. Bakery, Chock Shop Berkshire Ltd, The Fairy Toadstool, Nick's Knits, Montagu and Amber, Pixie Pottery, Its all About Tiger Photography, Bright as a Button Jewellery and Get Whisked Away.

Sat 7 May, 4 Jun (Jubilee Special), 2 Jul and 6 Aug 12pm - 4pm

Entry is FREE

•   4 Jun FREE
•   2 Jul FREE
• 1 more dates...

Lovely Jub(i)lee: Come Together

Saturday 4 June 12pm – 4pm

A FREE outdoor extravaganza bringing the community together. This is an afternoon of celebration, with music, dancing, market stalls, food and drink.

Live music and dancing comes courtesy of the Dhol Collective. The 10 drummers and Bhangra DJ fuse traditional Panjabi folk rhythms with popular modern music to get everyone dancing.

The Ceilidh Liberation Front will lead an outdoor ceilidh. London’s most radical and vivacious ceilidh band bring dance for all the family – no experience necessary! With their energetic regime of folk dance, they breathe vigour and vitality into the traditional ceilidh, whilst honouring its roots and traditions. (the ceilidh will move into the barn if it’s raining!)

There’s also free Kite Making Workshops from Community Kite Project

Our usual monthly market hosts stalls from local artisanal producers and the Café Bar will be serving food, drink and cream teas.

In the run up to the day, we’ve been working with local community groups to make giant festival flags which will be on display.

Our Jubilee celebrations also include a screening of Elizabeth: A Portrait In Parts, a giant collage portrait of Her Majesty and a collaborative art installation project with The Dash Charity.

This will be a royally uplifting experience!

Supported by Arts Council England and Berkshire Community Foundation.

See all our Jubilee celebrations here.

•   4 Jun FREE

Led by professional artists Amelia Pimlott and Caroline Crawford.

The Creative Arts Social Club is a creative programme for older people. Get crafty with a range of arts activities, painting, drawing, sculpture and more with support from group leaders Caroline Crawford and Amelia Pimlott.

At The Creative Arts Social Club you can learn new skills, meet new people and try something new. Come along and meet likeminded people in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Wed 8 Jun - 10 Aug 11am - 1pm
Sessions will be taking place in the Cafe Bar area
£100 per 10 week course including all materials

Please get in touch if you are in need of transport to the classes, we have links to some great community transport charities and will be able to help.

•   8 Jun from £100
•  15 Jun
• 8 more dates...

Led by Helen D Evans

Create a series of hand formed work out of clay. Try out a different technique each week with the aim to have at least 4 pieces of work by the end of the course.

Week 1: An introduction to the basics of Pinch Pots and attaching coils
Week 2: Using coils for decoration
Week 3: Upside down coiling
Week 4: Making sculpture by using coils / joining pinch pots together
Week 5 & 6 : Decorating your work with Underglazes or Glazes

Friday 10 June - Friday 15 July
11am - 1pm
£160 for the course

•  10 Jun from £160
•  17 Jun
• 4 more dates...

Led by Jo Hall

This workshop will help you paint a rose using a very limited palette, with wet in wet, layering and impressed line techniques. There will be plenty of time to experiment with colour mixing and to complete two or three small rose studies using different coloured roses and a different colour palette for each. Please bring your own painting materials. Some roses will be available or bring your own. All details of materials and equipment are in the information below.

Sat 11 Jun 11am - 4pm
£40

Information and materials:
Watercolours to include the following or similar;
A cool blue (cerulean or phthalo blue)
A warm blue (Ultramarine or cobalt blue)
A cool yellow (lemon yellow or cadmium lemon)
A warm yellow (cadmium yellow or cadmium yellow deep or other nearer to orange yellow)
A cool red (alizarin crimson or permanent rose)
A warm red (cadmium red pale or vermillion)

Bring any other blue, yellow or red colours you have. We will be looking to discover triads of primaries suitable for each of the roses we will be painting.

Paper; cold pressed watercolour A3 or quarter sheets; we may make two studies per sheet
Khadi paper would also be a good choice.
Sketchbook for testing colour mixes and trial sketches

Brushes: round brushes; small size 1 or two, medium size 4, and a larger brush size 6 or more.
Water pots, palette, small natural sponge, kitchen towel
A fine but blunt tool (wooden cocktail stick or embossing tool or similar)
Drawing board and wooden block

Some roses will be available or bring your own
Paper will also be available from the tutor at cost.

•  11 Jun from £40

Led by Eiko Ishida

This workshop is perfect for those who are interested in trying something new and learning traditional Japanese art. Let's spend meditative and self-expressive artsy afternoon together!

During this workshop, we will go over the basics of Japanese calligraphy, including:
• How to hold and control the brush
• The structure and meaning of Japanese characters
• Basic brush techniques
• Expressing yourself with the brush and ink

Everybody is welcome – no calligraphy experience or Japanese language skills are necessary.

Thur 16 Jun
1pm - 4pm
£48

•  16 Jun from £48

Led by Jo Hall

Over the six weeks we will reference natural forms, and habitats such as rock pools, hedgerows or wooded landscape with their associated plants and creatures to create compositions with a lot of texture and pattern.

Techniques will include knife painting, glazing over colour and monochrome, embedding and impressing forms like seed heads or grasses, incorporating a collaged element, sgraffito.

Please bring your own materials and equipment as in the detailed information below.

Tues 21 Jun - 26 Jul
12.30pm - 1.30pm
£120 for the six week course

Materials
Acrylic paints and brushes
Palette knife and two painting knives
Suitable support (canvas board, canvas, heavy mixed media or watercolour paper preferably primed with gesso)
Stay wet palette
Matte medium (also glaze and texture medium not essential but useful)
Slow drying medium (that is a medium which slows down drying time enabling more time for blending)
Paper towel, water pots
Table easel, drawing board, tape to fix paper
Sketchbook to plan composition and colour notes.

Some mixed media paper will be available at cost
Reference will be available and you will be encouraged to bring your own.
Do bring a textured natural form for the first meeting; piece of driftwood or similar would be good.

Contact Jo at johall@mhstudios.co.uk if you have questions about the course content or materials.

•  21 Jun from £120
•  28 Jun
• 4 more dates...

Led by Kim Wright.

An eco friendly course in making flowers for yours (or someone else's) wedding.

It is suitable for those who are new to floral design as well as those with some experience.

Learn how to create wedding bouquets, buttonholes, head crowns, table centrepiece, pedestals and an arch - all in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

In this course you will be shown traditional methods of arranging flowers and also floral foam free alternatives.

Wednesday 15 June - 20 July
11am - 1pm
£294 for 6 week course

•  15 Jun from £294
•  22 Jun
• 4 more dates...

Led by Mick McNicholas

Learn about the stages of portraiture, drawing with charcoal from a live model.

Suitable for all levels of experience.

Suitable for 18+ years

Sat 25 Jun
11am – 4pm
£34

•  25 Jun from £34

Led by Amanda Schenk

Amanda Schenk is the visual artist behind Norden Farm's much-loved (and Instagrammed) glass corridor artwork in the school holidays. Join Amanda for this new drawing course, aimed at helping to create a sense of calm and relaxation through drawing patterns.

Suitable for all abilities, the workshops will focus on building confidence in your drawing abilities - concentrating on the soothing journey of the drawing experience, rather than the finished drawing.

In each session you'll explore how to produce different types of patterns in abstract drawings - looking at different designs each week.

You will need: paper (plain, no smaller than A5), lead pencil, eraser, sharpener, black fine liner or a pen. Optional is a black marker.

Summer 2022
Tues 28 Jun, 12 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug (4 week course)

11am - 12.15pm (online only)
£8 per class | £28 per 4 week course | £21 per 3 week course
Suitable for ages 18+ years
Booking cut off time: 9am on the day of each session

Please prepare for your visit by reading our latest Visitor Information here. This includes important information about face coverings and measures we have implemented to keep everyone safe when visiting Norden Farm.

•  28 Jun from £8
•  12 Jul from £8
• 2 more dates...

Led by Amanda Schenk

Amanda Schenk is the visual artist behind Norden Farm's much-loved (and Instagrammed) glass corridor artwork in the school holidays. Join Amanda for this new drawing course, aimed at helping to create a sense of calm and relaxation through drawing patterns.

Suitable for all abilities, the workshops will focus on building confidence in your drawing abilities - concentrating on the soothing journey of the drawing experience, rather than the finished drawing.

In each session you'll explore how to produce different types of patterns in abstract drawings - looking at different designs each week.

You will need: paper (plain, no smaller than A5), lead pencil, eraser, sharpener, black fine liner or a pen. Optional is a black marker.

Summer 2022
Tues 28 Jun, 12 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug (4 week course)

7.30pm - 8.45pm
£8 per class | £28 per 4 week course | £21 per 3 week course
Suitable for ages 18+ years
Booking cut off time: 7pm on the day of each session

Please prepare for your visit by reading our latest Visitor Information here. This includes important information about face coverings and measures we have implemented to keep everyone safe when visiting Norden Farm.

•  28 Jun from £8
•  12 Jul from £8
• 2 more dates...

Led by Amanda Schenk

Amanda Schenk is the visual artist behind Norden Farm's much-loved (and Instagrammed) glass corridor artwork in the school holidays. Join Amanda for this new drawing course, aimed at helping to create a sense of calm and relaxation through drawing patterns and exploring colour.

Suitable for all abilities, the workshops will focus on building confidence in your art making abilities - concentrating on the soothing journey of the drawing and playing with colour.

In each session explore drawing abstract patterns and the different ways you can enhance your designs using colour pencils and bright watercolours.

You will need: Paper, lead pencil, eraser, sharpener, black fine liner, colour pencils or Aquarell colour pencils, optional coloured fine liners.

Spring 2022
Mon 4 Jul, 18 Jul, 1 Aug, 15 Aug (4 week course)

7.30pm – 9.15pm
£10 per session | £22.50 per 3 week course | £30 per 4 week course
Booking cut off time: 6pm on the day of the session

Please prepare for your visit by reading our latest Visitor Information here. This includes important information about face coverings and measures we have implemented to keep everyone safe when visiting Norden Farm.

•   4 Jul from £10
•  18 Jul from £10
• 2 more dates...

Led by Jo Hall

Paint a larger than life flower, in acrylic, referencing the flower paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe.

Blooms supplied or bring your own flower together with your own materials and equipment as in the information below.

Sat 9 Jul 11am - 4pm
£40

Please bring the following materials and equipment:
Acrylic paints and brushes
Matte medium and slow dry medium
Water pots
Stay wet palette

Support: canvas board or canvas, multimedia paper or heavy watercolour paper primed with gesso
Sketchbook or cartridge paper to work out composition and colour mixes.

Charcoal or pencil
Paper towel, small water spray, palette knife
Table easel, drawing board if using paper, tape to fix paper to the drawing board

Some blooms will be available or bring your own

Multimedia paper will be available at cost from the tutor

Do contact Jo at johall@mhstudios.co.uk with any questions about the workshop content or materials.

•   9 Jul from £40

Led by Caroline Crawford

Participants will look at the watery surface and create a still reflective piece in watercolours, the focus is on composition, texture, light and shadow. Expert tuition, demos and guidance given.

Fri 15 Jul 11am – 4pm
£45 per workshop, £5 materials fee on the day to the tutor

•  15 Jul from £45

Led by Eiko Ishida.

Design a fan with Japanese calligraphy.

Learn little by little how to concentrate on flow, conduct and apply it with brush and ink in a peaceful setting.

In this workshop, you will be shown the basic principles of writing Japanese characters; using the traditional Japanese materials of a brush, ink and Japanese paper.

You will be guided how to create your first brush strokes and how to build on these basic steps to create some lovely Japanese characters on a traditional Japanese fan.

Everybody is welcome – no calligraphy experience or Japanese language skills are necessary.

Thur 21 Jul and Thur 18 Aug | 1pm – 4pm
£48 per workshop

•  21 Jul from £48
•  18 Aug from £48

Join Lucy Wright on a creative adventure this summer.

Over four days you will create artworks to display in a magical art gallery where the artwork comes to life.

Exploring artists from around the world you will create costumes, sculpture, paintings and so much more in an art extravaganza which culminates in a final exhibition... with a twist. As we wander through the gallery the pieces will begin to tell their own stories as if under a spell.

This fun and energetic course is perfect for artists and makers of all kinds, providing a stimulating and creative way to spend the summer, come along and set your imagination free!

Suitable for ages 8 – 14 years.

Tues 16 – Fri 19 Aug | 11am – 4pm
£160 | £145 Advantage Card Holders

•  16 Aug from £160
•  17 Aug FREE
• 2 more dates...