Adventures in Contemporary Acrylics & Mixed Media - Autumn 2026

Two workshops led by Tom Kane exploring the exciting possibilities of acrylics and mixed media.

We will unravel the mysteries of the multitude of materials and tools available to the mixed media artist, with a focus on acrylic paint, acrylic mediums, inks, soft pastels and collage.

Students will learn how to develop rich, interesting painted surfaces using transparent layers of paint, applied with a variety of mark-making tools including rollers, sticks, credit cards, palette knives and squeezy bottles. We will discover the advantages of working on multiple paintings at a time; and how, in the face of infinite possibilities, it makes sense to work within self-imposed limits and parameters. 

In the first workshop, the emphasis will be on exploration, play and discovery; there will be lots of practical exercises: mark-making, collage and paint application. We will also look at - and take inspiration from - the work of a variety of contemporary mixed-media artists.

In the second workshop students will move towards a finished painting. There will be discussion of structural and compositional issues, colour, decision-making, and strategies for improving and developing paintings. We will work from still life but students will be encouraged to use the subject as a starting point and move into some degree of abstraction.

Although each workshop will work as a standalone day, students are encouraged to sign up for both, as experience gained in the first will be very valuable in the second.