Exploring Paint with Playfulness (evening class)

About the class

This exciting and exploratory painting course celebrates the material qualities of paint. Over eight weeks, we will explore a variety of different types of paint, including oil, acrylic, gouache and watercolour. We will also make our own paint using natural pigments.

Through playing with different media, tools, techniques and surfaces, we will consider how artists convey meaning and expression through the type of paint they use - being led by the special characteristics of each painting medium and ‘what it can do’.

We will look at relevant artists and ideas from art history to inspire us, from early cave paintings to the work of contemporary artists. You will work towards creating your own landspace piece, where you will put into practice some of the ideas you have explored.

The course runs every Thursday from 6.30-9pm from 18 August - 6 August 2026.

This is a mixed ability class, suitable for beginners.

Please note that this class is not open to Under 16s.

About the tutor

Jacqui Gallon gained a Bachelor of Education Degree in Textiles in the late 1970s, followed by a teaching career in Secondary schools in Leicester. In 2010, she embarked on an Art History course at Leicester University and became so interested in the history of painting that she came to Loughborough, as a mature student, to study on a Foundation Course. She went on to undertake her Masters Degree, exploring printmaking and textile assemblage, combined with painting, to explore the theme of bereavement and loss. She is currently a PhD researcher at Loughborough.

Alongside her academic research, Jacqui has a multi-disciplinary art practice which includes painting, printmaking, textile assemblage, performance and photography. She utilises many different materials in order to explore themes of care, loss, memory and care.

Jacqui also works as a community arts project curator, working with asylum seeker women and other groups with mental health issues. Teaching painting forms an important part of this community practice. She is interested in the ‘language of materials’, and uses playful approaches to explore how ideas can be expressed.

Jacqui has been a member of the Leicester Society of Artists and has been awarded several prizes for her paintings. In 2019, she was awarded a bursary to undertake a residency in Orkney which brought together printmaking and archaeology. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at Siao Long Cultural Park, Tainan, Taiwan.

Parking

All students, staff and visitors are required to register their vehicle and pay to park on campus. There is a flat evening rate of £1 after 6pm. You have 30 minutes from arrival in which to complete the registration process. You will need to do this each week.

Please contact Parking@lboro.ac.uk if you have any queries or visit the visitor parking webpage for more information.

Accessibility

The room is on the ground floor of Martin Hall and there is step-free access into the building. An accessible toilet is located along the ground floor corridor.

If you have any specific access requirements or anything you would like us to be aware of when running the event, please let us know via the booking form or email luarts@lboro.ac.uk in advance of booking and we will do our best to accommodate them.

Cancellation and Refunds

We will issue refunds for cancellations (minus Eventbrite fees) up to seven days prior to the first class, but no refunds will be issued subsequently, unless a class is cancelled and cannot be re-arranged.

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