Youth Arts Open Fund: Exploring Land, Sea and Sky Through the Seasons in East Lothian

Winter's Canvas

Capturing the Stark Beauty of North Berwick and Gullane

As winter settled over East Lothian, our YouthLink Scotland project embraced the stark beauty of the season with inspiring sessions held at the North Berwick Youth Project youth clubs in both North Berwick (Hope Rooms) and Gullane (Recreation Hall). The young participants (CYPs) immersed themselves in the winter landscape, drawing inspiration from the bare trees, muted colours, and atmospheric light that characterise this time of year in our coastal communities.

These winter workshops focused on creating value studies using black and white gouache and ink, allowing the CYPs to explore the interplay of light and shadow in the winter landscape. Working on toned and coloured mixed media paper, they brought winter trees to life, adding details with watercolour, charcoal, and pastel. This combination of techniques enabled them to capture the texture of branches and the subtle hues of the winter sky.

An exciting aspect of these sessions was the introduction of a unique painting technique: creating artwork upside down. This approach encouraged the CYPs to let go of preconceived notions and work more intuitively. As they watched the paint and ink flow through the water, they were able to create atmospheric pieces that captured the essence of winter in a spontaneous and expressive way. This technique proved particularly effective in representing the misty mornings and low winter light that blanket North Berwick and Gullane during this season.

The CYPs embraced this opportunity to work without fixed outcomes, finding joy in the creative process and staying present in the moment. This approach not only produced stunning artworks but also served as a mindfulness exercise, allowing the participants to fully engage with their creativity and the winter landscape around them.

As they worked, the groups reflected on the shifting season, observing the changes in their surroundings. In Gullane, the CYPs were particularly inspired by the silver birch trees, experimenting with various texture-making techniques to capture the rough, bare bark. They used scraping, splattering, and dry brush techniques to recreate the textured surface of these winter-bare trees.

In North Berwick, the focus shifted to the stark seascape that defines the coastline during the colder months. The CYPs worked with a cool, grey/neutral palette to reflect the muted tones of the winter sea and sky. They experimented with layering techniques to capture the subtle variations in the overcast sky and the patterns of light on the winter trees.

Throughout the sessions, the CYP were encouraged to observe and reflect on the unique qualities of the winter landscape. They discussed how the low light on the horizon creates dramatic silhouettes and how the bare branches of trees form intricate patterns against the winter sky. These observations translated into artworks that captured the essence of winter in East Lothian.

The winter workshops were a great opportunity to encourage creative play and practice. By engaging with the winter landscape through art, they developed a keener sense of observation and a greater connection to shift in seasons.

As we look forward to our upcoming spring sessions, we're excited to see how the CYP will continue to experiment and learn new painting techniques.

The evocative winter pieces created during these workshops will form a striking contrast to the autumnal and festive works in our group exhibition planned for May 2024, showcasing the young artists' journey through the seasons in East Lothian.

Kat 👩🏼‍🎨