Approaches to Abstraction
Approaches to Abstraction
Discover a personal, responsive approach to the act of creating
For artists confident with their chosen media and would like to learn how to create exciting abstract work based on a personal theme.
A unique and transformative experience that will help you discover a framework to create work that conveys your ideas.
You will learn together with a group, as I guide you creatively through this scheduled course!
Enrolment is now closed for 2025 but will open again next year, subscribe below to receive an alert.
About this course
Are you a realistic artist but want to be move into a level of abstraction?
Maybe you are working abstractly but feel your work is too process led, that it lacks meaning?
Do you have ideas but don’t know how to gather resources and develop your work into a thematic project?
If it’s a yes to any of the above this course is the one for you! This scheduled 7 week course was developed from many years experience, as both an artist and as an educator.
This course is not a media based course, it is designed to help artists that are confident with their chosen media discover a line of enquiry and explore it fully. My short course Creative Themes provides a great starting point.
Enrolment will open again in 2026, sign up for an alert below.
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Find out more…
“In the past I’ve just done work that I found intuitive and easy but I really wanted more this time. It’s not a quick process but a very enjoyable journey into my inner self, a transformative experience” Anne
Do I have to attend on a particular day or time? Approaches to Abstraction has two Zoom sessions. One at the start as a welcome another at the end as a goodbye, they are recorded. New course content is available each week and you can do it when you wish. Academy students get the same course content plus a weekly online session.
How long will it take each week? Over the 7 weeks there are 70 sections. This is not a ‘how-to’ course so not all sections contain demonstration videos, and not all will be relevant to your theme. Expect to dedicate around 6-15 hours a week.
How long do I have access to the course? Lifetime! I do not have a time limit on any of my courses; I prefer to see them as libraries that you can revisit whenever you need to! Many students are still chatting to friends from earlier Approaches to Abstraction groups.
Am I experienced enough to take Approaches? This course is not a practical course, it is about building a way of working, following a line of enquiry. Whilst you will have some experience of media, you are not expected to be accomplished. Those in the Academy will have technical guidance from me as and when they need it.
Is the Academy for advanced artists? Not at all, this for anyone who feels they would benefit from more support, feedback, and technical help.
How much help will I get? I will answer any question you ask and will be a regular visitor to discussions on the course platform. If you feel you need more support, technical help, mentoring and feedback then the Academy option will give you that for the added cost which equates to £65 per week.
Do I have to join a Facebook Group to share my work and ideas? I run all my courses on a specialist teaching platform and do not use Facebook for teaching. The course has places for you to upload images, videos or write text, as well as to comment and chat with others on the course. Academy students will have a digital portfolio where they can see their work progress and get feedback.
Why is CREATIVE THEMES included? It used to be part of the course, but it was clear that some students needed longer to investigate their ideas and find a theme to work with than others. By making it available separately it is available to do as soon as you enrol. As long as you have decided your theme by week 2 of the course then you will be on track!
Creative Themes
Students taking Approaches to Abstraction will be working on their own theme. For many, deciding a theme is straightforward…but if this is an aspect of creativity that is new to you then I suggest you take my short course Creative Themes, designed to help artists explore ideas and find their own creative themes.
Once enrolled on Creative Themes, you can use a £50 discount code against the cost of Approaches to Abstraction.
Testimonials
“Finally understanding themes – and subject – and beyond – how they work with one another, has meant I now can see why I love certain materials and images over others.”
“I can now see what connects the various strands of work regardless whether it be figurative or abstract, drawing or mixed media. It is no longer a hopeless muddle! I have a direction for further research through my own practice and by looking at artists whose work addresses a similar theme. I feel freshly motivated – there is clarity at last.”
Course FAQs
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS COURSE?
This course is designed to help you develop a personal creative theme through my process of Collect, Consider and Create. Over the seven weeks you will dive deeply into all aspects of developing a theme resulting in a series of final outcomes that relate to your theme.
WHAT LEVEL IS THIS COURSE?
This course is suitable for anyone who is confident with their chosen media, have taken my Creative Themes short course and are ready to start developing their ideas practically. Most students taking this course have either taken my Confident Composition course, or go on to do that afterwards.. they are companion courses but this one is the more complex.
WHAT THIS COURSE IS NOT
Whilst there are a number of practical activities and demonstrations, this course will not teach you how to paint or create prints.
WHEN DOES THE COURSE START?
This is a scheduled course that runs once a year. It runs for seven weeks, However, you can work through the classes at your own pace, and return to them as often as you need to.
What is an online course?
An online course consists of videos and downloads to enable you to learn new skills and improve old ones. All my online courses are stored on a specialist teaching platform, you do not have to join a Facebook group, and the courses have lifetime access*
The self-paced courses can be done at any-time that suits you, whilst the scheduled courses are set for a specific number of weeks.
Longer self paced and scheduled courses have areas to share work and ask questions that only people that have registered for the course can access. All videos are pre-recorded and you can watch them at your convenience, with additional written content in the form of downloadable PDF’s.
Is there tutor support available on your online courses?
My self-paced courses are designed to be studied independently, and contain all information you need. If you do have questions, my longer self paced courses can ask them on the course forum, an area specifically set up for you to share work and chat with other students. I call in regularly and can be ‘tagged’ for a more immediate response.
On my scheduled courses new course content is available each week of the schedule, You will also be learning alongside a group of other students with brilliant discussions, sharing of work and encouragement amongst participants – although there is no pressure at all to join in or share if you don’t want to. The level of tutor support for each course is in the course description.
What is a 'forum'?
I realise that not everyone is on Facebook, and so I don’t use Facebook Groups for my course. I wanted to provide a dedicated place for you to feel free to share your work with others in the course.
All participants on my longer self-paced courses are invited to post images in one of the course forums, but there is no obligation to do so!
My scheduled courses have areas with each activity where students can post images and join in discussions.
What if I get behind on a course, will I be able to catch up?
All of my courses have lifetime access*. The courses consist of pre-recorded videos that are available to watch, and re-watch at your convenience.
For scheduled courses I am only available during the schedule of the course, but you get lifetime access* to the course content and all the discussions and posting from other participants. Many students continue sharing and discussing long after the end of the schedule.
*lifetime means as long as I am able to communicate, or as long as the platform is in existence.
How do I enrol on a course?
At the very top of each course page on my website there are buttons for you to click to enrol and pay for a course. Clicking this will take you to the Ruzuku platform and payment will be taken securely by credit card. The Ruzuku platform is where all the courses are kept.
The payment is set in GDP as I am in the UK but when you pay it will convert to your own currency. Payments are made via Stripe, a safe and secure payment platform, using a debit or credit card.
Once you have paid for a course, you will be asked to create a Ruzuku account using your email and a password. Note that this will also happen only the first time you enrol, you do not have to create a new account for each course. All of your courses will all be available in the ‘My Courses‘ section on Ruzuku.
I live outside of the UK, can I still enrol on a course?
Yes of course! I would love you to come and learn with me, and I have people signed up from all over the world. The payment from your currency will convert to GBP.
Only two courses have live meetings with students on Zoo; Approaches to Abstraction and Urban Explorations. I aim to make sure there are options for different time zones available.
Where can I find my course?
You can access your course from this website. On the menu is COURSE LOGIN. When you have logged in at the top you will see ‘My Courses’. If you click on that you will get a list of your courses. Just click on the relevant course name to enter that course.
If you have any technical problems, find the top right menu and click on ‘Support’ to access the Ruzuku support help-desk.
Can I download the course videos?
No, unfortunately you cannot download the videos due to copyright, but once you enrol you will have lifetime access to them and can return to them at any time.
What internet connection and device will I need?
To get the most out of the class you will need to have a high speed internet connection, and a newer computer or mobile device that is equipped to stream video off of the internet. If you have any questions about this please do get in touch.
My videos are compatible with all devices including iPads, tablets and mobile devices. Please test out different browsers if you have any issues – Safari is the default browser on an iPad, but Chrome is actually the better browser for a lot of people.
If you’re having difficulty watching the videos try these tips:
- Close down any open applications and exit out of any extra windows in your browser. These all take up memory on your device and cannot effect the ability to play video smoothly.
- Refresh the page.
- Restart your device if you have not today.
- Make sure your device is updated. (including the operating system and browser)
- Try a different browser. My videos have been verified working with:
- Firefox (Windows and Mac)
- Internet Explorer (Windows)
- Google Chrome (Windows, Mac and Android [4.1.2] tablet)
- Safari (Mac, iPad and iPhone)
*I cannot guarantee that our videos will play on your device. There are too many variations in each person’s scenario.
Can I share the course content with others?
My courses are priced very reasonably, and I have worked very hard to give you an in-depth and inspiring range of courses full of content. As such please do not share your login and course access with others.
All of the course content is my own intellectual property, built up from over 40 years as an artist and teacher. You are not permitted to share demonstration/how-to videos of yourself using the techniques I am teaching you.
Of course many general, individual techniques are already out there in the public domain, and no one can claim ownership to those, but it is the sequence of techniques; particularly some of the tools and equipment used, as well as the methodologies and concepts taught on my courses that are not to be shared. More details about my intellectual property rights can be found in the Terms and Conditions.
Also, if you create work that is clearly based on my demonstration pieces, please do not attempt to sell it as ‘yours’. More details about my intellectual property rights can be found in the Terms and Conditions.
Do you offer refunds?
I do not offer refunds for self-paced courses as the course descriptions give a very full account of the content. In the unlikely event you have booked a course that is not right for you, please let me know before you start accessing the content.
With my scheduled courses if you feel they are not right for you I will refund you within a week of your booking/the course starting, (less an admin fee) or a full credit towards another class.