My proposal for the workshop connects the current exhibition, British Landscapes: A Sense of Place, with a specific artwork that brings together landscape and modern British portraiture, expressing how fundamentally we experience nature through our senses. Nature is perceived and felt through both our sensory systems and our emotional responses.

The workshop is inspired by Head Among Leaves (1948) by the British Neo-Romantic artist John Craxton. The painting,  held as a significant piece in the permanent collection of the Pallant House Gallery, perfectly captures his shift towards the vibrant light, warmth, and abundant plant life he discovered after moving to Greece. It represents a key turning point in Craxton’s career, symbolising his escape from the muted, melancholic landscapes of wartime Britain into the vivid, colour-saturated world of the Aegean.

For the workshop, participants will work in pairs or groups of three, taking turns as artist and sitter. The sitter will hold a life-sized paper cut-out, while the artists will work on A4 sheets pre-printed with Craxton-inspired leaves, allowing them to focus on creating the portrait through the foliage. Participants will also be encouraged to add colour to the leaves, flowers, and their own portraits, making each piece both personal and expressive.

Previous workshops run at Pallant House Gallery

Workshop: Draw your Bestie or your Nextie at Pallant House Gallery

Life Drawing Workshop in Response to John Craxton Exhibition. Pallant House Gallery