Take a look at just some of our inspiring art and craft workshops - there is something for everyone

Treat yourself -

Join us for a fun day and get making!  

We offer an exciting and varied programme, working with professional artists and crafts people to nurture your creativity

Workshops at Cowshed Creatives are based in our two storey traditional Lakeland barn cow shed conversion.  The art studio is a stunning open plan space and there is plenty of room to wander outside and take inspiration from the amazing landscape and environment of the peaceful Kentmere Valley.

Lunch is a tasty two course meal with home baked bread, cake & refreshments.  We finish the day with a cup of tea and a slice of cake

It is served at a kitchen table near the fire or outside in warm weather. Students can relax on sofas at any time by the wood burning stove to take a breather, look at art books or have a natter or wander outside and enjoy the amazing views. 

We have parking available on site but would encourage visitors to lift share, if possible or come by bike.  We are keen to share our green ethos and are very aware of our environmental footprint.

Workshops by month:

 A creative experience for someone special

- the perfect gift!

April

Concertina Book of Mixed Media Memories 

A great opportunity to experiment with mixed media techniques and create a concertina book based on memories, which can also be displayed as a wall piece. Using layering techniques, with images and text, papers and fabrics, these will be fused together with wax. Embellish your work with embroidery, buttons, ribbons or lace.  A lovely keepsake or gift.

Sat 4 April  10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch

Creative Workshops

Fascinators, Trim and Decoration

Glam-Up for a special event and create your own Fascinator or small ‘Hat-inator’ with crinoline brim! Learn a variety of techniques and let the magic begin! Develop the skills to make a unique headdress you'll be proud to wear to any celebration. No millinery experience required, but you will need some basic hand sewing skills

Sat 17 April  10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch

Lakeland Landscape - Watercolour & Mixed Media

Enjoy the stunning views of the Kentmere valley and capture the natural beauty of the landscape. The day will combine practical painting and drawing exercises in the art studio with opportunities to work directly outdoors focusing on fells and skies.  A great opportunity to develop your watercolour painting skills and explore a variety of mixed media techniques.  

Sat 18 April

£70  including lunch

Introduction to Oil Painting

This workshop is an opportunity to learn a range of oil painting techniques working with simple still life subject matter.  It will cover the basics, such as equipment, surface preparation, colour mixing and painting techniques, allowing beginners to gain confidence and the more experienced to refresh their approaches.       

Image: Student work

Thurs 23 April  10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Willow Garden Structures

These beautiful willow structures are the perfect natural addition to the garden providing support for a wide variety of flowering plants and veg; roses, sweet peas, runner beans, peas and miniature squash. Create your own contemporary look using traditional rural crafts skills.  No previous experience is required.

24 April  10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Spinner Ring – Silver Jewellery

Come and learn a range of jewellery making techniques in just one workshop. A great opportunity to create a unique and original piece that will give you lots of pleasure to wear or make a great gift for someone special. Suitable for beginners and more experienced makers.

26 April  10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Shibori Dye for Summer Cushions

30 April  10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch

May

Wildlife in Gum and Ink

An exciting opportunity to learn a new process and create a dramatic, high contrast image with intricate detail and strong, crisp highlights. Using a little known illustration process of layering inks and gum Arabic, you will work with a selected image, learning to interpret the process and creating a colourful and fluid end result.  

              Chris will provide a variety of images of local wildlife and flowers from which to choose, or you are welcome to bring your own. Chris will give you practical demonstrations throughout. No drawing ability necessary but attention to detail is useful.  

1 May   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Silver Clay Jewellery

Silver clay is an exciting medium that appeals to both jewellery novices and more experienced craftspeople as it requires little by way of equipment, and responds beautifully to the imagination! This putty-like clay contains tiny particles of silver, water and binders, which is fired on the day, bonding your design into a finished piece of pure silver, ready to take away. Silver clay lends itself to texture, 3D forms and experimentation. It can be rolled, moulded, stamped and will retain fine imprinted detail

5 May   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Mosaic in a Day

​Join us for a fun and relaxing day learning the art of mosaic.  Create a colourful plaque to hang outside or to decorate a wall indoors, a trivet for those hot pots on your table or brighten up coffee breaks with your own mosaic tray.  You will learn about different materials and how to use mosaic tools, with lots of tips on design and pattern. Treat yourself to a great day out and take home an original mosaic of your own.

7 May   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Dry Stone Walling

Enjoy a great day out in the countryside on our Lakeland farm learning traditional dry stone walling skills from an experienced and friendly tutor who will explain the process. You will learn the basic principles; sorting stone, building foundations and helping to construct a section of wall, developing your confidence as you go. A great introduction to the heritage and ancient rural craft of building walls using only the stone in the field, without cement.

14 May   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Have you got an old pair of curtains that you love but are no longer in use? Come and learn how to turn them into a bespoke pair of dashing and daring dungarees, designed to fit your shape.  

The course will cover the whole process and you’ll leave with a new or honed vision for creative reuse. In this spirit; second hand materials are highly encouraged, but if you have your eye on a new piece of fabric that’s great too.

16 May  10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch

Hand Applique Miniatures

Spend a relaxing day creating collaged pictures with fabrics and stitch.  The emphasis of the day is to encourage participants to develop their own creative ideas, turning all those hoarded fabric scraps into a miniature work of art using simple hand-stitches, found fabrics and embellishments. Ideal for beginner or those with some experience. 

21 May 10 - 4.30

£68 including lunch

Join us on a traditional Lakeland farm to develop the basic drawing skills you need to draw animals confidently and to observe animals in their natural environment. The workshop will cover steps on how to draw animals using simple shapes and lines, the concept of gesture drawing combined with observation and basic animal anatomy.  You will have plenty of opportunities to observe, sketch and photograph animals on the farm and experiment with water-  soluble brush pens.

30 May 10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

June

Experimenting with Monoprinting

Monoprinting is an ideal introduction to printmaking using a range of simple techniques to create your own prints.  Let the ink make the marks!

Working directly onto the inked plastic plate, you will use lifting and stencil techniques as well as experiment with different materials including plants, grasses, manmade materials and fabrics to create textures and marks, with opportunities to develop further layers of colour.  You are welcome to forage on the farm for material and create your own stunning images.

4 June  10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Sea Glass Jewellery

The summer is a great time to find your own sea glass, enjoy the subtle colours and create jewellery that is perfect for a summery look.  

Discover the properties of sea glass and the techniques involved in drilling, wrapping and setting it to make silver and sea glass jewellery. By the end of the workshop you will have created at least one piece of sea glass and silver jewellery using a range of tools and jewellery making processes.

6 June    10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Machine Embroidery Landscapes

Create a miniature landscape using the exciting art of ‘drawing’ with your sewing machine. During the day, Sarah will introduce you to the basic techniques of free-machine embroidery and raw-edged appliqué.

Our art studio, set on a traditional Lakeland farm is surrounded by wonderful landscapes, which provide fantastic inspiration to help you create your own miniature masterpiece.

10 June    10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch

Bountiful Baskets - 2 day course

Learn a traditional rural craft and make your own timeless round basket with a handle. A course for anyone who likes to use their hands, enjoys the smell and creaking of willow as they work on their woven basket and wants the satisfaction of creating something unique with lots of practical uses. 

This two day course will equip you with the skills to make a truly original basket and provide you with the confidence and ability to work on further baskets at home.  No previous experience required

12 & 13 June   10 - 4.30

£140 including lunch both days

A great opportunity for people of all abilities to develop life drawing in a full day workshop, and to dispel some of the fear from this valued traditional discipline. Join Catherine MacDiarmid, who will introduce you to Life Drawing through a series of enjoyable exercises that cover a variety of mark making and observational skills, including measuring for accuracy. Both traditional and modern drawing techniques and interpretations will be covered.  You will be working directly from a life model.

Life Drawing with a Life Model

Working directly from a life model, this a great opportunity for people of all abilities to develop your drawing skills and dispel some of the fear from this valued traditional discipline.   

Join expert artist, Catherine MacDiarmid, who will introduce you to Life Drawing through a series of enjoyable exercises that cover a variety of mark making and observational skills, including measuring for accuracy. Both traditional and modern drawing techniques and interpretations will be covered.  

18  June   10 - 4.30

£86 including lunch  

The fee reflects the additional cost of a life model

Raku Pottery – 2 day course

Raku is a really amazing process that includes firing your own pots outside in a custom made ‘open’ kiln to create unique patterns and designs on your pieces. Raku firing is one of the most dramatic and daring ways to fire pottery. It was developed in Japan in the early 1550s by Zen Buddhists to create ceramics for the Japanese tea ceremony.

The first day you will develop hand-building skills to create a range of pots or models.  These will be dried and biscuit fired ready for you to experiment with glazes and oxides the following week.  Chris will guide you through the stages.

On the consecutive Saturday, prepare for an exciting session working with an outdoor kiln with controlled use of fire and smoke!  ‘Raku’ loosely means ‘happiness in the unexpected’.  The effects you can achieve can be stunning. 

20 & 27  June   10 - 4.30

£140 including lunch on both days 

18  June   10 - 4.30

£85 including lunch  

Needle Felt Animal inspired by Illustrations

Learn to sculpt a beautiful felt model with felting needles. Using dry felting techniques you will blend your own wool to create subtle colours and learn to model an animal of your choice. Be inspired by a wide range of wonderful illustrations or base your design on a much-loved pet or character you have come across. Join us for a relaxed and sociable day and be amazed by what you create.  No previous experience needed.

25 June  10 - 4.30

£68 including lunch  

July

Cyanotype prints

Discover one of the earliest photographic printing techniques used by both Anna Aitkins and Fox Talbot No camera needed, just sunlight, cyanotype and a bit of creativity to make beautiful cyan blue prints. Perfect for nature lovers; forage on the farm taking inspiration from the variety of plants and flowers to create your own original prints.     No previous experience needed

Temporary image

2 July  10 - 4.30

£70 including lunch  

Abstract Landscape

This workshop will provide an opportunity for people of all abilities to explore drawing and painting without the constraints of it 'looking like something', with artist Catherine MacDiarmid.  Through abstraction comes the ability to learn more about what paint can do.

​

The workshop will explore mark making, composition and tonal / colour balance, as well as different starting points for inspiration, utilising the wonderful surrounding landscape for inspiration

4 July  10 - 4.30

£70 including lunch  

Expressive Painting using Rub back

Develop your skills and learn a new technique, building up layers of expressive paint that are added and removed to create a loose and fluid end result.  A great opportunity to experiment with the process and create a dramatic final piece or use the end result as a base to be overworked with further detail.  No drawing ability necessary but attention to detail is useful.  A great new skill to enrich your painting experience.

8 July  10 - 4.30

£70 including lunch  

Bashing metal!  Silver Jewellery

A day of jewellery-making, nothing beats it! If you love texture and surface pattern, this one is for you. Using hammers and a rolling mill, we’ll explore the impact and creativity of “low tech” tools on sterling silver.  A practical, hand-made approach far removed from computer aided design and mass production.

Expect to make pendants or earrings that are tactile and unique as every pass through the rolling mill is different, and every hammer blow brings exciting changes to your piece.

7 July 10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Indigo Dye & Shibori Techniques

Shibori is the Japanese art of indigo resist dyeing. In this hands-on workshop you will learn the basics of Shibori inspired folding, binding, clamping and stitching techniques.  Dipped in Indigo, you will create your own stunning patterns on fabric. Try experimenting with over-dying with a second colour if you wish. Create a stash of samples, working up to a Shibori cotton scarf.  Perfect for the summer!

15 July  10 - 4.30

£68 including lunch  

August

Seaglass Jewellery

The summer is a great time to find your own sea glass, enjoy the subtle colours and create jewellery that is perfect for a summery look.  Discover the properties of sea glass and the techniques involved in drilling, wrapping and setting it to make silver and sea glass jewellery. By the end of the workshop you will have created at least one piece of sea glass and silver jewellery using a range of tools and jewellery making processes. 

29 August   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch  

September

Mosaic in a Day

Join us for a fun and relaxing day learning the art of mosaic.  Create a colourful plaque to hang outside or to decorate a wall indoors, a trivet for those hot pots on your table or brighten up coffee breaks with your own mosaic tray.  You will learn about different materials and how to use mosaic tools, with lots of tips on design and pattern. Treat yourself to a great day out and take home an original mosaic of your own.

6 Sept .  10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch  

Lampshades with Machine Embroidery & Appliqué

Create an original drum lampshade to  enhance your home using free machine embroidery and appliqué. During the day you will learn the exciting art of drawing with your sewing machine and the basic techniques to start free-machine embroidery. Apply your new appliqué and free-machine embroidery skills to the design your own lampshade.

11 Sept    10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch  

Silver Clay Jewellery

Silver clay is an exciting medium that appeals to both jewellery novices and more experienced craftspeople as it requires little by way of equipment, and responds beautifully to the imagination! This putty-like clay contains tiny particles of silver, water and binders, which is fired on the day, bonding your design into a finished piece of pure silver, ready to take away. Silver clay lends itself to texture, 3D forms and experimentation. It can be rolled, moulded, stamped and will retain fine imprinted detail

15 Sept   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch

Portraiture

A fantastic opportunity to create a portrait of some one special. During this workshop you will explore some different methods of using photographs as source material for portraits, culminating in a final portrait of a loved one or a fellow course member.  Any media can be used for your final portrait and expert advice and individual guidance will be given throughout.

19 Sept    10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch  

October

Raku Pottery – 2 day course

Raku is a really amazing process that includes firing your own pots outside in a custom made ‘open’ kiln to create unique patterns and designs on your pieces. Raku firing is one of the most dramatic and daring ways to fire pottery. It was developed in Japan in the early 1550s by Zen Buddhists to create ceramics for the Japanese tea ceremony.

The first day you will develop hand-building skills to create a range of pots or models.  These will be dried and biscuit fired ready for you to experiment with glazes and oxides the following week.  Chris will guide you through the stages.

On the consecutive Saturday, prepare for an exciting session working with an outdoor kiln with controlled use of fire and smoke!  ‘Raku’ loosely means ‘happiness in the unexpected’.  The effects you can achieve can be stunning. 

3 & 10 Oct   10 - 4.30

£140 including lunch on both days 

Drawing Rural Animals in Mixed Media

Join us on a traditional Lakeland farm to develop the basic drawing skills you need to draw animals confidently and to observe animals in their natural environment. The workshop will cover steps on how to draw animals using simple shapes and lines, the concept of gesture drawing combined with observation and basic animal anatomy.  You will have plenty of opportunities to observe, sketch and photograph animals on the farm and experiment with water-  soluble brush pens.

4 October   10 - 4.30

£70  including lunch  

Stylish Tote Bags

Create a stylish tote bag in a day. With expert step-by-step guidance, you will work from a pattern and learn how to cut out and stitch a beautifully lined bag with a pocket.   Choose from leather or faux leather handles or straps, for a really professional finish.  An extra special gift for someone or enjoy using it your self!

24 October   10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch  

Hand Applique Miniatures

Spend a relaxing day creating collaged pictures with fabrics and stitch.  The emphasis of the day is to encourage participants to develop their own creative ideas, turning all those hoarded fabric scraps into a miniature work of art using simple hand-stitches, found fabrics and embellishments. Ideal for beginner or those with some experience. 

29 October .  10 - 4.30

£68 including lunch

31 October   10 - 4.30

£68  including lunch  

November

Willow Platter

Learn a traditional rural craft and make your own willow platter. Perfect for serving cheese, fruit or bread. This course is for anyone who likes to use their hands, enjoys the smell and creaking of willow as they work  and wants the satisfaction of creating something unique and beautiful with a practical use.  This workshop will equip you with the skills to make an original willow platter and provide you with the confidence and ability to work on further pieces at home.  No previous experience required.

6 November 10 - 4.30

£70 including lunch  

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