Artist-Led Workshops: Messy Play for Grown Ups

The Box is running a series of artist-led messy play workshops for adults throughout August, with the next session on Friday 21 August. They're hosted by local artist Jayne Ashenbury, and the whole run is inspired by the abstract work of Gillian Ayres and the art on display in the gallery's Echoes of Us exhibition. If you've seen that one, it'll make sense why the focus is on getting stuck in rather than painting something precise.

Each session works with different materials, so you can pick the one that appeals to you. The first was acrylic on canvas board on 7 August, followed by watercolour and pens on cartridge paper on 14 August. The 21 August session is charcoal, chalk and oil pastels on sugar paper, and the final one on 28 August is acrylic and chalk on canvas board. They're all aimed at all levels, so you don't need to have picked up a brush since school to join in.

Ashenbury is a local artist who rediscovered her love of painting after finding a box of watercolour paints during lockdown. She studied art and drama, spent twenty years teaching drama at Plymouth College, and now runs art classes and workshops across the West Country. She'll be leading the sessions, so you're working with someone who knows her way around a studio.

All the equipment is provided, and a glass of Pimm's or fruit punch is included in the ticket. Each session runs from 6pm to 8pm at The Box, Tavistock Place, Plymouth, PL4 8AX, and costs £25.00.