Today we are talking with CSM Short Courses life drawing tutor, David Price, to learn more about his work in the CSM Short Course exhibition and to get a more in-depth look at his own artistic practice.

What is your full name and what short course/courses do you teach?

I’m David Price and I teach Creative Life Drawing, Life Drawing Masterclass – Head, Hands and Feet (Weekend), Anatomical Portrait Drawing, Life Drawing for 16 to 18 Year Olds and Anatomical Drawing for Beginners.

©David Price

How did you come to work in your field/discipline?

I studied life drawing and anatomy when I was a student at Edinburgh College of Art when it was part of the curriculum. It was a rigorous course with an exam at the end  and probably wouldn’t be popular now as it was old fashioned and formal. Still, I did learn a lot and it has come in quite useful again because it is no longer taught in art schools. I have been teaching drawing now for over 25 years and have taught all over London including at the V&A, Tate Modern, Royal Academy and now at Central Saint Martins Short Courses. I try hard to make my courses relevant and fun and not much like the ones I did. People still want to draw people and I’m happy to help them if I can.

©David Price

Tell us about your work, where you get your inspiration from and how do you stay inspired

Like many artists, I have a broad practice doing different things at different times. Painting and Drawing are central to all I do. I also have a studio in Margate where I make work when I’m not teaching. I moved there 5 years ago – but I still show my work through a London gallery.  I am currently working on paintings for a solo exhibition next year so I’m making some huge oil paintings on canvas. Inspiration takes many forms – but as someone once said – it always finds you when you are working.

©David Price

What are you working on at the moment?

My gallery has a new space in West London with big walls so I’m making some big paintings – much bigger than any I’ve made before. Size isn’t everything but it’s a great challenge to make bigger work and it’s pushing me to do things I haven’t tried before. I’ve been experimenting with a faster drying alkyd oil paint which is helping me to work quickly. This in turn has led me to make much bolder paintings that haven’t sat around drying for ages whilst I lose interest in them. Everything – even the large ones – is painted in a day or two, and this makes them very exciting to work on.

©David Price

Tell us about the work you submitted, being featured in the Central Saint Martins Short Courses exhibition.

Since most of my teaching at CSM Short Courses is life drawing, I made some drawings as I might do in one of my classes. I wanted people to see me work and see if the course is for them. Life Drawing is almost always fast as the model can only hold the pose for short periods. I like this about these drawings – they were all made quickly whilst I was filmed, so that added to the tension. It was good fun.

© David Price

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

I’m not sure there is one thing everyone should see as we all like different things. Often, famous paintings when finally seen are a little disappointing in real life – so I think it’s better to be surprised by things and open to new creative works. I have seen a great deal of art work – all over the world – but you can’t really predict when that feeling of being inspired will come. But if you keep your eyes open you’ll see some wonderful things and you don’t usually have to go too far.

©David Price

What is the best bit of advice you have ever received?

I think it was, “Don’t be an artist” My natural inclination to do the opposite has kept me going all these years.

©David Price

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

I’d say, don’t be afraid to change and try new things. Most people, despite what they might say, are worried about trying new things and fear they might lose what they can do already. But it’s not true. You can go backwards and forwards and even sideways. It doesn’t matter where you start or how you get there. Nobody cares more than you – so trust your instincts and lead the way.

Watch David’s Exhibition Video below:

If you like what you see, check out David’s upcoming short courses, Creative Life Drawing, Life Drawing Masterclass – Head, Hands and Feet (Weekend), Anatomical Portrait Drawing, Life Drawing for 16 to 18 Year Olds and Anatomical Drawing for Beginners. Want to see more? See all available CSM Short Courses courses starting soon.

We interviewed short course tutor and professional Milliner Jane Fryers about her work in the exhibition, what inspires her, and her advice for aspiring creatives.

What is your full name and what short course/courses do you teach?

My name is Jane Fryers. I teach Millinery Workshop at Central Saint Martins where even complete beginners can make at least two hats in a week, and more experienced milliners can learn new techniques.

Jane Fryers ⓒJane Hilton

How did you come to work in Millinery?

I made my first hat on a Saturday course 20 years ago at London College of Fashion and fell in love with millinery. In 2005 I was awarded a scholarship by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust to study with Rose Cory MBE, the late Queen Mother’s milliner.

Blanchette Hat
photographer @jonbusby66
model @lady_sj__
make up @sydneebeth

Tell us about your work.

I have always been drawn to working with recycled materials. My Rechauffe Collection of hats with a past brought a stream of clients with pre-loved items of clothing that they ask me to turn into couture hats. I won Capelli nel Mondo with an old Costelloe jacket and came second in the Feltmakers Competition with two tatty felt hats which I sculpted into roses.

Spanish Harlem © Jane Fryers

Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you stay inspired?

Materials usually inspire my work, for instance I was asked by a film-maker to create a hat for her to wear to Ascot. I used a traditional millinery braiding technique to fashion a hat out of 35mm film. She made a film as I created her hat.

I stay inspired by meeting lots of people from many different backgrounds and being open to working with them to create something they want to wear.

Film Hat © Jane Fryers

What are you working on at the moment?

One of my favourite clients is an artist for whom I have designed several hats. The first, Vintage Bohemia, was made from tiny off-cuts of striped stair carpet trim, which is possibly the most difficult material I have worked with. My client now has dread-locks, so her head-size has increased. My hat-stretcher has done all it can…so I’m working on a plan!

Vintage Bohemia Hat © Jane Fryers

Making of Vintage Bohemia Hat © Jane Fryers

Making of Vintage Bohemia Hat © Jane Fryers

Making of Vintage Bohemia Hat © Jane Fryers

Tell us about the work you submitted to be featured in the Central Saint Martins Short Courses exhibition.

My passion is fish leather. I came across it many years ago and have been using it to make couture hats ever since. I travel the world teaching milliners how to work with this fabulous, versatile material.

The work I have submitted is a version of a hat I made to be included in a book of 100 craftspeople that is being published later this year. I used a combination of a relatively new thermoplastic along with the more traditional buckram to make the block (the form used to produce the hat). Keeping the shape simple allows the beauty of the fish leather to shine. The emerald green leather is Indonesian Tilapia fish, the purple flowers are sculpted from Chilean salmon and the silver green stalks and leaves are made from Icelandic cod.

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

For me it has to be the timeless Michaelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery in Florence. The crowd of spectators around you melt away as you look at his simplicity and strength.

What is the best bit of advice you have ever received?

My millinery tutor advised me to apply for a QEST scholarship that totally changed my life.

Fish Leather Beret
photographer @jonbusby66
model @jemimahnicolle
make up @sydneebeth

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Follow your heart, and always remember that you can learn something from everyone you meet.

Jane Fryers and the Queen © Jane Fryers

Fish with Fish Leather ⓒKatya de Grunwald

Fish Leather Swim Hats
photographer @jonbusby66
models@lifeandsoulof.tammy & Didi
make up @sydneebeth

If you want to keep track of Jane’s work, you can follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@janefryersmillinery) or visit her website.

Feeling inspired? There are still a few places left to book on Jane’s Millinery Workshop course starting soon. Act fast before it’s too late!

We interviewed Fashion Director Kristine Kilty to find out more about how she got started and ask for any advise she would give to aspiring creatives.

What is your full name and what short course do you teach?

Kristine Kilty.  I teach three courses for Central Saint Martins Short Courses: Fashion Styling for Beginners, Conceptual Fashion Styling and The Fashion Industry: Careers and Inspiration

How did you come to work in your field/discipline?

I studied Fibre Art, which is a combination of Fine Art and Textiles.  After this I moved to London to study a BA in Textile Design at Central Saint Martins, followed by numerous industry placements and an MA in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins.  During the MA, I realised I didn’t want to design anymore and I wasn’t sure how I could use the skills I had learnt along the way.  By chance I landed a job at Vivienne Westwood, where I was exposed to styling clients and celebrities for red carpet events, where I also got to meet a lot of other stylists, journalists and creatives.  I was encouraged by Gwen Stefani to follow the path to becoming a stylist.  After this, I just woke up one day, no portfolio, no contacts and decided I was going to become a Fashion Director that works internationally….and made it happen with hard work and determination.  And the rest is history!

Fashion Editorial for Prestige Hong Kong, photographed by Mike Ruiz and styled by Kristine Kilty (July 2018)

Tell us about your work.

I work as a Fashion Director/Stylist, predominately working with high end luxury brands.  I live in London but spend a lot of time in Paris, New York, LA and China.  I am lucky enough to have a really varied client base, so I get to work on everything from fashion editorials, advertising campaigns, music videos, TV, live music performances, exhibitions, celebrity portraits and creative collaborations.  I’m a stylist that works to a brief, so I can adapt my style to fit the client.  My personal taste gives a nod to my background in textile design, and I love to mix as much colour, texture and print as possible!

Fashion Editorial for Prestige Hong Kong, photographed by Mike Ruiz and styled by Kristine Kilty (July 2018)

Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you stay inspired?

The 1940’s, film, music videos from the 80’s and 90’s, people watching and art exhibitions.

To stay inspired I surround myself with people who have a different creative approach and who challenge me, such as my boyfriend Adam who’s brain is a film reference encyclopedia and he gives me great references to explore.  My best friend Portia who owns POP PR,  constantly introduces me to new designers and collections; and my long term creative collaborator Mike Ruiz who is one of the most talented photographers I have ever met.  And of course, the students I work with at CSM keep me inspired!

Fashion Editorial for Prestige Hong Kong, photographed by Mike Ruiz and styled by Kristine Kilty (July 2018)

What are you working on at the moment?

I am just about to return to Paris to spend a few days shooting Haute Couture. 

Tell us about the work you submitted, being featured in the Central Saint Martins Short Courses exhibition.

This is a lookbook shoot that I did in China for a client called Toyouth.  The brand is really well known in China and for this lookbook they wanted to change direction with the creative so it was great to do something a little different.  I worked with my long term collaborator, Mike Ruiz, who is an amazing photographer/director from New York.  Myself and Mike work a lot together, we constantly bounce ideas off each other and he pushes me to challenge myself creatively.  When we come up with ideas we are always on the same page and trust each other’s vision.  

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

Tough question… there is just so much brilliant work across all disciplines to mention. I recently spent the day at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and it is filled with modern art, everything from Kandinsky to Matisse. So many of the pieces that are in the permanent collection are globally recognised and presented all under one roof. It’s incredible! The Pompidou Centre currently has a great exhibition called UAM (Union of Modern Artists), which presents film, furniture, painting, sculpture, industrial design, textiles, interior design, cars and more! The centre in itself is a must-see.  

Lewis Hamilton for Prestige Hong Kong, photographed by Mike Ruiz and styled by Kristine Kilty (October 2016)

What is the best bit of advice you have ever received?

Never give up. Never complain that you are tired. And to remember the person booking you for the job may not be a creative, they might have a corporate position, so you need to come across business focused and organised no matter how conceptual your ideas may be. 

Lewis Hamilton for Prestige Hong Kong, photographed by Mike Ruiz and styled by Kristine Kilty (October 2016)

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Collaborate with as many other creative’s as possible, even if it’s in a completely different discipline. By challenging yourself and working in different ways, you will push your work further.

Lewis Hamilton for Prestige Hong Kong, photographed by Mike Ruiz and styled by Kristine Kilty (October 2016)

Feeling inspired? Get started straight away – There are a couple of spaces left on Kristine’s summer school courses! Fashion Styling for Beginners, Conceptual Fashion Styling, and The Fashion Industry: Careers and Inspiration. If you want to see more of what Kristine is getting up to, follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

Our Summer School runs from 25 June to 14 September 2018. View all upcoming Summer School courses now! Our full course schedule is available until June 2019, so there is sure to be something for everyone. To see what students are getting up to in the classroom now, have a look at #mycsm on Instagram. You can also follow us @csmshortcourses on Instagram and Twitter. Better yet, join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Short Course team.

The CSM Short Course Exhibition 2018 is open to the public until 5 September 2018. If you are in London come see us and check it out!
1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA

We interviewed professional Milliner and short course tutor Judy Bentinck about her work in the exhibition, where she finds inspiration and her advice for aspiring creatives.

Judy Bentinck – Hitomi 1. Photo © James Champion

What is your full name and what short course do you teach?

My name is Judy Bentinck, I teach the Millinery Workshop.

How did you come to work in your field/discipline?

I originally trained as a textile designer (printed textile design) at Liverpool College of Art. After college I worked in period costume design and making, both for theatre and film. It was working with pattern-cutting that made me interested in thinking and creating three-dimensionally. Later I trained in the craft of millinery with Rose Cory, who was the Queen Mother’s own milliner. With Rose I learned the secrets of traditional couture millinery, gaining an appreciation for true craftsmanship, well-balanced design and exquisite detailing.

Judy Bentinck – Hitomi. Photo © James Champion

Tell us about your work.

I specialise in bespoke hat commissions for events as diverse as royal garden parties, investitures, race days and weddings. I enjoy producing a wide variety of hat styles, including large brims, cocktail hats and delicate headpieces. My hats are both beautiful and accessible, and with over 18 years’ experience in creating special occasion headwear, I can provide expert advice to complement my client’s chosen outfit for the day.

Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you stay inspired?

My current collection is inspired by a recent visit to Japan, in particular textile motifs and repeat floral patterns seen on traditional and contemporary kimonos. Such a rich and exciting visual resource, I expect it will inspire many more collections to come! The visual exploration of gathering textile samples, sketching and collaging is at the core of the hat collection.

I do travel regularly and experiencing new cultures is always a great source of inspiration.

Alexandra Burke wears hat by Judy Bentinck

What are you working on at the moment?

This season I’ve completed several hat commissions for Royal Ascot. One of them was a bold black sequinned fabric and sinamay headpiece for singer/performer Alexandra Burke, who looked stunning as she presented the Trophy during Ladies’ Day for the Norfolk Stakes to jockey Joel Rosario and trainer Wesley Ward.

Tell us about the work you submitted, being featured in the Central Saint Martins Short Courses exhibition.

I chose two contrasting hats in order to showcase the range of classic millinery techniques which will be taught on the millinery workshop here at Central St Martins.

• An organza parisisal button cocktail hat with three dramatic upright curled Lady Amhurst  feathers and small pheasant feathers.
• An exuberant emerald green sinamay cocktail hat, decorated with sculptural Calla lilies and peacock feathers.

Judy Bentinck – Fuuna. Photo © James Champion

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

I think everyone should see J.M.W. Turner’s paintings up close – they can be seen in the collection of Tate Britain in London. The lighting and his vision, his use of colour and paint are incredible. By looking at his work, each individual will experience a distinctive mood and emotion.

What is the best bit of advice you have ever received?

My father told me that when creating a piece of design, if you think a line doesn’t look right, then you should trust that instinct. To this day I still adhere to this.

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Focus on your goals, be persistent and tenacious!

Judy Bentinck – Harumi. Photo © James Champion

Judy Bentinck – Michiyo. Photo © James Champion

Judy Bentinck – Sanae. Photo © James Champion

If you want to keep track of Judy’s work, you can follow her on Twitter (@judybentinck) or visit her website.

Feeling inspired? There are still a few places left to book on Judy’s Millinery Workshop course starting at the end of July. Act fast before it’s too late! View all upcoming short courses on our website.

Continuing with the Meet Our Tutors series we caught up with Associate Lecturer, Paul Sturrock, who teaches Design Thinking for Business Innovation. Upon this amazing course students explore the question, “Would you like to develop a business to generate income, doing what you to like to do, are good at and care about?”

Image from Design Thinking for Business Innovation Course © Paul Sturrock

What are you most passionate about?

Economic authenticity. I believe everyone can and should make a living by doing something that reflects who they are. Something that they would do even if they didn’t need the money.

Because it’s something they like to do, and are curious enough about it to get good at it.

How did you come to work in your field / discipline?

By trial and error, like most people. I did a liberal arts degree in literature, but when I graduated, I wasn’t interested in the obvious jobs for literature graduates (as if there are any).

So I decided to get an MBA to keep my options open and make myself more marketable.

Afterwards, I knew I didn’t want to work for a big company. I wanted to work with startups because I was really attracted by the idea of working with a small group of people to make something interesting, and I wanted to avoid corporate bureaucracy, suits, etc.

I was lucky to join ACS, a startup in Silicon Valley that was developing angioplasty, a revolutionary way of treating heart disease. It was a case of being lucky to be in the right place at the right time, which meant that there were lots of opportunities for promotion.

I worked for a few more medical startups, and then switched to digital startups during the dotcom era, including setting up operations for a pan-European accelerator in Stockholm.

Could you tell us about your work?

I started my own company to help people start and grow businesses, using what they do best as the raw materials. The trick to designing a successful business is to start from your unique strengths, then combine them to make a difference to a customer in a way that no one else can.

I work with people from all sorts of backgrounds, ranging from creatives and designers to scientists. Some of them want to build big growth businesses and make lots of money, others want to build “lifestyle” businesses which allow them to make a living practising their own craft.

I also work with organisations of all sizes and sectors: startups, corporate, social enterprises, and art organisations. What they all have in common is a desire to build something significantly different and original. Which means they need to figure out how to manage their way through uncertainty.

You’d think that you need to specialise, but I’ve found that the questions each of these have to answer as they design their business are fundamentally the same. It’s just the answers that vary.

These questions are the basis for the approach I use which I call “Simple Venture Design” as well as the curriculum for the FastForward London pre-accelerator programme which has helped lots of people to build successful businesses over the past four years.

Image from Design Thinking for Business Innovation Course © Paul Sturrock

What courses do you teach and who should attend them?

I teach Design Thinking for Business Innovation.

It’s not just about Design thinking though. It’s about “Simple Venture Design” which combines design thinking with other “agile” practices such as lean startup, old-fashioned street smarts and more traditional business analysis.

It starts from the premise that business design is a creative craft.

What I teach is a toolkit for coming up with business ideas that match your own strengths and interests, and then refining them until you come up with something that is ready to launch. It’s a process for managing uncertainty and risk which is very similar to the way an artist or a novelist takes a work from initial sketches or drafts through to publication.

The course will suit two types of people:

First, anyone who’s always wanted to design their own job, instead of asking someone else to give them one. If you’d like to make a living doing what you enjoy, we will give you lots of practice and tools on how to come up with an idea and make it viable without taking lots of risks and breaking the bank.

Second, it will suit anyone responsible for coming up with ideas that are different and original within an established business or social enterprise, and turning them into launched products or services at a much faster pace than is usually possible within large organisations.

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

I’m not good at questions like this because there’s so many. But both plays by Jez Butterworth, I’ve seen: “Jerusalem” and “The Ferryman” have been incredible.

Name a favourite book, film and song that you would recommend.

Sticking to stuff I’ve read or watched this year: I really enjoyed reading “A Gentleman in Moscow” even though I thought I wouldn’t. It’s a great and optimistic story of resilience and resourcefulness under difficult circumstances.

One of the best films I’ve seen recently is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Great drama, but really funny at the same time.

What/where is your favourite London discovery?

It’s not one place. It’s a great walking city, especially if you follow the river or the canals.

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Two things:

First, forget about following your passion, it’s a counterproductive cliché. Most people don’t really know what their passion is, and passion is often short-lived anyway. Follow your curiosity instead.

Second, just start. Use your curiosity, but don’t do it in a passive way. Instead, use it to explore something new every day, and build something, even if it is a tiny prototype or the sketch of an idea. If you do this you will eventually find something which grows and grows. And you will have lots of fun along the way.

To find out more about Paul, you can visit his website here, or follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Medium. Also check out his pre-accelerator programme for start ups here. You can also join Paul, this July, on his incredibly popular Design-thinking for Business Innovation short course. Feeling inspired? View all upcoming Summer School short courses or check out our full short course schedule!

In this week’s Meet Our Tutors, we caught up with Mark Aitken, who teaches on three of our courses – Ideas for Successful Scriptwriting, Ideas for Successful Photography, and Film and Fine Art.

Mark Aitken

What are you most passionate about?

I’m fascinated about developing ideas – where they come from and the alchemy that keeps them fresh. It took me a long time to appreciate that new ideas really orginate in an ether that we all have access to. I don’t subscribe to the idea of the ‘creative genius’. We all have potential to inspire and create. With a little support we can go a long way.

How did you come to work in film?

I began with photography and was drawn to telling stories with sequences. This led me to adding sound and before I knew it, I was making films. I’m still interested in the tensions and play between sound, words and images and the emotional affects they have on the viewer.

John – 2017, from ‘Sanctum Ephemeral’

Can you tell us more about your work?

My recent project ‘Sanctum Ephemeral’ engaged residents on a blighted housing estate to produce a series of intimate photo portraits inside people’s homes. The work is now installed permanently on exterior walls. The project also produced a free newspaper, a book and was featured in five group shows and local press and national press. The clear and powerful affirmation of people’s lives in these pictures is the result of a specific working dynamic between myself and subject. Although I don’t practice participatory art, my work is the result of collaborative processes whereby I respond to input from the subject.

My goal to is establish an emotional truth throughout production of the work. This truth serves as a catalyst for meaning derived by the audience. My practice has evolved along these lines for over ten years. Lens based art is mostly situated within a false non-fiction/fiction dichotomy and I see emotional truth as essential to artistic integrity.

Another thread running through my work is that of subverting stigma associated with marginal groups. This is rooted in my background as an immigrant twice over as well as the early influence of Diane Arbus. My practice has been largely based in documentary moving image, although I began with photography and fiction film. I increasingly want to blur boundaries between mediums and associated tropes in keeping with what I see as an ongoing digital destabilisation of recorded image and sound.

I started teaching and making films in 1990. Since then I’ve worked in fiction, advertising, documentary and lectured at Goldsmiths University on short drama production for 11 years.

My award winning work has been exhibited and broadcast nationally and internationally. ‘Sanctum Ephemeral’ won the National Open Art photo award and a place in ‘Portrait of Britain’ with a 20m national audience. My recent film ‘Dead when I got here’ won many awards and is currently being submitted as part of my PhD thesis at Goldsmiths University – ‘Emotional Truth in Documentary’.

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

‘Red on Maroon’ – by Mark Rothko. This was the first painting I saw in an art gallery and it blew me away. I had to sit down and stare at it. I didn’t know anything about it and didn’t know why it was so powerful. It just was and still is. It’s makes me feel a certain way and that’s enough.

Phylis – 2017, from ‘Sanctum Ephemeral’

Name a favourite book, film and song that you would recommend.

‘King Leopold’s Ghost’ by Adam Hochchild. A history book that reads like a thriller about the people who exposed the atrocities of Belgium’s King Leopold in the Congo.

‘Spirit of the Beehive’ by Victor Erice. A near perfect film that allows time to make your own meaning through a child’s eyes.

‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’ – Charlie Mingus.

What/where is your favourite London discovery?

I’m a swimmer so I’d say Tooting Bec Lido.

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Confidence is essential to keep working and working gives you confidence.

‘Sanctum Ephemeral’ Installation shot at Cressingham Gardens

To find out more about Mark you can visit his website here, follow him on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, or browse his manifesto and scriptwriting learning resource.

Join Mark this August on his Ideas for Successful Scriptwriting short course. Feeling inspired? View all upcoming Summer School short courses or our full short course schedule!

In this week’s Meet Our Tutors, we caught up with new tutor Riina Õun, who tutors upon the brand new Leather Glove Making Workshop course, which will be running this summer 🙂

“Riina Õun”, ©Raigo Tnisalu

What are you most passionate about?

The world. I love travelling and finding inspiration in the heritage of different cultures.

How did you come to work in your field or discipline?  

After completing my degree in Leather Art and Accessories Design I specialised in footwear, glove design and making; over time only the latter remained. I started working with top London fashion designers and it became apparent there was a demand for the maker of luxurious high-quality leather gloves.

When I started my brand Riina O, five years ago, I chose to concentrate on one product group – luxurious leather gloves. Recently I have noticed that the craft of hand making gloves is on the verge of extinction, which is why I have started teaching a glove making workshop, to carry on the traditional skills.

“Riina Õun”, ©Raigo Tnisalu

Can you tell us more about your work?

As a brand, Riina O, the central concept is joining the traditional hand-craftsmanship with modern technological advantages, such as laser cutting or water-jet cutting, etc. The outcome is pushing the boundaries of glove design while preserving the artistry.

Additionally, in recent years, I have been working on hand prosthetic projects, crossing over to the field of human robotics.

What course do you teach and who should attend it?

I teach the Leather Glove Making Workshop. This is an intensive 5-day masterclass teaching skills from the rich and symbolic history of gloves to pattern adjustment, and actual hands-on making of a pair of leather gloves – modified to fit you “like a glove”.

The workshop is perfect for the passionate glove-enthusiasts as well as people who just want to learn new skills. Ideally, new students would have some previous experience with hand stitching or leatherwork.

Madeleine gloves, ©Riina Õun

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

Perhaps not so much of a creative work, as a material. I am deeply captivated by lab-grown leather, now known by the name Zoa – the leather of the future!

Having specialised in leather as my main work material, there are not any comparable synthetic substitutes that could compete with it based on the qualities of the material. However, I am hoping a lab-grown leather will finally be able to offer a “humane” competition. I have not yet had the chance to work with this material, but I am awaiting this opportunity impatiently.

Name a favourite book, film or song that you would recommend.

The film I most recently watched was the Cuban version of the brilliantly hilarious Russian classic 12 Chairs, which was screened at the famous Sands Films movie night. If you can I suggest you watch all the 34 versions of the film created worldwide. I have seen 3 different variants so far.

What is your favourite London discovery?

The curiosity cabinets at the Welcome Collection, hosting the strangest items found around the world and some beautiful antique prosthetics.

To find out more about Riina you can visit her website at www.riinao.com, and be sure to check out her Facebook (@riina0), Instagram (@riina__o) and Twitter (@Riina__O) accounts. Feeling inspired? We are now taking bookings for Leather Glove Making Workshop which starts on 20th August 2018, for five days … see you there!

Let’s have a more in-depth look at our popular residential summer school for teenagers, Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds, taught by Rochelle Fry.

This year our residential summer school courses will be held in a new location in Ascot, only 1 hour outside of London, at The Licensed Victuallers’ School. All pastoral care is provided by Ardmore. Course fees are inclusive of all room, board, teaching, most materials and excursions.

Who should take Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds ?

If you are interested – passionate or just curious – about art and design, this 2-week intensive, residential course is for you!

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds student work ⓒCSM Short Courses

What can students expect on this course?

You will be in a group of 16 peers from around the world. Everyday is different, we will cover a new material, discipline or way of approaching work. While on the course you will be encouraged to build skills – drawing, painting and sculpting and also develop an understanding of a more experimental process and why that is so important for art and design education.

During the last days of the course, you will propose and work on a personal project. On the final day we install an exhibition together, which will be open to your friends and family to attend.

While on the course, you will meet international students and start to build a network of like-minded people!

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds student work ⓒCSM Short Courses

What will students finish the course with?

An understanding of the creative process and what is expected of you, in terms of a portfolio, so that you can start your studies in art and design in the UK. You will leave with tons of new work, in many different materials and documentation of the pieces that you cannot take with you. Everything that we do together, can be re-worked and the exercises can be repeated at home, which will continue to form the basis of building your portfolio for further studies even after the course has been completed.

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds student work ⓒCSM Short Courses

Course structure:

This is a practical studio course – you will be working with your hands, eyes and minds, and learning about different ways to use materials. Most of the course is comprised of individual work, but there are a couple of times which you will work together in collaboration with others on projects.

Throughout the course, the tutors will show images and talk to you about art and design, and encourage you to engage in discussion about the topics you will encounter. We will also engage in critical thinking, communication and learning how to assess and comment on fellow students’ work in group critiques. After a few times, it will become easy!

We have two visits to London museums and galleries, which will form the basis for visual research, developing your sketchbook and continued creative process.

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds student work ⓒCSM Short Courses

How would you summarise your course in three words?

Intense, fun and horizon expanding

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds student work ⓒCSM Short Courses

All residential summer school courses are held at LVS, in Ascot.

LVS Ascot ⓒLVS

The full residential summer school programme for 13 to 16 year olds is available now for booking. You can book your place now on the Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds and/or Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds, on the Central Saint Martins Short Course Website. We also offer a wide range of courses for teenagers throughout the year.

Read more about Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds tutor, Chris Kelly, on our blog.

Today we sat down with Chris Kelly, the lead tutor on our Fashion Design & Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds residential summer course, as well as an Associate Lecturer on the, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design | Curriculum Area: Fashion & Textiles.

ⓒ Chris Kelly

What are you most passionate about?

As a designer and maker, my passions almost always resonate with the handmade aspect of my work. Right now I am learning about the process of working with Porcelain. I am learning how to sculpt and mould make. I love to learn a new process.

How did you come to work in your field / discipline?

I have worked as a designer for 18 years and in that time I have worked across many creative fields but it all started with fashion. I studied fashion and worked in the industry for 10 years, in that time I learned how to be adaptable in my work. I wanted to learn every aspect of the industry so that I could launch my own fashion label.

Flower suit ⓒ Chris Kelly

I ran my own label, ‘Theatre de la Mode’, for 8 years; I loved running my own brand and creating a season range. My product was a unisex ready to wear collection that was championed by Japanese clientele. The seasonal presentation of my range was very important to my process and gained great attention in the press and in particular Dazed and Confused.

Each season I created a show that challenged the status quo. I made film, installation and sculpture which all gained great attention and opened a new world to me. This helped me take my career in a new direction, into set design and prop making.

Theatre de la Mode ⓒ Chris Kelly

Tell us about your work.

My work is a constantly evolving and I’m always embracing a new discipline. The thread that runs through all my work is the hand made process. My latest work is an animation that works with both 2D and 3D processes. I am illustrating a lot these days, but also learning the process of storyboarding and script writing. Because of my need to make, I am realising the characters in 3D and this is where the Porcelain comes in. I am creating each character using the Victorian method of doll making, but the aesthetic of the dolls embraces a stylised contemporary image.

Alongside my animation project I also run my own fashion brand, Christopher Kelly +. I specialise in handmade leather accessories, in particular a range of leather and wooden veneer hats. I am currently working on a new range of accessories for dogs.

ⓒ Chris Kelly

What courses do you teach and who should attend them?

I teach on the fashion foundation course at Central Saint Martins as well as across various short courses too. I have been teaching at CSM for the past 5 years and love teaching such inspiring and energetic young minds. The Fashion Design & Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds summer school program is one of the most fun courses to teach on because I really get to know the students. The summer program is completely immersive and allows the students to be their true, creative selves.

The right candidates for CSM are those that love to think out of the box, love to challenge themselves and embrace new ways of working. I have taught the summer program over the last 3 years and have seen some of the most dedicated, open minded students progress on to the CSM Foundation courses and the Undergraduate courses. The summer school is a chance to experiment, play and develop your instinctive way of creating.

Student Work, Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds, ⓒ Chris Kelly

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

I am a huge fan of the artist Nick Cave (not the musician). He is a performance artist and is most famous for his sound suits. I discovered his work via an amazing book, Doppelganger: Images of the Human Being, by Robert Klanten.

Nick Cave’s work encapsulates everything I love about fashion, art and dance. He brings all these worlds together in a unique and inspiring way.

Name a favourite book, film and song that you would recommend.

My favourite book; Leigh Bowery: The Life and Times of an Icon by Sue Tilley

My favourite Film; always a hard choice! My latest favourite is Gods Own Country by Francis Lee.

My favourite Song; almost impossible to pick, but the song I can always listen to and never get bored of is Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell.

ⓒ Chris Kelly

What/where is your favourite London discovery?

I am such a big fan of London, even after living here for 18 years. The great thing about this City is that you can keep discovering new things about it. My latest favourite is my new studio location. We are now the neighbours of ‘Gods Own Junkyard’ a fantastic neon paradise. As is often the case in London it is located in an industrial estate tucked between industrial units in Walthamstow.

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

My best advice is probably the hardest thing to achieve. It is a quote I heard many years ago and one I believe we all strive towards. ”Be yourself. Everyone else is taken”. Source unknown.

Keep up to date with Christopher’s work via his website and Instagram. We are now accepting bookings on both of our residential summer school programmes for students aged 13 to 16 years old: Fashion Design & Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds and Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds.

We had a chat with CSM Short Course tutor, Elise Valmorbida, to talk about her new book, The Madonna of the Mountains, and her amazing short courses at Central Saint Martins.

Elise Valmorbida

Can you tell us what your new book, The Madonna of The Mountains, is about…

I think of this novel as an Italian Mother Courage, but that’s a kind of shorthand. I can’t do better than the online description of the audio-book: “The Madonna of the Mountains is about what unites family and community and also what destroys them. It is about love and enmity, envy and generosity, two men, one God (and his mother) and the undying bond of a mother to her children. Set in the Veneto in Northern Italy and spanning nearly three decades following the First World War, The Madonna of the Mountains is a fierce, sharply observed and richly detailed account of a woman’s fight to keep her family alive and thriving—at whatever cost.”

The Madonna of the Mountains ⓒElise Valmorbida

What inspired your new book and is it a work of fact or fiction?

The Madonna of the Mountains is inspired by lots of different things. My Italian roots. An interest in migrants and migration. Years and years of random notes and notebooks. Two World Wars. Italian Neorealist cinema. Mother Courage, 1900, Le Quattro Volte. It is a work of historical fiction, so there are real historical events and figures (as much as my characters know about them, without our luxuries of education or hindsight). And there are other ‘facts’ in there too: bits of family anecdotes from long ago, painstaking research, countless trips to Italy, books, museums, archives, films, interviews, as well as my own personal observations and experiences. With all this research in my head, I felt free to imagine the characters and their stories.

Upon your courses you teach many techniques that enable writers to develop characters and the worlds they will inhabit. Are these techniques you often practise when working on your own writing?

Yes indeed! I believe that to be a confident teacher of an applied art or craft—creative writing, design, drama, whatever—you need to be a practitioner. I’ve been writing books, and teaching creative writing, for two decades. Beyond the basics, I know that I teach differently now because I write differently now. I learn from my own writing practice, and this experience helps me to help students—we solve creative and technical problems ‘from the inside’. My students often encounter the same challenges I do. How to resolve a plot issue. How to stage-manage a crowd of characters. How to write in a different voice. How to balance research and storytelling. How to edit. And there may be other challenges after a story is written and edited, like… what to do with it next?

You teach Creative Writing – Fact or Fiction – Beginners and Creative Writing – Fact or Fiction – Intensive. Why did you choose these specific titles for your courses?

They’re long titles, aren’t they! Well, first things first, you have to know what’s on offer, i.e. creative writing. (If you’re after etching or fashion design, there are other classes to try.) Then I had to let you know that this is about fiction or non-fiction, rather than poetry, journalism or copywriting. On the beginners course, you try your hand at many different ideas and techniques, while learning to share your work and handle feedback. It’s a term of eight classes with set assignments every week designed to explore the essentials, from first inspirations to developing a distinctive voice. The intensive course is a workshop only for people who’ve done a creative writing course before. I set bespoke assignments if you need them, to hone a particular skill or focus on a particular issue. You bring your work in progress: a novel, or short stories, a scrapbook of ideas, a script… Or it may be a persistent twinkle in your mind’s eye. It’s intensive—rather than ‘intermediate’ or ‘advanced’—because creative writing isn’t measurable in neat stages. It’s intensive because it requires discipline and focus, you know how to give and take constructive criticism, and you know you want to write.

Why did you choose to run a writing course within an established art, design and fashion college?

I studied Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins, so it’s my alma mater. I loved my years here—although “here” is now King’s Cross, whereas my student days were spent at Long Acre, Southampton Row and Charing Cross Road. We were much messier then! In the years after college, while working full-time as creative director, I wrote my first novel, mostly in traffic jams and on weekends. I quit corporate employment to launch Matilde Waltzing in Australia. When I returned to London, I was offered a full-time role as creative director at a great agency, but I was yearning for a more flexible working life and a little more time for writing. I set up my branding business, word-design, and proposed a creative writing course to Dani Salvadori who was running DALI (Developments at London Institute) at the time. “We’re better known for our visual side,” she said, “but let’s offer it and see what happens.” That was 20 years ago, and I’m still teaching at CSM!

What is the most effective “first step” for any aspiring writer?

Someone recently said to me: “There’s a story I want to write, but I don’t have the time.” An answer fell out of my mouth: “Your first creative act is to make the time.” It’s my pesky little teacher’s motto now.

Do you think finishing a project is important?

This is a subtle question. Many creatives amass fragments, scraps, junk, abandoned projects, half-finished things. This is the way it should be. It’s the nature of the creative process. I feel some satisfaction when I’ve polished a work to the best of my abilities, but it’s also liberating just to doodle. Finishing is important if it’s important for you to finish. And when is any creative work finished? You get some sense of completion if there is a physical object to perceive, such as a bound book, or an artwork on show, or a film that has gone all the way through post-production. But every creative project can be tinkered with endlessly. Any artefact is really a moment, a pause in the process of making. The object itself is a venturing forth. The reader, the critic, the viewer—each perceiver ‘finishes’ the work. And even then, you hope that the conversation is to be continued…

What is the most important tool for a writer?

It has to be your brain. Your dreaming, perceiving, remembering, noticing, analysing, feeling, connecting, randomising, organising, editing brain.

Which piece of work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should experience/hear/read/see and why?

What about the complete works of William Shakespeare? He is no-one, or everyone. And his work is everything—endlessly inventive, profound, timeless, diverse…

Can a non-creative become creative?

“I’m not creative,” some people say, “I don’t have an imagination.” I’ve heard this from new writers, experienced journalists and concrete thinkers in every field. They find it difficult to ‘make things up’. But we humans with our big brains are designed to premeditate, to change our plans, to anticipate outcomes, to imagine different possibilities. Imagination keeps us safe. It even keeps us alive. Until next week happens, next week is a work of imagination. The past is also a work of imagination. A healthy person who claims to have no imagination has probably just had it boxed in. Authorities—school, parents, work—can be adept at this. After years, the box might look like all that’s left. It might feel effortful to get your creative spirit out of the box, but it doesn’t mean that there’s nothing inside. In fact, imagination likes being exposed. The more you nurture it with light and water and air, the more it grows and flourishes. It’s never too late. BUT you need to be open to learning, to ‘failing’ and working at it.

What is the best bit of advice you have received?

Be like a traveller in a new place—learn to enjoy uncertainty and confusion.

What advice would you give to an aspiring creative?

Perseverance works.

Elise Valmorbida’s novel The Madonna of the Mountains is published in the UK by Faber & Faber on 29^th March 2018. Liberty London Fabrics designed the bespoke jacket and endpapers of this hardcover first edition, launching their new partnership with Faber. You can buy the book from Amazon, all good booksellers, or direct from the publishers. Signed first editions are available from Goldsboro Books.

We are accepting bookings on Elise’s upcoming short courses, Creative Writing – Fact or Fiction – Beginners and Creative Writing – Fact or Fiction – Intensive.  We also offer a full range of short courses in all subject areas that are starting soon! View all upcoming available courses on the short course website.