Claire Benn - working with intention

Claire Benn - Guided independent study - working with intention

A time for those who wish to work with intention,

British artist Claire Benn lives and works in a converted barn in Surrey. Inspired by remote and wild landscapes Claire's work is a visual translation of what she experiences through cloth, thread and pigments.

Her work is exhibited in galleries in both Europe and the USA , as well as here in the UK and Claire's work is featured in both commercial and private collections.

This workshop is not about learning new media or techniques. It’s for those who wish to work with intention, who wish to make or develop the work they want to make under Claire’s guidance.

Claire’s main focus will be to:

Understand individual goals in terms of what each student wishes to achieve. To help with this, each student will be asked to share their intention with Claire (in advance of the workshop) and with the rest of the group on the first day.

Provide advice and guidance on process to generate the results sought.
Engage in one-to-one and group discussions to help students respond to their work as it evolves.

Click here for full details of this course, materials requirements and pre-course preparation.

Another key focus will be that of building ability with composition:
Working with key design principles in terms of exploiting elements such as balance, contrast and relationship, and the use of..,

Colour, value, scale and imagery to drive visual interest.
The use of devices such as focal points, pathways and other ‘doorways into the picture world’.

Again, whilst this is a hands-on class, Claire’s goal is not to teach specific technique. Instead, students will be working to the beat of their own drum to generate the work they wish to create. The class will encourage the evaluation of work-in-progress and the discussion of ideas, concepts, design and composition on an on-going basis.

This workshop is suitable for intermediate to advanced students. You MUST be familiar and comfortable with working with your choice of media (thickened Procion dyes, soya milk & earth pigments, acrylics etc and using a range of techniques and processes.

NOT suitable for beginners.

Please select only one workshop!
Date: Monday 29th June - Friday 3rd July 2026 (5 days)
OR
Monday 28th September - 2nd October 2026 (5 days)

Times: Monday: arrive for a 9.30am start, close at 5.00pm.
Tuesday to Thursday: 9am to 5pm.
Friday: 9am to 4pm.

Cost: £560 - this does NOT includes a fee for media, fabric or printed workbook*

Deposit: a £280 deposit will secure your place

*please read course details and let Claire know

The cost of the workshop includes morning coffee and homemade biscuits, a light seasonal vegetarian lunch and a pot of tea with a delicious cake.

Please click here for full course details (downloadable pdf)

Booking implies that you agree with our terms and conditions for in real life workshops.
You can read them here: The Small Print