Description
Colour Beyond the Canvas
Inspired by the expressive world of Henri Matisse
Awaken your creativity through colour, rhythm and expressive composition.
One-Day Creative Workshop
Sunday: 29th November 2026
10.30 am – 4.00 pm
The Colour Factory, Gordon Road, Winchester SO23 7DD
£100
Join us for a one-day creative workshop exploring colour, movement, rhythm and composition, inspired by the playful and adventurous approach of Henri Matisse.
Life Model included. All art materials are provided.
Matisse saw colour as much more than something to paint with. He used it to create energy, movement and feeling.
In the later part of his life, when he was no longer able to paint in the way he had before, he began painting sheets of paper in vibrant colours and cutting directly into them with scissors. These cut-outs became a completely different way of drawing and composing.
This is where the inspiration for our day begins.
Working with a life model, we’ll start with a series of expressive drawing exercises, exploring movement, rhythm and flowing line. There won’t be a pressure to produce a finished drawing. Instead, we’ll use the figure as a starting point for looking, responding and experimenting.
We’ll then move into colour, creating our own painted papers with acrylics, inks and expressive mark-making. These papers will become our palette as we cut, arrange and rework shapes to create our own compositions, taking inspiration from Matisse but developing the ideas in our own way.
You might start with a drawing and end up somewhere completely different.
Drawing flows into colour. Colour becomes shape. Shape becomes collage.
The aim isn’t to produce a particular kind of picture. It’s about following the process and seeing where it takes you.
At the heart of my Awakening Creativity approach is a guided, inspirational way of freeing up your curiosity and playfulness through experimentation, helping you discover a more intuitive and authentic way of seeing, making and being.
Whether you’re new to collage or already have plenty of experience, the day is an opportunity to loosen up, play with colour and discover new possibilities in your own creative work.
During the Workshop You’ll Explore
- Expressive drawing from a life model
- Creating richly coloured painted papers
- Expressive colour mixing and intuitive mark-making
- Cutting directly into painted papers inspired by Matisse’s working process and arranging them into vibrant, expressive collage compositions
- Discovering rhythm, balance and harmony through collage
- Exploring colour as a language for expressing movement, emotion and joy
- Allowing ideas to evolve naturally from drawing to painted paper liberating new possibilities for you own creative work.
Suitable For
Suitable for all abilities, from complete beginners to experienced artists who would like to explore colour more freely, loosen up creatively and discover new ways of working.
What Participants Say
“I just wanted to say how supportive and freeing I found your workshop. You are a great teacher. I would highly recommend your workshops to anyone—beginner or established artist. You’ve inspired me to apply for a formal Art qualification—something I never thought I would do.”
Elaine W.
“Exceptional teacher. Lorna created a space that creatively freed me. A deeply enriching experience.”
“I really enjoyed the session and genuinely found it useful and valuable. I loved the drawing, the clay modelling and exploring approaches that were new to me—feeling the essence of something instead of literally just drawing what you see. I’d never done any clay modelling before. You motivated me!”
Kat Hebden
“Thank you so much for such an enjoyable and encouraging workshop. I thoroughly enjoyed being pushed in different ways and really felt like I was getting into my body and soul through movement.”
Linsey Cox
About Lorna Carmen McNeill
Lorna Carmen McNeill is a mixed media and light artist, teacher and creative process facilitator. She studied Fine Art at Camberwell School of Art, Goldsmiths and The Art Academy, and has taught across higher and further education, the NHS, charitable organisations, community settings and corporate environments.
Her work is rooted in the understanding that creativity is far more than artistic skill—it is a way of being, perceiving and engaging with the world. Through her Awakening Creativity approach, Lorna creates supportive and inspiring environments where participants develop artistic confidence, technical skills and a deeper connection with their own innate creativity. As confidence grows, participants discover their own unique way of seeing, responding and making, allowing an authentic visual language to emerge naturally.
