Description

Sparkling Angel

Part Two of the Touched by an Angel Creative Workshop Series

Awaken your creativity through light, sparkle and joyful making.

Half-Day Mixed Media Workshop

Saturday 5th December
10.30 am – 2.00 pm
The Colour Factory, Gordon Road, Winchester SO23 7DD

£75

All materials are provided. You’re also invited to bring a few meaningful objects or decorative items to make your angel uniquely your own.

As we move into winter and the days become shorter, we naturally seek warmth, light and connection. This joyful half-day workshop offers an opportunity to pause, reconnect with your creativity and have fun creating a unique sparkling angel to treasure or give as a heartfelt gift.

Light has always held a special place in art and symbolism. It can suggest hope, joy, protection, transformation or and the warmth and excitement of something beautiful.  We’ll explore these ideas through colour, shimmering gold leaf, reflective surfaces, texture and found objects.

Inspired by artists such as Andrew Logan, the rich symbolism of icon traditions and contemporary assemblage, we’ll look at how everyday objects can be brought together to create something unexpected and meaningful.

Working with beads, buttons, mirrors, jewellery fragments, decorative papers, shimmering gold leaf and found objects, and you’ll create your own mixed media angel. It might represent hope, remembrance, protection, gratitude, joy, someone special or a special beloved pet in your life — or simply the pleasure of making something beautiful.

We’ll begin by looking at the materials and some different ways of creating light and sparkle and constructing and decorating your angel. From there, you’ll develop your own design, choosing the colours, textures, shapes and objects that appeal to you.

There isn’t one right way to make an angel.

You might be drawn to gold and sparkle. You might want something much quieter. You might discover that an old piece of jewellery or a tiny object you’ve brought from home becomes the most important part of your work.

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 completely new to mixed media or already have plenty of experience, this is a chance to experiment, play with materials and enjoy making something that is uniquely yours.

Whether you’re completely new to mixed media or an experienced artist looking for fresh inspiration, you’ll leave with a unique piece to treasure, fresh creative inspiration and a renewed sense of possibility.

What You’ll Explore

• Assemblage as a creative art form
• Working with colour, light and reflective surfaces
• Symbolism and storytelling through mixed media
• Gold leaf, mirrors and embellishment
• Texture, layering and simple relief techniques
• Combining found objects and decorative materials
• Developing your own unique angel

How We’ll Work

We’ll begin with examples of contemporary assemblage, symbolic art and artists who have worked with light, sparkle and found materials.

You’ll then have the opportunity to experiment with the wide range of materials provided before developing your own angel.

I’ll demonstrate different ways of layering, attaching and combining materials, and you’ll have individual guidance as your work develops.

There will be plenty of opportunity to share ideas, experiment and enjoy the process in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

You’ll Take Home

By the end of the workshop you’ll have created your own mixed media angel to display at home or give as a meaningful gift, together with new ideas for working with assemblage, found objects, colour and texture.

Suitable For

Suitable for complete beginners and experienced artists alike, anyone who enjoys colour, sparkle and mixed media, or anyone looking for a creative, uplifting winter workshop.

Materials Included

Everything you need to complete your angel is provided, including:

• Relief base
• Mixed media papers
• Acrylic and metallic paints
• Gold or silver imitation leaf
• Beads, sequins and buttons
• Glass gems and mirror pieces
• Decorative wire
• Charms
• Decorative fibres and ribbons
• Specialist adhesives and equipment
• Basic drawing materials

You’re Welcome to Bring

To make your angel even more personal, you’re welcome to bring two or three small objects that hold a memory or special meaning, such as:

• An old brooch or piece of broken jewellery
• Special buttons
• Lace or ribbon
• A tiny keepsake or charm
• A shell, pebble or small object collected on a walk
• Any small object that holds personal meaning

Objects don’t need to be valuable—often the simplest things carry the most meaningful stories.

What Participants Say

“I just wanted to say how supportive and freeing I found your workshop. I loved the techniques and your way of teaching—so powerful. You grounded our practice in spirituality and art history, which I found fascinating. You are a great teacher.”

Elaine W.

“Exceptional teacher. Lorna created a space that creatively freed me. A deeply enriching experience.”

“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

“I really enjoyed the session and genuinely found it useful and valuable. Exploring approaches that were new to me really motivated me.”

Kat Hebden

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.