“I am currently studying the UAL Level 2 Diploma in Art & Design at Art Academy East in Sprowston. I chose this course because I had always wanted to paint but had never been successful.

A day typically includes a short introduction by the tutor, going through the day’s lesson aims, explanation of what’s in front of us, laying out what we were required to bring and cracking on with art. At the beginning of the course, all sessions were guided and you got to take home a painting which is an amazing achievement for a non-painter. At the end of the day, you would come together and discuss what you had learned. 

During the year, the structure stayed the same, an introduction, setting up and then painting, but as the layers of our knowledge grew, this was applied to different mediums and eventually lead to self-practice.

I have truly enjoyed all aspects of the course, but there are always highlights along the way, one of which must be oil painting all prima. Colour mixing is another aspect I really enjoy. There is something mesmeric about it, taking different colours and putting them together to make another. I had fun with photography - framing an image to best enhance the picture, cropping and in some cases, setting up images and adding a light source. My drawing techniques improved greatly through the course as we covered shading, stippling, hatching, cross-hatching, circulism, 3D, lighting, and shading. It’s crazy to think these are only some of the things we covered and I could go on listing items - so much covered in a relatively short space of time.  

Just when I had realised that art was what I wanted to do every day, I came across an advert on Facebook for the course. The description excited and intrigued me. The comments from previous learners underneath convinced me that this encouraging, all inclusive environment was the one for me and I decided then and there to apply.

The tutors at CWA are confident in your abilities no matter the level, gently guiding, respectful at all times and critique is well thought out and balanced. 

This is a very exciting time for me, having spent the last year focusing on art. It has improved my confidence and the course has expanded my mind and my abilities, not only with the mediums with which I have been introduced, but also to the clay sculpting I previously did. Once this academic year is finished, I plunge headlong into preparing for my first solo show opening in September of this year. During this time, I will also be finishing off the space I have been creating to continue my work in - no more dining room table art for me - along with a gallery space to display my creations at home. I will be taking part in various smaller shows throughout the year and plan to take part in next year’s open studios selling myself more commercially.

I think the coming year will also enable me to go through the scrapbooks created during the course and to go over the techniques again and apply these in different ways to new works, while also absorbing and learning more from the techniques I have learned this year.  After all this is done, I think the next natural step would be to consider going back to college to take the L3 Diploma, learning more in-depth techniques.

The opportunity I have been afforded has been always at the forefront of my mind whilst attending this course and I have sincerely given it my all.  The opportunity to learn new skills with like-minded people in a relaxed, informative setting, has been even better than I could have imagined. An experience I shall never forget and skills I will apply not only to the paintings I now create, but to the sculptures I already make and to new and exciting projects I could never have dreamed of achieving before.   

Would I study again with CWA and AAE? YES, definitely!”