The Coach House Trust : Art

The Coach House Trust Art Department

Based in The Coach House building at Belmont Lane, the art and crafts workshop is one of the core activities at the CHT. Over twenty people – adults recovering from mental health problems, physical disabilities, learning difficulties and addiction – from a variety of backgrounds, experience and ability attend the Coach House Trust Art and Craft workshops. Prior experience in art is not required and people can attend at different times throughout the week. Many discover or indeed rediscover an awareness of the positive and empowering aspects of creating art and thus gain individual confidence in the very process.

The workshops are relatively informal and emphasis is on individual development. More people can choose their activity and work at their own pace. Practical support and worthwhile work is offered to help people productively reintegrate into community life. A large range and prolific quantity of art work is created under the careful tutelage of Rita Winters, Kenny Burns and Julia Smith who between them have vast professional experience, skill and expertise in producing their own art and encouraging others.

Arts and Crafts created at the CHT include:

• Drawing. Drawing is the basis of most art forms and everyone is encouraged to draw or sketch their ideas. Sometimes a drawing can stand as final work in itself. We use grifite, ink and charcoal.
• Painting. Painting can be a fun way of releasing artistic energy or a serious way of making a statement, it is a popular and well subscribed art form in CHT workshop. We usually use water soluble paints, watercolour and acrylic on paper.
• Silk painting. Silk painting is a technique which combines drawing dexterity and colour awareness. The image is first drawn, then transferred onto silk on a wooden quadrangle and painted with silk paint, ink and delineated with water resistant highlighter.
• Rag Rugging. Rag rugging is a useful method of recycling and reusing fabric and material. It has practical as well as decorative uses. Any fabric, cotton, wool etc, can be shredded into rag yarn for weaving into the bolting cloth.
• Poster and Banners. We make great customised banners or posters for our use and that of other organisations or campaigns. Using fabric paints and masked resists to create the images and wording.
• Print Making. Print making from simple mono prints to black and silk screen printing can be produced.
• Pottery and Ceramics. Pottery is a staple at the Coach House Trust and some people try their hands at “throwing pots” and manipulating clay into figurative and decorative pieces of art tiles. We make our very own tiles in rolled clay and a rich array of glazes all unique and beautifully crafted.
• Mosaics. Mosaics can go anywhere and we decorate tiles, mirrors and tables to great effect, brightening interiors and exterior spaces.
• Other mediums include: Felt making, glass painting, glass fusing and jewellery

The best of the work is passed for sale in the CHT Shop, or exhibited in appropriate venues throughout the year. Much of the art work produced in the workshops is of quality and highly desirable and many items of CHT art now enhance homes of appreciative customers.

Use of Recycled Materials

Where possible, we use recycled material. Paper, pens, pencils, brushes and clay can all be recycled and easily sourced. Inert water soluble materials are safe both for people and the environment. There is potential in using recycled material from other departments with the CHT and a whole new initiative could be developed to produce and materials from natural and recycled sources.