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I discovered Radha Pandey on the Penland School of Craft web site here in the States. She makes handmade paper to order, in the traditional Islamic papermaking technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kntkIOKdFjI. I hope it is okay to post this video link! See radhapandey.com and the workshop she is offering at Penland: https://penlandorg.azurewebsites.net/workshop-details?workshopID=bc26acc9-4fb7-ef11-b8e9-000d3a5a5344

Paint gorgeous deep oceans, limpid lakes, rushing rivers and calm seas Starts 2 April | £199 | Online Book now Immerse yourself in the vivid colours, wondrous landscapes and beautiful water features in Persian Safavid and other Islamic miniature paintings. Explore Mughal and Chinese influences that synthesised along the Silk Road. Five courses will look at different elements - Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Ether. This third course, Water, will focus on lakes, rivers and seas in Islamic miniature paintings – beautiful washes, spiralling twists and water marbling. From gentle garden fountains to roaring waterfalls, from humble ponds to vast oceans, we will look at water in all its guises. We discover how to create beautiful underlying washes and the spiralling twists in water as well as have fun marbling paper to explore the beautiful wet pattern forms. We look at the historical marbled tradition as well as unique painted water in miniature painting and students will produce their own painted lakes, rivers, seas or oceans to use as paintings in their own right or as part of other miniatures. The watery element is also present in miniature paintings in the form of waterfalls set in a landscape, or as part of a beautiful garden fountain or water feature and students can also choose this option to make their painting. There is an opportunity to paint creatures of the water - fish as well as ships. We look at the Japanese book Ha Mon Shu, a pattern sourcebook of wave and ripple designs. Water is also suitable for pattern making so students are able to make their pieces into finished patterns or figurative miniatures depending on preference. We refer to the Chinese Mustard Seed Garden painting sourcebook like we do for the Rocks course to see how the element of Water is broadly similar in both traditions, sometimes based on a spiral, sometimes on a wave. This course is broadly Intermediate and involves a suminagashi marbling session - however it is equally suitable for beginners. Your experienced tutor will adapt and tailor her teaching to your abilities. No previous experience is necessary and all courses work equally well as standalone courses that can be taken individually. However, to get the most out of them and to gain a thorough grounding in miniature painting, it is recommended to take all 5 courses. Continuing students taking the cycle again may start a new painting or bring along works in progress to complete. The following courses will explore Fire (the Dragon, Phoenix and the Simurgh) and Ether: the Supernatural (Angels, Divs and Demons). Upcoming Sessions Dates: 2 April 2025 to 23 April 2025 Total of 4 sessions • Wednesday 2 April 6pm - 7pm London time • Wednesday 9 April 6pm - 7pm London time • Wednesday 16 April 6pm - 7pm London time • Wednesday 23 April 6pm - 7pm London time Book now

TALES OF THE MARVELLOUS AND NEWS OF THE STRANGE: Natural Marvels & Oddities ‘Aja’ib wa-Ghara'ib Starts 2 April | £249 |Online Book now TALES OF THE MARVELLOUS AND NEWS OF THE STRANGE CLASSES ‘Aja’ib wa-Ghara’ib Natural Marvels and Oddities: Natural magic and correspondences The Bull and the Lion. Sounds like a pub in the UK. The bull and the lion are the stars of the show in the Kalila wa Dimna and are the rulers of the animal kingdom. The fate of Bankala and Shanzaba is a sad one. Two friends fight over some gossip and one dies. Sounds like a pub in the UK (minus the death by duel). Borne from a desire to present a truly comprehensive picture of all miniature painting, and emerging from my latest ongoing research into the world of the 1001 Arabian Nights, these classes are like a cabinet of curiosities for miniature painting. The TALES classes comprise 3 strands: Characterless Characters, Objects and Ingenious Devices and our final strand - Natural Marvels and Wonders. If, like me, you find stories and marvels irresistible, join me in painting a collection of marvels and wonders. We have covered the Vegetal and the Mineral - it’s time to address the Animal. Humans have found wonder in the tiniest fleas and the wide open seas and the far flung stars (and now we’re going to Mars). These things are the stuff of stories, the razm o bazm (fight and feast) of the Shahnameh and the magic everyday fabric that is the stock in trade of the Nights. The many varied and countless aspects of the world that was Shahrazad’s master plan: show them all to Shahriyar and present a picture of all life to him so he sees the nuances and not only the extremes, and comes to completion through her stories. Upcoming Sessions Dates: 2 April 2025 to 23 April 2025 Total of 4 sessions • Wednesday 2 April 7pm - 8pm London time • Wednesday 9 April 7pm - 8pm London time • Wednesday 16 April 7pm - 8pm London time • Wednesday 23 April 7pm - 8pm London time Book now