Creative Sparks Studio

28/08/2026

🍂✨ The ’ber months are officially here, and we are hitting the ground running!

​We are so excited to welcome The Willow Watch to Creative Sparks Studio to lead our magical Dice Potion Workshop! 🧪🎲

​Whether you’re a tabletop gaming fanatic, a lover of all things alchemy, or just looking to kick off the cosy season with a unique creative session, this is your chance to craft a custom potion bottle with a D20 die hidden inside.

28/08/2026

Today wrapped up my final Summer Passport session, and it was such a joy watching a couple of lovely kids bring their creativity to life! They mastered traditional sumi-e ink techniques to paint striking branches, added pops of colour with vibrant rose ink cherry blossoms, and learned how to assemble beautiful handmade folding fans. Seeing their finished fans open up was the perfect grand finale to a wonderful summer of art and learning.

27/08/2026

🍁 Autumn Art Hour for adults and older teens: 6-Week Guided Drawing Block

Embrace the cosy season and build your drawing skills step-by-step! Designed specifically for adults and older teens, this 6-week block walks you through creating rich, autumnal-themed pieces, from realistic shading to warm, vibrant colours. Perfect for complete beginners - yes really, I promise you'll surprise yourselves!!

When: Fridays, starting 11th September | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Duration: 6 Weeks
Investment: £60 for the full 6-week block
Where: Creative Sparks Studio, Wickham

Seasonal Lineup
* Week 1 (Sep 11): Form & Shading - Harvest Apple
* Week 2 (Sep 18): Atmospheric Landscapes - Golden Autumn Forest
* Week 3 (Sep 25): High-Contrast - Shadow Cat
* Week 4 (Oct 2): Wings & Texture - Barn Owl in Flight
* Week 5 (Oct 9): Warm Glow & Flame - Cosy Candlelight
* Week 6 (Oct 16): Colour & Volume - Classic Pumpkin

Booking Details
Full 6-Week Block: £60 (guarantees your space for the full seasonal course).
Single Drop-Ins: Bookings open the day before the first class, strictly subject to availability.

🍁 Spaces are limited, book here - sparksstudio.co.uk/book-a-class

27/08/2026

Another great modern artist we've lost this year. Rest in peace to the Polka Dot Queen, Yayoi Kusama.

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who became famous later in life for her work in sculptures and installations, has died aged 97, her company has confirmed.

Read more: https://bbc.in/4zHF45Z

25/08/2026

Busy bee over here! 🐝 I’ve been hard at work setting up digital portfolio templates and step-by-step unit guides (can also be printed for physical portfolios) so our next group of young creatives can hit the ground running with their Gold Arts Award.

​We now have just 2 final spots remaining (out of 6) for our upcoming cohort! 🏆✨

​If your teenager (home ed or school leaver) is passionate about the arts and looking for an extra boost for their university or career applications, this is a fantastic opportunity.

​Why consider the Gold Arts Award for your young creative?
​UCAS Points: Earns 16 UCAS points (equivalent to an A-level standard qualification).
​Skill Building: Develops practical leadership, project management, and creative research skills.
​Full Support: Includes structured Google Sites templates, regular check-ins, and guided feedback to keep them on track without the stress.
No hidden fees: everything to achieve the qualification is included, moderation fees, events, includes a pack of art resources. Students can have access to the laptop for research and portfolio building but please note I only have the one.
​With a small group size of just 6, every student gets tailored guidance to bring their unique creative visions to life.

Tuesdays at The Makers' House, Fareham. 11.45-13.45.
£150 per 6 week block (6 blocks total).

​Send a message to claim one of the last two spaces before we get started! 📩👇
[email protected]

25/08/2026

The summer holidays have been tricky to balance everything but I'll be milling around the studio Thursday, (Friday for a class) and Saturday 10-1pm. I'll have a selection of art materials to have some creative freeplay and to have a sneak peek of all the changes happening 😍

24/08/2026

Okay… honesty post 🙈

With summer, juggling everything, and trying to actually *action* the 100 ideas constantly flying around my head… my newsletter has definitely been a bit… abandoned the last couple of months 😅

BUT... I’m finally catching up and we’re starting fresh in September ✨

And there are *so many* updates coming that I’ve actually had to split it into two 👀

📩 The current one (sign up found on my website) will now focus on adult classes + studio updates
🎨 The new one is just for parents of young artists - with class updates, opportunities, and all the good stuff you don’t want to miss: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1490187/196686802562581878/share

If you’ve been waiting for updates… they’re coming. And there’s a lot to share 💛

24/08/2026

🎨 Creative Home Education

Spaces remaining:
Tuesday (Fareham) – Gold Arts Award (2)
Wednesday – Creative Writing (2)
Friday – Creative Writing (7), Art (8)

🎨 Art (6-week block)
Surrealism & illusion inspired by Dalí & Varo.
Students create melting clock sculptures, anamorphic drawings, glowing toned-paper studies, gouache paintings, and experimental textures, building strong technical skills through imaginative projects.
Friday's - 11.15-12.45
£90 per 6 week block

✍️ Creative Writing (6 weeks)
Story Sparks – Finding Your Voice
From powerful openings (1984) to “what if” ideas, POV, tone, and crafting a full short story. Structured, engaging, and confidence-building.
Wednesdays - 11.15-12.15
Fridays - 10-11
£45 per 6 week block

🏆 Gold Arts Award (Level 3 – 16 UCAS points)
A 36-week portfolio-based qualification for serious young artists.
Includes full mentorship, materials pack, gallery visit (date tbc), and all fees.
Perfect for home ed students and those preparing for college or creative careers.
Tuesdays (The Makers' House, Fareham) - 11.45-1.45
£150 per 6 week block

👉 Limited spaces - booking now open
Starting week commencing 7th September

If you have any queries, I'm happy to help, just pop me a message to [email protected]

23/08/2026

When schedule conflicts get in the way of art class, we make it work! 🎨✨

​This lovely couple couldn't make our next group session, so we set up a dedicated private date since they are huge Ghibli and gouache fans, we spent the lunchtime period painting the iconic entrance from Spirited Away! 🏮🍃

​Look at how incredible their paintings turned out side-by-side. The vibrancy of the opaque gouache, the gorgeous texture on the red brickwork, and all that lush, overgrown greenery, they both absolutely smashed it.

23/08/2026

What a fantastic weekend hosting home education taster sessions! It was such a joy to meet four lovely families and explore visual art and storytelling. 🎨✍️

​1. "Show, Don't Tell" Creative Writing

We tackled the classic writing rule: showing emotions instead of just naming them! The kids built brilliant emotion-mapping keys, matching feelings like nervous, excited, or confident with physical reactions, and then used those sensory details to bring their story characters to life on the page.

​2. Side-by-Side Van Gogh Studies

In art, we took inspiration from Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, diving into expressive brushwork, bold movement, and vibrant colour. The best part? Two of the parents jumped right in alongside their children to create their own canvas masterpieces! Seeing parents and kids creating side-by-side made the workshop extra special.

​A huge thank you to all the wonderful families who joined!