News from Lemos&Crane

Relaxed Talk and Draw at the National Gallery - Week 2

10 September

Lemos&Crane have been working with the National Gallery to pilot a relaxed version of their flagship adult outreach programme, Talk and Draw.

In a Talk and Draw session you explore a painting, or set of paintings, in two different ways. First you listen to a short talk on the artist and painting, and then make your own response to the artwork by making your own drawing, perhaps comprising an element of the artwork or some element from the talk.

In our second Relaxed* Talk and Draw we again found ourselves in the Clore Gallery and fortunately this time had the entire space to ourselves. We were able to take a private tour around the surrounding rooms, and had been asked by the two facilitators for the day, Sian and Karly, to try and find some colours in the paintings that we particularly liked. We then settled in front of van Huysum’s Flowers in a terracotta vase. We talked about this painting and continued on the theme of using the five senses to explore and interpret the work.

The group seemed even more vocal than the week before with people that were perhaps reticent to talk last week willing to contribute an idea this week. As we continued to examine the painting through our senses we began to focus again on colour. We were then given the choice by Karly to draw with pencil or chalk our favourite flower or aspect of the painting. This would then form the basis for the next activity. Once again everyone fully engaged with the painting, producing some brilliant pieces.

After the break Karly then talked us through monoprinting and how it can be used to replicate our drawing and bring them to life. This was an interesting idea as with monoprinting there no errors, only “happy mistakes” and everyone was keen to try it out.

These two Relaxed Talk&Draw sessions have only further demonstrated the large demand for further interaction with the arts, galleries and museums for adults with learning disabilities, and potential for partnerships between the arts and adult social care.

We hope that many more of these opportunites will be made available, both at the National Gallery and beyond!

*Relaxed sessions are adapted specifically for improving accessibility and comfort for people with sensory requirements, autistic spectrum disorders and other learning disabilities.

Find out more about this project.

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