If your looking to learn to paint in a relaxed and supportive environment, then get yourself to…read moreDens.

EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE When I did the Old…read moreMasters course at the EdinAtelier a few years ago the teaching was excellent. When I signed up for Painting the Human Figure taken by Juliette Aristides this year, naturally I was expecting a similar standard of teaching, only to be extremely dissapointed. Juliette ( who is a friend of the owners as confirmed by the director Ewan`s description of them as the "three amigos" on his facebook page), seemed to make things up as she went along with no thought going into the course structure. We started our main painting on day one, interupted by frequent quick studies, resulting in few people completing even the first stage of their main painting by the end of the course. Juliette`s instructions were often confusing resulting in me frequently being unsure as to what I was meant to be doing or what materials I should be using. Lea (one of the owners) would tell me not to use a medium which Juliette had previously told me to use! Many items required for the course were not on the list, whilst many items on the materials list weren`t used resulting in me wasting nearly £100! If you aren`t a demanding student on Juliette`s course then be prepared to be overlooked. Subsequent to her giving most tuition to a young male whilst giving little or no tuition to myelf, after two days I raised this matter with Juliette. Whilst admitting to, and apologising for having overlooked me, Juliette`s defence was that due to me being softly spoken I`d come across as not requiring tuition. This was followed by her instructing me to be more "aggressive" in the class ! (As a consequence of having challenged Juliette I was subsequently met with frosty glances from the owners). Although we had paid £475 for 5 days tuition on painting the figure, Juliette decided that instead of teaching us on Thursday afternoon, we should all go to an exhibition at the Gallery. Like myself, some students wondered why she didn`t take us to the exhibition between 4-7pm ( when the SNG is open late on a Thursday ) after teaching us in the afternoon? When myself and another student had the courage to ask if we could work in the studio instead of going to the exhibition (which we had both already seen), although we were obviously viewed as being awkward, they had no choice but to give us studio time with the model as per the course programme . Prior to the other student having asked, Juliette`s response to me had been "you`ll be the only one staying behind" making it clear I`d be the odd one out. When myself and the other remaining student were painting the model in the afternoon, Lea (one of the owners) started conversing with someone in a loud voice about "opticians and glasses " near to where we were working. Since this went on for at least 15 minutes making it impossible for us to concentrate, I had no option but to politely ask Lea if she could possibly speak in a lower voice. Instead of apologising for having disturbed us, Lea abruptly left the studio. Based on my personal experience, if you`re happy to pay money for an art course which lacks any progressive structure, during which you have to "aggressively" fight for any individual tuition, and are continually confused as to what you`re meant to be doing, then do a summer workshop at the E. A. with Juliette Aristides. If you`re dissatisfied with any aspect of the course, then speak out at your own peril. Whereas most professional institutions ask for feedback at the end of a course with a view to making future improvements, instead, Juliette and the owners spent time praising each other!

Have you ever wondered what an art gallery/installation/experience in The Capitol of Panem would be…read morelike? It's Jupiter Artland. If you know Hunger Games, you'll know exactly what I mean. If you're not familiar, think indulgent, a spectacle, disturbing, hedonistic, garish, innovative, creative, thought-provoking... you will feel polarizing things here, you will remember your visit here forever. According to their website, "Jupiter Artland is an award-winning contemporary sculpture garden... set over 120 azores of meadow, woodland and indoor gallery spaces, Jupiter Artland is home to over 30 permanent and unique site-specific sculptures... as well as a seasonal programme of carefully curated exhibitions..." Try to come on a beautiful day since this is an outdoor adventure! While it's mostly very accessible, there's a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes! We got the map and made it a point to visit and read about every site. I think Jupiter Artland became famous because of influencers showing off the vibrant Gateway pool (which you can actually occasionally swim in). I loved I Lay Here For You (about women in nature), Rivers (a collection of water from one hundred different rivers in the UK), Animitas (two hundred small Japanese bells that are constantly making different melodies; no two ever the same; it's supposed to be like how no two souls are the same); Rose Walk (the gothic and chinoiserie pavilions); I liked the Weeping Girls (statues in the woods) but my partner felt haunted, vice versa for In Memory (the cemetery with people's names erased); we were both left speechless, creeped out, and concerned after Upside Mimi! which we watched in its entirety. Woof. The Cells are also very iconic and apparently you can wild swim occasionally there too. The VERY LONG point? You SHOULD visit here. Art is supposed to make you feel stuff, and you will very much feel stuff here.

Jupiter Artland is out of this world COOL!!!! On our recent trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, this…read moreplace was one of the highlights of our visit. Definitely the BEST sculpture garden that we have ever visited anywhere in the world. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits. The exhibits are displayed all over the more than 100 acres property. You can get a lot of exercise walking while searching and exploring the place looking & admiring the exhibits. Personally, my favorite area was the Cells Of Life. Very beautiful landscape work of art!! You cannot miss it because once you enter the property.....there it is!! "Cells of Life consists of eight landforms and a connecting causeway which surround four lakes and a flat parterre." Unfortunately, we only had a couple of hours to spare. So we did not have the opportunity to explore everything that Jupiter Artland had to offer. Still, we did enjoy our time. If you are in the Edinburgh, Scotland area, I recommend dropping by.

I really enjoyed my recent class at Red Thread. The instructor was great, the cake was delicious,…read moreand we were all so pleased that we actually made nice cushion covers! I really feel confident about continuing on and am pleased with the skills I learned. Why not five stars? While I achieved the purpose of the class -to make a cushion- I did so on a £300 machine full of easy loading thread and set to a slow stitch. My machine doesn't have these luxurious extras and it's probably safe to say most of the class was in the same boat. So now I'm at home and I don't understand why my machine is doing funny things, or how to fix the problem. I completely understand why, especially for a beginner class, they can't have people bringing in their own machines and troubleshooting every individual. But, I think it would be great if they offered some kind of paid drop in where people would come to work on their own projects, with their own machines, and help would be available if necessary. Highly recommend Red Thread, though!

I've done 3 sewing classes with Lauren at Red Thread, and about to do my forth…read more The classes are always lots of fun (and you learn a lot too). Lauren is a great teacher and just lovely! I started as an absolute beginner and after 3 classes I'm feeling confident enough to start my own little project. She has great taste and my flat is looking fab now with the bunting and cushions we've made in class. The classes are small (up to 4 people) so there is lots of individual tuition in the class should you need it. Lauren creates a friendly atmosphere and it's the little touches (like tea in some vintage china and her yummy baking) that make it so fab.

This building used to be the infirmary that Infirmary Street was named after! Now it is a community…read morecentre and hosts adult education classes and the spaces like the hall can be rented out. I've gone here frequently for the university's tango society classes and the hall has worked well for that and I assume it's an affordable space. It has nice photos and signs on the walls celebrating 100 years of adult education. The building is very old and getting a wee bit sad around the edges, especially in the toilets, but it is ok.