Peaceful Patterns 3: full colour

5 Week E-Course with Lucy H. Pearce

Join me this autumn for Peaceful Patterns 3: full colour!

Over the course of five 90-minute classes you will learn to create simple repetitive patterns which are absorbing to draw and mesmeric to look at. This drawing technique is a proven way to soothe anxiety, and comes highly recommended for creative souls, neurodivergent minds and those looking for a meditative art practice to enjoy during the dark evenings.

I didn’t want the class to end! It’s so relaxing, thank you Lucy! I’m loving the course and using the patterns a lot to manage anxiety. Niamh, Ireland

Semester 3 – Peaceful Patterns: full colour

• Be inspired by contemporary artists and nature's bounty as we create together - corals, pebbles, leaves as well as abstract patterns.
• Discover different ways to use colour with our peaceful patterns: in the background, colouring in and even doodling in full colour.
• Learn how to add dimensionality – shade and highlights – to your finished pieces to make them pop.
• Discover how to create different moods and effects with simple colour choices.
• Learn how to use fineliners, markers and watercolours to add vivid colour to your peaceful patterns.
• Full of pro tips and techniques to create artworks you're proud of.

Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying Peaceful Patterns. It's just a pure joy. Thank you so much for creating this magical creative space for us to play in! It’s a true gift – heavenly. Edel, Ireland

About the Classes

Taught live on Zoom by Lucy H. Pearce. For students who have taken the original Peaceful Patterns courses (available as replay editions HERE) this is a natural progression. But the course is open to everyone from complete beginner to experienced artist, and clear guidance and methods will be given to ensure the classes are accessible whatever your level of experience.

Your course has awakened my confidence…I was too scared to even try before. Sue, UK

Dates

The course consists of five 90-minute live classes on Zoom. Tuesdays 7-8:30pm UK time (NB: clocks change October 26th) and recordings are sent out the next day (Lifetime Access only).

• Week 1: September 30 – Peaceful pebbles
• Week 2: October 14 – Corals
• Week 3: October 28 – Abstract flow
• Week 4: November 11 – Leaves and petals
• Week 5: November 11 – Watercolour magic

I really enjoyed the class today! Thank you, Lucy. I did it with my daughter (9) and my mother-in-law (73) and we all enjoyed it and found it really relaxing. Dara

• Each class starts with the inspiration behind the patterns and an overview of what you will be learning using Powerpoint – great if you’re a visual learner.
• Then you learn each pattern and its variations. You can ask questions and share your work.
• We finish each session with some peaceful side-by-side drawing time.
• There are 2 weeks between classes – as requested by students to give you time to practice the patterns – and catch up if you are busy.
• Each class has extension patterns and variations to inspire you...and stretch you if you want!
• Receive your materials list and introductory video to the Peaceful Patterns technique on sign up.

Drawing patterns tonight helped my brain slow down and make space for me to think clearly for the first time in a few days. Very grateful that it's come at the most perfect time. Ruth, UK

Course options

There is no guarantee that I will offer this course live again, so I recommend grabbing the opportunity to join me for this if it calls to you.

About your Teacher

You are a fabulous teacher. I could listen to you all day. S.J.S, US

Lucy H. Pearce is the award-winning author of many books on creativity, including Creatrix: she how makes and The Rainbow Way: Cultivating Creativity in the Midst of Motherhood, and the host of the Creative Magic podcast. She is also a visual artist whose art has appeared on many book covers, book illustrations, bookmarks, greetings cards and in exhibitions. A Cambridge University trained teacher, and neurodivergent woman, Lucy’s passion is facilitating creativity in safe, inclusive and kind spaces, and her live classes are a great way to really feel part of a creative community.

Peaceful Patterns

Peaceful Patterns are a creative form of meditation in pen, which repattern our neural connections as we create beautiful designs on paper. They are a simpler form of Zentangle, and some might simply refer to them as doodles. Lucy teaches them within a framework of natural forms and neurological theory. The sessions combine mindfulness with simple, repetitive drawing activities to calm and centre us. Drawing this way promotes a trancelike meditative state, boosted self-esteem, joy and empowerment. Whether you’re an experienced artist, meditator, or have no previous experience in either, this practice is for you, especially if you struggle with getting bored during traditional meditation, or often find yourself at a loss knowing what you want to create. Each class I share the seeds of a couple of these patterns, which, when initially seen, can seem overwhelming in their complexity. We will explore where and how these patterns appear in art and nature. Then, after a gentle grounding exercise, I take you step by step through the week’s technique, then we draw together. I provide differentiated content for different levels of artistic experience: from absolute beginners to professional creatives, you will learn (and discover) ways to expand your patterns further. In Peaceful Patterns we allow the image to emerge through the creative process, shape by shape, rather than needing to plan the image in advance, or wait for inspiration to strike. This gives you the opportunity to draw – any time, anywhere – even when you feel you don’t have any ideas. Whilst the focus is on the creative process, an attractive final product encourages us to repeat the process and boosts self-esteem, giving us the feeling of "I did that". Whatever your starting level, this course builds artistic skill, sharing technique, to improve your drawing, shading and pattern-making abilities, giving real transferable skills.

Getting out of my eternal headspace and into more of me, this art allows me the opportunity of accessing the Multiverse from the comfort of my own nest. A.S.

NeuroCalm

Similarly to meditation, art can help us tap into a deeper and more quiet part of ourselves. We enter into a state of flow and present-moment awareness. Washington Post, washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/08/25/why-making-art-is-the-new-meditation

I have come to call the experience created by Peaceful Patterns, NeuroCalm. As a neurodivergent woman, I struggle with managing vast waves of anxiety. Drawing is one of the best ways I have discovered to calm my anxiety, it focuses my mind, whilst allowing me to breathe more deeply, regulating my nervous system in an activity that can be done in most places and times. Hours can go by as I draw, at times where I am otherwise struggling to get through minutes. As a result, I am creating at times when I would otherwise be too anxious to focus on anything. Over the years I have enjoyed various drawing techniques including Zentangles, Neurographica, mandalas, intuitive doodling, and what I have learned from many women artists’ books. This course borrows from these practices and develops on them. I bookend my day with these Peaceful Patterns, doing them on calls, in waiting rooms, on planes and when too anxious or stuck to function. Done whilst listening to nourishing music or a podcast on my headphones, I get a real break from my thoughts, feelings of overwhelm. They are a fabulous antidote to scrolling through social media or games on the phone. I have immersed myself in black and white drawings the last couple of years, seeking out soothing forms based on natural structures. Over time I have discovered that these Peaceful Patterns have a second calming effect: looking back over them gives me both a sense of achievement, but also relaxing me, allowing me to breathe more deeply, as my eyes follow their twists and turns, in what autistic folk call “visual stimming”.

According to a study published in The Arts in Psychology, coloring, doodling, or free drawing results in significant activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and triggers the release of dopamine that helps you de-stress and boosts your mood, and feel more creative and better able to solve problems. Some clinical implications include: the recognition that art-making evokes reward pathways, that even short spans of artistic activity can improve self perceptions of creative abilities, and, art-making could be a way to regulate mood, addictive behaviors and evoke a sense of pleasure. Jeff Haden, inc.com/jeff-haden/if-youre-feeling-stuck-neuroscience-says-this-childlike-activity-can-boost-your-creativity-problem-solving-skills.html

Benefits of Peaceful Patterns

This form of creativity is deeply healing to the overwhelmed and are balm for you if you are burned out, stressed, anxious, depressed or frantic.

• They improve focus and mood, calm the bodymind, improve hand eye coordination and give the thinking mind a rest.
• Peaceful Patterns help us experience the beneficial psychological state of flow.
• They offer the opportunity to draw when you don’t have any ideas.

This process feels so deep and yet happens so quickly. Love it! Thank you, Lucy. C.L.

I look forward to creating together. Lucy