Oct 27 2017

Art for Art’s Sake – But not money for God’s sake!

It’s been a while since my last workshops but everything is changing. In the not too distant future I will be conducting a series for those who love the ‘Fine Art’ aspect and desiring to embark on their own journeys of discovery. “Art for Art’s Sake” will explore the inspiration and developing a brief from a literary subject, designing a shoot, costumes, props, locations. lighting methodology using canonical methods including “Chiaroscuro”, advanced subject posing, composition for output, retouching methods and much more.

Creative Fine Art workshops with a Pre-Raphaelite theme

With only 4 places available on each Workshop, this is a truly unique and interactive experience not to be missed and will only be repeated on demand with no more than 4 to 6 workshops per year. It’s not rocket science to work out that with just 24 places available in a year this really is an exclusive opportunity. So, don’t dither and contact me now for to enquire about dates and places. So there’s no guessing, each place will be incredible value at £300 including lunch, refreshments, two fantastic models in full theatrical costumes and the option (at additional cost) of reminiscing over dinner in the evening. There really is nothing like this on offer anywhere!

The first practical workshop will take place in the Spring of 2018 with a small number of ‘Taster Evenings’ on offer in the Winter of 2017 through to the end of March 2018. Watch this space for early notification.

Oct 27 2017

Back online and back on track!

It’s been a while since I last posted. In fact far too long as I have been working on establishing a new, working photographic studio in the heart of Royal Leamington Spa. But I’ve also realised that there is still very much a demand for the kinds of photographic education I offer. However, instead of a focus on the business of photography I am turning my sights towards my passion – Fine Art using photography as an expressive medium. There are so many ‘trainers’ and ‘guru’s’ out there offering all sorts of solutions to the problems of marketing and business development so I am not going to play in that arena. Instead my aim is to inspire and stimulate creativity as ‘soul food’.

My new workshops will examine how to create images based on literary theme similar to this study based on the ballad “La Belle Dame sans Merci” – A popular Pre-Raphaelite theme

Very soon I’ll be announcing Workshops and other new style educational happenings for 2018 – so watch this space. In the meantime I’m going to get back to driving the new studio!

Jan 4 2017

New Workshops for 2017

Throughout 2017 I am offering a number of workshops in the UK based at my Leamington Spa Studio. Easily accessible from the M40 and Train links. Plenty of reasonable accommodation and parking nearby. Each workshop is for a maximum of 8 delegates ensuring quality of delivery and enough time for everyone to absorb themselves into the content.

1. Posing Workshops – 8 places – £250 per place

2. Environmental Portraiture – 8 places – £295 per place

3. Studio Portraiture – 8 places – £295 per place

4. Fine Art & Photography – 6 places – £395 per place

Each workshop will include refreshments, lunch, 2 models (1 model in costumes for the Fine Art Workshop), materials where appropriate (printed output on the Fine Art Workshop) and notes. I anticipate that the Fine Art Workshops will be very popular as they are very intensive so early registration of interest is essential. In the early Summer and Autumn the Fine Art Workshops will also be available in a slightly different format in Pembrokeshire.

For further information and to register your interest please contact me via direct message on Facebook through my various pages or by email at mgrahamedunn@me.com

Nov 1 2016

“I lavish in desire” – Art by Martin Grahame-Dunn & Poetry by Katypoetess

Formally, a study based on the ballad “La Belle Dame sans Merci” now retailed – “I lavish in desire”

Recently, I have began a journey of research to use the art and literature of the Pre-Raphaelite era as an inspiration to create pieces of fine art via the medium of photography, in that distinctive painters style. My first reference was to look at certain stanzas in the Keats ballad, written in 1819, “La Belle Dame sans Merci” that in itself is a reworking of the 15th century piece by that name by Alain Chartier. The stanza chosen was:

“I met a lady in the meads,

Full beautiful, a fairy’s child;

Her hair was long, her foot was light,

And her eyes were wild.”

John Keats 1819

So, my Lady and I revisited a location we love, fully laden with a costume (although not in the colours I would have chosen) and props including beautifully crafted armour, and a head garland of white roses, that I had sat and made up the previous evening. The day itself was the third anniversary of us being together and what better way to mark the occasion than by doing something together we both love. Art & Poetry. Waiting for the ’sweet light’ of the day I took sufficient images to create the first test piece for my new collection.

Later that evening having completed the art piece, my Lady, unbeknown to me wrote a beautiful piece of what she has dubbed, ‘Micropoetry’ and Tweeted it to the world. It’s actually a perfect fit for the image and together I believe we have achieved what every artist and his muse desires, a harmony of vision and execution….

“I lavish in desire

for decay around me

in face or flower

cliff rock or body

or the sun setting on

another dying day”

With great thanks to the lady and poetess in my life – Katypoetess. Please follow her on Twitter to enjoy more of her ‘Micropoetry’ @Katypoetess. Her first published poetry collection, “Of Lilith and Anthony” is available on Amazon.