Master the Shadows: Gothic Still Life Workshop

About the workshop

After the success and demand of the first workshop in February, we are super excited to run this workshop again in April.

Surrounded by our collection of dark art, ancient medical equipment, and curiosities, you will join UK-based artist M. Darkside (Martin Woodhead) for a deep dive into the 17th-century Vanitas tradition – a traditional form of still-life painting that uses ordinary objects to reflect on the nature of life, death and the passage of time.

What will you create?

Under Martin’s guidance, you’ll create a vintage style painting by working with a sepia palette to give the work a sense of age and softness without losing depth.

What will be used?

Typical objects used in vanitas paintings may include skulls, wilted flowers, candles, hourglasses, books, mirrors, or worn everyday items—each chosen not for decoration, but for what it quietly implies. Storytelling, history, fragility and loss. The medium of oil creates quiet, deliberate paintings that sit somewhere between observation and atmosphere.

No Ego, No Pressure

This workshop is open to everyone, regardless of experience. If you have never painted before, never worked with oil paints, or feel unsure about where to begin, that is completely fine. There is no expectation to produce a finished or “successful” painting. Nothing is being judged, and nothing needs to be perfect. You will be guided through each stage at a comfortable pace, with time to pause, ask questions, or simply watch and absorb the process.

Enjoy the space

This is a space to work slowly, make considered decisions, and become comfortable with letting a painting remain unresolved. More importantly, it is a space to enjoy painting for what it is—exploring materials, experimenting, making mistakes, and working without pressure or expectation.