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Bodies From the Carton:: Experimental Tetrapak Intaglio from the Life Model

  • Yardley Arts, The Old School Hall The Square, Yardley Hastings Northampton, England, NN7 1EU United Kingdom (map)

FIGURE AND PRINT- the August Experiments

Bodies from the Carton is the first one‑day workshop. It brings together life drawing and experimental Tetrapak intaglio, using recycled materials to push your mark‑making into new territory. It’s designed for both complete beginners and experienced artists who want to disrupt their routine and expand their approach through the demands of a completely different technique. Images courtesy of Gaynor Dudley.

We begin at 10:00 with a 30‑minute introduction to Tetrapak intaglio with examples by Gaynor Dudley. How a humble juice carton can be scratched, cut, peeled, torn and layered to produce everything from fine, sensitive lines to deep, velvety blacks. You’ll also see how found textures and thin objects can be incorporated into your plate to shift the composition in unexpected ways.

Then we move into a two‑hour life drawing session, working directly from model Faye. You’ll draw and make marks straight onto your Tetrapak plates, responding quickly to the figure and building a vocabulary of lines, tones and textures- which will be printed and tested in the morning. After lunch, develop these plates further and/or experiment with alternative compositions or new pieces. Prints will be maximum paper size A4 or smaller, giving you space to try multiple variations without pressure.

Everything you need is supplied, but please wear mucky clothes or overalls. You’re welcome to bring:

  • Drawings you’d like to translate into prints preferably A4 or under 

  • Images or references

  • Thin textured objects (leaves, lace, packaging, embossed papers, etc.). A variety of these would be particularly helpful

This workshop is about loosening your grip on the familiar — letting the process lead, embracing the oddities of recycled materials, and discovering what happens when life drawing meets a completely different way of thinking. It’s lively, exploratory, and just the right amount of ironic: bodies, from cartons.

Please note the session is at Yardley Arts in Yardley Hastings. It has full accessibility from the back door and this will have extra support available to be inclusive. Please don't hesitate to contact Sara if you have any questions about this. Copious amounts of tea and coffee available throughout the day.

DATE AND TIME

1 August 2026

10am – 4pm

Cost

£75 or £55 for Reduced Price Day Workshop (with credit note)

Booking

Please book directly via tutor Sara Myers

about the tutor

Sara Myers is a freelance sculptor based in Milton Keynes, with a studio in Northampton. She is a practising sculptor with regular shows and some public sculpture commissions. She has a degree and masters in fine art and is a member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors and Society of Women Artists.

For more information about Sara and her art practice and other workshops view her website www.saramyers.co.uk

Sara can be contacted by text on 07849 333 652 or email studio@saramyers.co.uk