We were delighted to welcome scenic artist and historian Wendy Waszut-Barrett to the theatre in late July 2024, to run a three day distemper scene painting course. The course was aimed at professional scenic artists interested in learning historic techniques and we were joined by participants from the Royal Opera House, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Academy of Fine Arts, Dresden, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, as well as several freelance artists. Each artist worked on their own paint frames with Day 1 including preparation and conversation around paint colour and process, and Days 2 and 3 spent creating seascape and drapery projects.
It was wonderful to have scenic artists working on stage, using techniques that would have been used by the theatre’s own scenic artists during the Victorian period. If you’re interested in a detailed explanation of the processes involved, do visit Wendy’s blog at drypigment.net
“As well as learning the practical aspects of using distemper paints, it’s given me a renewed sense of joy for the job I do and a new found appreciation of its traditions and history“
We are extremely grateful to Flints who provided materials for the course
Photo credits: TTOH and Mike Hume
