Modern-Medieval Illumination

Create a medieval illumination inspired artwork, with modern touches!

This workshop is suitable for all experience levels. Participants will paint over a paper template using oak gall ink, ‘shell’ gold and an opaque watercolour called gouache, and in the spirit of medieval mischievousness, they will be encouraged to invent and draw their own drolleries in the margins.

In Il libro dell'arte (The Craftsman's Handbook) Cennino Cennini suggests burnishing your gold with the tooth of a lion, wolf or cat’s tooth (indeed any animal that feeds decently on flesh) but in this session you will have a have a chance to use a traditional agate stone burnishing tool.

At the end of the workshop, you will go home with an artwork you’ve created using medieval-inspired methods using modern materials. This artwork can be yours to treasure, or to gift on to another.

This workshop is suitable for ages 12 and up. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the session.

Kushana Bush is an artist living and working in Ōtepoti, New Zealand. Her residencies and awards include the University of Otago Frances Hodgkins Fellowship in 2011 and New Zealand Arts Foundation New Generation Award in 2013. Her major solo exhibition and publication The Burning Hours was toured by Dunedin Public Art Gallery throughout New Zealand from 2016–17. Her work has been included in exhibitions internationally including Australia, South America and the United Kingdom.

[Image courtesy of the artist]

1pm–4pm Sunday 1 February
DPAG Classroom
$10 – booking is essential, spaces are limited, click here: Workshop: Modern-Medieval Illumination - Guided by artist Kushana Bush - Dunedin - Eventfinda