Introduction to Arabesque Thursdays, 5 October - 30 November, 18:30-21:00 with Amber Khokhar An introduction to the world of Arabesque design. Learn stylisation, composition and painting techniques. http://bit.ly/2iiUFWQ

"Matisse drew his collection from the far corners of the world: Buddhist statuary from Thailand, Bamana figures from Mali, furniture and textiles from North Africa. Rarely of material value, these objects were nonetheless precious. Offering points of departure to which he could return again and again, they appear in his work in different guises and across spans of decades, reinvented afresh in each new setting. Matisse’s objects formed his repertoire, but they also provided him with influences from beyond the limits of Western art. African sculpture and masks were a revelation, suggesting more expressive models for depicting the human figure and face. Later, Matisse adorned his Nice studio with props from the Islamic world to create the sensuous sets for his ‘odalisques’, in which a harmonious synergy emerges between figure and object. And as his oeuvre reached its joyous apex in his cut-out period, he looked to the concise precision of Chinese calligraphy and African textiles as he sought to invent his own simplified language of signs. This sumptuous exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the artist’s personal collection, as well as the paintings, sculptures and drawings it inspired. Seen together, they reveal how Matisse’s masterful vision of rich and masterful energy first stemmed from the collage of patterns and rhythms which he found in the world of objects." https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/matisse-in-the-studio

Introduction to Carpet Weaving 12 October - 7 December 2017, 18:30 - 21:00 with Shorsh Saleh Learn essential traditional Persian design principles and weaving techniques. Then complete your work at home and at your own pace. http://bit.ly/2j65Ii8

Colour Harmony: Creating a Harmonious Palette Saturdays, 7 October - 4 November, 10:00-16:30 with Lily Corbett Learn how to create harmonious palettes and to make your own reference book of colour. The course begins studying the ancient ‘coleurs austeries’ of the cave, and then colour palettes from ancient Egypt, Pompeii and the Renaissance. The colour teachings of visionary artist, Cecil Collins RA will be explored – his triadic and double triadic colour structures, his ideas about colour proportion and colour’s poetic relationships to times of night and day, nuance and atmosphere. Finally, learn how to make your own shell pan watercolours from earth pigments and paint a series of geometric flower paintings in different colour harmonies. http://bit.ly/2fYYaB3

In 1676 a Mughal map maker set out for Mecca and documented his journey for future pilgrims creating a unique historical record. Enjoy this wonderful example of Mughal miniature via @sacredfootsteps1 http://bit.ly/2vIW3Ul

Stained Glass: Techniques and Design Saturdays, 7 - 28 October 10:00-16:30 with Genista Dunham Learn each stage of the stained glass process: line cutting, painting with pigments, shading, highlighting, firing and leading. http://bit.ly/2mhxdGS

Matisse and Islamic Art, a lecture by Professor Michael Barry 16 October 2017, 19:00-20:30 at The Prince's School of Traditional Arts Matisse, with Picasso, transformed the vision of 20th-century world art. But while West African sculpture's transformative impact upon Picasso is so well known, less recognised has been the equally powerful metamorphosis of traditional Islamic arts - from Persian miniatures to Andalusian and Moroccan tiles - into the magic paintings of Matisse, after the French master was overwhelmed by first discovering these masterpieces in the Paris and Munich exhibitions of 1903, 1910 and 1912, then in southern Spain and Morocco during his three journeys there between 1911 and 1913. This illustrated talk explores these connections in depth, in precise context of an amazing aesthetic revolution in early 20th-century painting. Made possible by the generous support of the @BagriFoundation to expand our Asian arts offering. http://bit.ly/2w46aoq

The Art of Mosaic with David Feuerstein Saturdays, 7 - 28 October 10:00-16:30 Explore different styles, techniques and materials from Greek, Roman and early Islamic examples to create your own piece. http://bit.ly/2fZTBq8

Botanical Indian Miniature Painting 4 November - 2 December, 10:00-16:30 with Sam Buckley Enjoy combining Indian Miniature techniques with western traditions of botanical painting, preparing paints with traditional pigments and using traditional brushes on Indian papers. http://bit.ly/2il2DyW

Geometric Patterns of Morocco and Al-Andalus 9-13 October 2017, 10:30 -17:30 at Canada Water Culture Space with Daniel Docherty Construct a range of geometric patterns found in Moorish monuments from Fez and Marrakech to the Alhambra. http://bit.ly/2ij1Zlt

We've got that #FridayFeeling. The students' paintings in Flowers of the Dutch Golden Age are really coming together, and now they're talking with the tutor about how to continue painting using what they've learned this week. Hope your week is coming to an end on a similarly pleasant note. We'll see you after the Bank Holiday!

Miniature Painting: Neem Rang and Siyah Qalam Technique 16-20 October, 10:30-17:30 with Dr Veeda Ahmed A unique opportunity to learn and practice two special techniques. Achieve fine shading and subtle colour effects in miniature painting. http://bit.ly/2fZ4zwd