Learning to See (with Ruskin) online sessions 2025
What happens when we pause long enough to truly see the world around us?
This gentle, monthly workshop series, at 2pm (UK time) on the first Saturday of every month, from September 2025 to May 2026, invites you to slow down and look closely—at leaf and lichen, cloud and stone, light and shadow. Guided by the spirit of John Ruskin and his belief that learning to draw is above all a way of learning to see, Learning to See offers a welcoming space for anyone, regardless of skill level, to deepen their connection to the natural world through careful observation and creative practice.
Inspired loosely by Ruskin’s The Elements of Drawing, the series will blend drawing with a wide range of creative responses, which might include walking, watercolour and colour mixing, photography, mapping, and reading.
Sessions run on the first Saturday of each month, with artist, writer and Companion Kateri Ewing opening the series in September and October, setting the tone for an experience rooted in reverence, presence, and accessibility. We are delighted that artists Julian Perry, Robert Newall and Doris Rohr have all agreed to be guest session leaders in the series.
Together, we’ll explore how attentive seeing can rekindle our sense of wonder—and how wonder can lead us toward care.
Join us for 90 minutes of shared observation, practice, discussion, and community each month, and discover how small, mindful acts of attention can become a daily rhythm of creative noticing.
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ZOOM LINK FOR THE NEXT SESSION: You should be sent the Zoom link for each session in the week of each session, and it is also available via this page, here:
SESSION FOUR, ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 6TH 2025, AT 2pm (UK time):
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7070805610?omn=81170147738
INTRODUCTION TO THE SESSION FROM KATERI EWING
Ruskin taught that every line and shadow should come from observation, not habit. He admired artists like Dürer because every stroke they made was thoughtful and true. He didn’t want students to draw fast or showy pictures, but he wanted them to look closely at the real world, even the smallest part of it, until they could see its form and texture clearly. He said if you don’t have time to draw carefully, it’s better to wait until you can give your full attention. Drawing isn’t about getting a “result,” it’s about learning to see and recording what’s true.
Exercise: Drawing a Walnut Shell
Subject: A single half or whole walnut shell, placed in natural light, or the reference image provided here.
Observation: (5 min)
Hold the walnut shell in your hand. Notice its weight, its asymmetry, its folds and ridges. It’s like a tiny landscape — hills, valleys, and shadows.
Outline: (5–10 min)
Begin with the outer contour, drawn lightly. Let the line be quiet and deliberate, a boundary of observation.
Shading: (30 min)
Study how light moves across the shell. Notice where the shadows collect in crevices, where the highlights shimmer. Use slow, layered shading, tiny strokes or circular marks, to build the form. Work from light to dark.
Encourage folks to spend more time looking than drawing. The eye should guide the hand; the hand should never rush ahead.
Reflection: Pause and look at what you’ve drawn. What surprised you about this simple object? Did you notice how much character it has when you slowed down enough to see?
By drawing a walnut shell slowly, you’re practicing exactly what Ruskin meant: the art of seeing truth in the ordinary, seeing shading instead of line, and finding beauty there.
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SESSION RECORDINGS.
PLEASE NOTE: For anyone unable to join us live, or if you wish to repeat the session, a recording of each session will be placed on YouTube and you can find links to them here:
SESSION ONE (Sept 2025) RECORDING: https://youtu.be/iP7iPUFqVs8
SESSION TWO (October 2025) RECORDING: https://youtu.be/ITQ2DAMuIRY
SESSION THREE (November 2025) RECORDING: https://youtu.be/DOFtphS3AIE?si=LM0eadoFOdOiCxR1
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS
We suggest that attendees have the following materials to hand:
Sessions will usually run for 90 minutes.
READING THE TEXT OF THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING
If you would like to read The Elements of Drawing, it can be found online HERE, and you can find a facsimile of George Allen's edition of 1904 HERE.