National Gallery Walk Through Experience

At Lascelles Fine Arts we are passionate about bringing culture into the lives of our students. We believe that art and culture improves the world at large, and the wellbeing of our students in particular. Practicing an artform changes the way we live our lives and our perspective on the world around us. As the mechanical practice of drawing or painting is mentally challenging, it is beneficial for brain health in the same way physical exercise benefits the physical condition. Practicing sketching helps us become more aware of our environment and sharpens our observational skills. When our daily routine may involve an endless series of stressful obligations arising from being an adult in a demanding modern world, practicing an artform provides us with a meditative experience that may best be described as "Zen". Art creation teaches us to be in the moment, to let go of what we cannot control and focus on what we can practically do in the moment we are in. The page and canvas are analogous to an alternate universe that we create and control; here we are free to express whatever we please. The work we create may never be seen by another human being, and thus it has the potential to be a safe exterior space in which to express whatever we have the need to express, without the fear of judgement from our peers. Many of our students have small experience with art creation, or none at all. It is our belief that anyone can learn to make art, at any age, even when starting from scratch. Our classes give our students the fundamentals that they need to either proceed with additional instruction, or to confidently practice on their own at the their own speed. The classes are designed to encourage our students to believe in their own ability to learn and create.​GORDON CARTERContemporary Artist | Cultural Diplomat​Gordon Carter is a British-American artist whose practice serves as a critical bridge between Western conceptualism and the evolving contemporary schools of Eastern Europe.​Best known for his inclusion in the National Collection for Contemporary Art (Bulgaria) and the Collection of the Presidency of Romania, Carter’s work is a fixture in state and institutional archives. He holds the rare distinction of being awarded Bulgarian citizenship for his profound contributions to the nation’s cultural landscape. ​Based in Sutherland Square, London, Carter continues to explore the intersections of social psychology and physical medium through his international teaching practice and long-running digital project, The Process. He operates as a dual-national creative, maintaining deep ties to the Bulgarian arts community while anchored in the historic architectural tradition of South London.