FAQ
Paintings
Are your paintings for sale?
Yes. Unless marked SOLD, all paintings shown on the website are for sale. Contact me for details at fionagodfreyart@gmail.com.
How can I get to see your paintings for real?
Due to the Covid pandemic, my paintings are currently only able to be viewed online. Join my mailing list to hear about forthcoming exhibitions and opportunities to see my paintings ‘live’ .
How are your paintings framed?
Larger works are on deep panel or canvas and these are framed in white wooden painted frames, apx 1.5cm wide, with a 1cm gap between the canvas / panel and the frame. Smaller works on paper / card come in a white mount and are framed under glass in light wood (oak or birch) frames.
Teaching and courses
What’s your approach to teaching?
I believe we learn to paint through putting paint to canvas, again and again. Integrating a brave, exploratory painting practice into life is what enables us find out about paint and what it can do for us. However, this process can feel overwhelming and lead to confusion and despondency. So I take two approaches to supporting you to cut through this overwhelm.
Being supported to paint experimentally and playfully in structured and simple ways that build your understanding in a manageable progression and help reduce the fear of failure
Breaking down the principles that lie behind successful paintings (colour, tone (or value), composition, mark-making, surface texture, layers and depth) so you can explore these for yourself and integrate these into your work.
What are your qualifications?
I started my career as an art teacher and I went on to gain an MA (Distinction) in Art Education at UCE Birmingham, UK. I’ve run gallery education programmes, trained teachers in art, written about art, and been a consultant on teaching art and creativity. As a result I have a deep understanding of good pedagogy - ie effective approaches to teaching and learning. All this time I was painting and drawing and occasionally exhibiting and selling my work. My best qualification is my own experience of learning to paint in the way I want to paint, and in understanding what I needed to do to learn how to do this. My approach to teaching is based on what I know I needed and couldn’t quite find!
How can I get a feel for how you teach?
You can get a feel for how I teach by joining my free Adventures in Paint facebook group. If you sign up for my mailing list via this Facebook group you’ll receive a free PDF detailing my Ten Adventures in Paint. This will give you an insight into the simple exercises I devise for working with paint in a playful and adventurous way. My longer courses and workshops offer more depth teaching, input and discussion and feedback on your work.
I’m a complete beginner. Are your courses for me?
My Avdenturous Painters programme assumes you have some level of painting experience with acrylics, even if just a little. I describe my courses as suitable for ‘intermediate’, ‘emerging’, ‘lost’ or ‘lapsed’ painters!! If you’re a complete beginner I suggest you join my free Adventures in Paint Facebook group first.
What materials will I need to be using?
I work in acrylics and mixed media and my teaching will be based around these materials. That said, the approaches and the principles that you’ll learn will be applicable if you choose to take these into other materials. However, I won’t be teaching you for example how to work with oil paints, or cold wax techniques.
Do I have to be on Facebook to be part of Adventurous Painters?
It’s not essential but it adds hugely to the experience. All the tasks will be emailed out to you so you can if you wish just receive the tasks and follow these at your own pace. However, the Facebook group allows for your work to be shared and seen by others and where I offer my feedback and thoughts.
One to One
Coaching or psychotherapy? What’s the difference?
Coaching and psychotherapy are different.
Coaching is short-term and time-limited (usually 4-6 sessions). Because it’s short-term, we focus on something specific you want to achieve, such as creating a series of paintings that hit ‘your style’. Coaching is more focused on accountability and setting goals. As a coach I can also share the experiences and insights I’ve gained as an artist and a teacher where this feels useful.
I also psychotherapy for creatives and artists. Psychotherapy is usually longer-term (10 sessions minimum) and more open-ended. In psychotherapy, we can look at more general issues you may get stuck on such as fear of failure, not having ideas, or putting other people’s needs before yourself and your art. I can get to know you better and offer perspective on the patterns of thoughts and feelings you encounter in your creative practice.
Can I switch between coaching and psychotherapy?
Yes. A good way to start is with coaching. We’ll soon come to know if there are issues that you’d like to dive into more deeply. If you decide to continue longer-term, we can talk through the differences so you feel clear about the process.
What are your qualfications?
I’m a fully qualified, experienced and accredited psychotherapist, accredited with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP Register No. 131377). I trained from 2008-2014 at Spectrum Therapy in London, and have worked with clients since 2012. I’m fully insured and in regular supervision for my work.
I trained as a coach with the Cultural Leadership programme in 2007.
What can I expect from sessions?
Coaching and psychotherapy sessions last for 50 minutes and take place using Zoom. Both offer warm, wise, confidential conversation asking questions that provide insight and challenge. We can go as deep or not as you wish.
Coaching sessions will usually focus on asking questions to help you get clear about your goals and how you can work towards achieving these. We’ll set targets and look at your blocks and motivation.
Psychotherapy sessions generally focus on learning to listen to yourself and your feelings more closely, on understanding where you get stuck and how to undo unhelpful emotional patterns. This can bring clarity and freedom to your creative practice. Psychotherapy may involve me setting creative homework excercises.
How can I find out more about whether this is for me?
I offer a free 15-20 minute Zoom session. You can get a taste of how I work and ask any questions. Contact me at fionagodfreyart@gmail.com if you’d like to book this in. There’s no obligation to commit to more than one session at a time, so you can always try one session and decide from there whether you wish to continue.
How do I pay for one-to-one sessions?
Payment for sessions is in advance either using Paypal or bank transfer. We will liaise by email to arrange payment before the first session. When you book an initial session with me, I’ll send you my contract with further details.
I’m in a different time zone. Can I still work with you?
I offer sessions during UK office hours - 9.30 - 5.30 Tuesdays to Fridays. If you live outside of the UK, best to contact me and let’s see if we can work something out.
Any other questions?
Do contact me if you have any other questions. <Contact me button>
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