Historic Painting Techniques of David Parr in Practice with Mary Kempski

Day & time

Saturday 4th November 10.30am - 3.30pm

Cost

£95 per person

Venue

Visitor Centre of David Parr House

Join expert painting conservator, Mary Kempski for Historic Painting Techniques of David Parr in Practice. In this workshop, you will learn about David Parr’s historic painting techniques and how he achieved his skilled decoration on the walls of his house at 186 Gwydir Street, Cambridge.

In this workshop, you will:

• Try out David’s techniques for yourself, mixing his typical oil paints, combining the type of pigments and oil we know he used, and using this paint to make your own reconstruction, under the supervision of Mary Kempski. No previous oil painting experience is necessary.
• Use a small area of his decoration from the frieze in the Dining Room from which a template will be provided for you.
• Paint a copy of this detailed decoration, as it would have looked when Parr first created it without any ageing or discolouration.
• Take your completed decorative piece home.
• Try out the ‘pouncing’ method David Parr used to convert his design on paper to his design on the wall, ready to paint.
• Have all materials provided with an opportunity to walk through the house after an introduction to the workshop.

Refreshments will be provided but please bring a packed lunch.

Numbers for the workshop are limited to eight.

About the artist:

Mary Kempski is a trained paintings conservator. Having completed a degree in fine art and history of art she undertook postgraduate training at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Cambridge University, in the conservation of easel paintings. For the most part, her career was spent as a member of staff at the Hamilton Kerr Institute. She became a senior conservator and assistant to the director and conserved paintings of all periods, which included the Westminster Retable, from Westminster Abbey, the oldest altarpiece painted in England, to Monet’s ‘Poplars’ in the Fitzwilliam Museum. Her main interest is in historic painting techniques and she taught courses to students making reconstructions of paintings from several different historic periods. Mary has contributed to many publications in the field and has appeared on Channel 4’s television programme ‘How to paint the Mona Lisa’ where she advised and gave practical demonstrations on Leonardo’s technique. She has given technical paint and conservation tours at the David Parr House and she also paints herself.

All money raised from our workshops goes towards maintaining David Parr House – thank you for supporting us.