Expressive Watercolour Sketch Tour

Join artist Joseph Travis on a walking watercolour sketch tour around Blackpool.

Come on a tour of Blackpool Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) area, stopping at different buildings to explore and sketch your surroundings in watercolour paints.
Beginning at Aunty Social on Topping Street, we’ll set off on our walking tour around the HAZ area noticing the unique and interesting buildings. Joseph will guide you and help you to spot interesting architectural features to record them in your sketches.

You will be able to take away your own unique pieces of watercolour artwork, capturing the essence of the inspirational HAZ area.

What do I need?
-All painting supplies will be provided.
-An umbrella or waterproof in case of wet weather.
-Sun protection (sun cream, hat or parasol)
-Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes as we’ll be walking around the town centre.

Who can attend?
-This workshop is suitable for people of all skill levels.
-This workshop is best suited to those aged 16yrs+
We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets £2.50

Book Here

This activity is part of ‘Handmade High Street’, a series of creative workshops organised by Blackpool Heritage Action Zone (Blackpool HAZ).

Important physical access info: We’re in the process of having a lift installed. Work should be completed by late August 2023.
Please note that in the case of wet weather part of this session may be in the upstairs workshop space. It’s a single flight of 14 steps, then you go around the corner and there are two small steps. Once you’re upstairs, there’s a loo. You shouldn’t need to come downstairs for anything until the end of the event.

If you can’t manage the stairs but really want to attend, please let us know using the questions that appear when you book your ticket and we will try to move the activity downstairs. If you need to be on the ground floor, please book before Tuesday 1 August so that we have time to make these adjustments .

If you have additional access needs (e.g. large print, BSL interpreter, level access) please let us know by emailing (using the contact organiser button/link) or sending us an SMS text/WhatsApp message on 07957 602790.

About the artist
Joseph Travis is a Painter living in Coastal Lancashire, when he isn’t painting he can be found in the shed, or taking a brisk walk.
As a child, I liked exploring my surroundings to make sense of things, this was usually the beach, where I explored the nature and the geology of my local shingle beach. There was also my Grandparent’s garden where they kept chickens and the soil was clay-rich. I wanted to be an inventor, train driver, or a scientist. Being an artist was not on my cards until I dropped out of University whilst doing a Master’s Degree in Chemistry.
I grew up by the seaside on the Lancashire coastline and I still live here, it influences a lot of my artwork. When I was young I would see my grandmother’s paintings and watch them slowly develop week on week when we would go to her house for family dinner.
I like to be playful when I paint, I’m not just doing a drawing and then colouring it in. I’m trying to capture the power and the energy of a place. There is an energy that people create within architecture that they use, there are fingerprints of years of different people adding and altering and ever-changing signage.