Art Witch Academy is a fairly new membership art website exploring the concept of ‘art as ritual and ritual as art’, which I like the sound of, so I asked the founding witches if I could have a preview of the Academy to review for Brush magazine. Brush is no longer in print, but the website still has lots of inspiration.

The  A.W.A. website provides tutorials, inspiration and information with projects on a variety of art topics, all art witch and magic related. The witches run the academy in semesters and they are full of original projects and ideas.

The Academy is the vision and work of three art witches, Vanessa (@dansmoncrane), Caroline (@freya.fennec) and Emily (@fern.and.oak.art).  Each has a unique take on their contribution to the Academy.  Their passion, knowledge and generosity is apparent in every part of AWA as you browse around the site looking at book recommendations via detailed seminars and tutorials.

The website is clear and easy to navigate and revisit to carry on with a class or to follow an interview.  

It starts with ‘Orientation’ where you can read about the founding witch sisters and consider your own witch goals while pondering the question “What does ‘witch’ mean to you?”.  I liked this introduction to the whole website as it did make me think about the concept and what it meant to me.  I have always been very interested in all things witchy although I don’t consider myself very witch-like.  Everything from crystals and tarot cards to my fascination with dragons and totem animals is of interest to me.  I worked for many years with a self professing witch and she was always one of my favorite people.  Having said that, no matter what your level of witchness (I think I made that word up), there will be something at Art Witch Academy of interest to you.

The ‘Seminars’ section has traditional tutorials with ideas and practical applications all with a solid helping of magic. I personally enjoyed the classes which have a specific goal but can be used for all kinds of other projects. Some of the tutorials will carry on across future semesters which I like the sound of, guided ongoing projects are always rewarding to me.

Watching my first tutorial by Caroline literally had me stopping part way through to grab a notebook, art journal and playing cards to add gesso and work on. I had specific ideas related to the class about exploring personal symbols which I had to write down there and then!

Another class taught by Caroline included some very innovative bookbinding which I was overjoyed with and as this is an ongoing project at the academy, I am looking forward to the next stage.  As you know, bookbinding is one of my very favorite things.

One of my favourite parts of Art Witch Academy is the ‘Laboratory’ which has practical and super interesting projects like how to make your own set of hand made water colours taught by Vanessa.  

All three witches make the projects interesting and accessible, with their own style and way of working and explaining.  

After watching and reading the tutorials and interviews from the first semester (they are now on semester three), I get the constant feeling of total inspiration.  Art Witch Academy is full of information and actions which are accessible and doable whether you are a fully fledged art witch or just like to see a black cat cross your path once in a while, or just wonder about a dragon as a pet like I do.

Whether you are working in a handmade grimoire or a journal from the store, Art Witch Academy will have some inspiration waiting for you.  The energy and ideas just bounce off the screen and you will be creating in no time.

Visit www.artwitchacademy.com for all the information.

Happy Friday x