Field Drawing:
Travel, Observation and Drawing

This workshop, led by Stuart Rayner, explores drawing as a tool for close observation, research, and discovery. Through walking, drawing, and recording details in the landscape, participants will develop ways of looking at nature, creating connections that photography can miss. 

Using the landscape around Thanet Parkway Railway Station as a focal point, the workshop will use drawing to investigate local plants, landscapes, and the relationship between natural and human-made environments. Applying Stuart's techniques, participants will be encouraged to respond to their surroundings through direct observation, considering how nature can influence mark-making. 

Drawing on Stuart’s own practice, the workshop will also consider the role of public transport in accessing green spaces and new locations. By working within the practical limitations of travel, the workshop will share ideas around drawing in public and how creativity can emerge when exploring new environments. 

Each participant will receive an artist-designed sketchbook and a selection of materials. Suitable for all levels of drawing experience, this workshop offers an opportunity to slow down, look closely, and develop a deeper connection with place through drawing.

Thank you to Southeastern for their continued support.

About Stuart Rayner

Stuart Rayner (b.1997) is a Margate-based artist working across painting, illustration, and ceramics. His studio practice draws on symbolism rooted in folklore and pastoral landscapes. Themes of queerness and otherness are woven into these landscapes, where myth and whimsy open up alternative ways of understanding identity and belonging. Nature is treated as an emotional and spiritual force—connective, restorative, and deserving of care. Embracing folkloric imagery and the language of landscape, Rayner’s work becomes a quiet act of rebellion, prioritising emotional truth over visual authenticity.

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Thanet Biodiversity Report