Our story goes back to the founder and one of the workshop’s leaders, Anastasia Belous, taking a small group of her friend’s children to the National Gallery in London to look at some paintings together. Then the “Paint like a Famous Artist” workshops for adults and children continued in her small studio in Battersea Park in London that she shared with a great furniture restorer William Kirk. The railway arch studio was too cold in winter, so these workshops continued to take place in London pubs where we were inviting live models for the Paint like Modigliani class and bringing some gold leaf along to Paint Like Klimt. Meanwhile, kids were learning about the Renaissance artists and mixing their own tempera paint by brEaking the eggs at exhibition spaces where Anastasia - an artist - was exhibiting her own work.
Art Enthusiasts London was created in 2017 and the next few years were a happy time we gathered in the studio to sculpt politicians in the manner of the 19th century caricaturist Honore Daumier. We would ask a friend with a convertible to drive twenty wooden easels to Battersea Park for a little impressionist painting practice thinking no-one would notice. THE time when our young enthusiasts were lying around on the floor Sainsbury’ wing of the national gallery and drawing Madonnas who had a little more red paint as they just learned that historically the red paint was made from crushed bugs. A time of receiving much support fROm the family and friends and meeting new like-minded people many of whom have
become friends.
Then Andrew Spira joined. Andrew was a curator of The Victoria & Albert Museum in London and a head of the programme at Christie’s Education for 16 years when Anastasia studied there. Andrew started taking groups on curated museum visits and continues to LEAD incredibly informative and interesting art history
talks now.
Things have changed with Covid19 and Art Enthusiasts London went online. It was a subtle shift with us having no idea of how to explain the painting processes in a live zoom session. So we put up few free sessions first and set more than a humble budget towards facebook ads. Something worked. Soon, we had more and more people joining our now art history webinars. In the last year we have grown into a larger team with three new workshop leaders joining the team and few members responsible for the support and smooth running of the company. In the last year we held over 500 online classes covering different artists, periods and techniques. We had people join aged between 4 and 84 totalling more than 82,000 participants from 98 countries - which is the half of the world!
We never could HAVE THOUGHT that this could be possible when we were starting in the little studio in Battersea Park. Our passion making art accessible and inviting for more people , young and small, only grew stronger. And we aim to continue to create an interesting and versatile art programme for you to learn from and enjoy. In art - unlike in life - there are no mistakes. If something isn’t looking perfect, you can always paint over it.
Thank you for reading our story, you are an important part of it now!
Art Enthusiasts London was created in 2017 and the next few years were a happy time we gathered in the studio to sculpt politicians in the manner of the 19th century caricaturist Honore Daumier. We would ask a friend with a convertible to drive twenty wooden easels to Battersea Park for a little impressionist painting practice thinking no-one would notice. THE time when our young enthusiasts were lying around on the floor Sainsbury’ wing of the national gallery and drawing Madonnas who had a little more red paint as they just learned that historically the red paint was made from crushed bugs. A time of receiving much support fROm the family and friends and meeting new like-minded people many of whom have
become friends.
Then Andrew Spira joined. Andrew was a curator of The Victoria & Albert Museum in London and a head of the programme at Christie’s Education for 16 years when Anastasia studied there. Andrew started taking groups on curated museum visits and continues to LEAD incredibly informative and interesting art history
talks now.
Things have changed with Covid19 and Art Enthusiasts London went online. It was a subtle shift with us having no idea of how to explain the painting processes in a live zoom session. So we put up few free sessions first and set more than a humble budget towards facebook ads. Something worked. Soon, we had more and more people joining our now art history webinars. In the last year we have grown into a larger team with three new workshop leaders joining the team and few members responsible for the support and smooth running of the company. In the last year we held over 500 online classes covering different artists, periods and techniques. We had people join aged between 4 and 84 totalling more than 82,000 participants from 98 countries - which is the half of the world!
We never could HAVE THOUGHT that this could be possible when we were starting in the little studio in Battersea Park. Our passion making art accessible and inviting for more people , young and small, only grew stronger. And we aim to continue to create an interesting and versatile art programme for you to learn from and enjoy. In art - unlike in life - there are no mistakes. If something isn’t looking perfect, you can always paint over it.
Thank you for reading our story, you are an important part of it now!
MEET
An exciting and knowledgeable lecturer; leads art talks for adults.
Andrew studied at the Courtauld Institute and Kings College, London.
For several years, he worked as a curator at the V&A. Subsequently, he was Programme Director at Christie’s Education for 14 years. For over twenty years, he has been taking groups on visits to cultural sites all over Europe, Russia
and Armenia. His book The Avant-Garde Icon, on the relationship between Russian icons and Russian Avant-Garde art, was published in 2008. Two books on the relationship between art and personal identity, from the Middle Ages
to the present day, we published in July this year.
In November Andrew will be taking part in the new course for adults - The Fatal Dream: Art and Culture in Freud's Vienna.
Andrew studied at the Courtauld Institute and Kings College, London.
For several years, he worked as a curator at the V&A. Subsequently, he was Programme Director at Christie’s Education for 14 years. For over twenty years, he has been taking groups on visits to cultural sites all over Europe, Russia
and Armenia. His book The Avant-Garde Icon, on the relationship between Russian icons and Russian Avant-Garde art, was published in 2008. Two books on the relationship between art and personal identity, from the Middle Ages
to the present day, we published in July this year.
In November Andrew will be taking part in the new course for adults - The Fatal Dream: Art and Culture in Freud's Vienna.
ANDREW SPIRA
DASHA SHIPUHINA
Dasha Shipuhina is a passionate art lover with experience of leading hands-on art history courses, as well as a professional architect with over 10 years of experience.
Now living in London, Dasha’s education was split between London and Moscow. She holds degrees in Architecture and Urban Design, which she obtained in Moscow Architectural University and the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.
Dasha’s interest in 20th-century art led her to develop a sequence of workshops which enable participants to create their own masterpiece, inspired by the works of renowned artists. Thanks to her passion for the subject and a deep understanding of the techniques required to create these works, Dasha has had great success in running workshops for a wide audience, from children as young as 6 to adult classes for time-pressured professionals.
Now living in London, Dasha’s education was split between London and Moscow. She holds degrees in Architecture and Urban Design, which she obtained in Moscow Architectural University and the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.
Dasha’s interest in 20th-century art led her to develop a sequence of workshops which enable participants to create their own masterpiece, inspired by the works of renowned artists. Thanks to her passion for the subject and a deep understanding of the techniques required to create these works, Dasha has had great success in running workshops for a wide audience, from children as young as 6 to adult classes for time-pressured professionals.
NATALY OSCHIPOK
ANASTASIA BELOUS
OUR
TEAM
Andrew studied at the Courtauld Institute and Kings College, London. For several years, he worked as a curator at the V&A. Subsequently, he was Programme Director at Christie’s Education for 14 years. For over twenty years, he has been taking groups on visits to cultural sites all over Europe, Russia and Armenia. His book The Avant-Garde Icon, on the relationship between Russian icons and Russian Avant-Garde art, was published in 2008. Two books on the relationship between art and personal identity, from the Middle Ages to the present day, we published in July this year.
She a professional architect with over 10 years of experience. Now living in London, Dasha’s education was split between London and Moscow. She holds degrees in Architecture and Urban Design, which she obtained in Moscow Architectural University and the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.
Dasha’s interest in 20th-century art led her to develop a sequence of workshops which enable participants to create their own masterpiece, inspired by the works of renowned artists.
Dasha’s interest in 20th-century art led her to develop a sequence of workshops which enable participants to create their own masterpiece, inspired by the works of renowned artists.
Andrew is an exciting and knowledgeable lecturer; leads art talks for adults.
Dasha is a passionate art lover with experience of leading hands-on art history courses.
Nataly has vast experience working with kids and is a mom of two wonderful boys.
Nataly has completed an art school, structures and runs slow-paced fun art webinars and is loved by the kids.
Nataly is passionate about showing children to use their imagination from a young age.
Nataly has completed an art school, structures and runs slow-paced fun art webinars and is loved by the kids.
Nataly is passionate about showing children to use their imagination from a young age.
Nataly is an exciting leader for the Young Artists Club - part of our art programme that is specially designed for the young children 5+.
Anastasia is an art historian with several years of experience of leading practical art history courses for adults and children. She started Art Enthusiasts London as a small group of people gathering and painting like famous artists in her studio in Battersea, London, before going online in the lockdown.
Her research in historical art methods she often applies to her own artwork raging from engravings to oil paintings, and from recent - large murals. www.anastasiabelous.com
Being an artist, she holds a special place in the heart for famous artists and would like to share this love with others.
Her research in historical art methods she often applies to her own artwork raging from engravings to oil paintings, and from recent - large murals. www.anastasiabelous.com
Being an artist, she holds a special place in the heart for famous artists and would like to share this love with others.
Anastasia is a professional artist and founder of Art Enthusiasts London.