A NEW art school offering workshops and classes for adults and children will open its doors in Malvern in September.

Colwall art teacher Anthony Blakemore has joined forces with the school's Malvern-based proprietor Rozita Noor to create an inspirational environment for aspiring artists at the independent Malvern Academy of Art.

Based in the grounds of Abbey International College, in Malvern Wells, the school's studio is located at the foot of the Malvern Hills.

It will host courses in drawing, colour and painting, arts and crafts workshops for children and adults, interior design and instructions on decorative finishes.

Its aims are to promote and develop imagination, inventiveness and creativity and encourage individual expression and personal growth.

Explaining why the pair wanted to start the school, Mrs Noor said: "I started taking art lessons and I found them unfulfilling. I didn't learn anything and we wanted to open something where every day people get something positive out of it. And obviously Malvern is a lovely place for people to learn.

"Anthony has done quite a lot of things before. He used to work at Royal Worcester Porcelain and founded the Worcester Arts Workshop.

"I was so impressed with his ability to teach when I was in a class of his that I said we should establish a school together. He's fantastic. I have been practising art of a long, long time and I can still learn things from him."

Included in the classes will be references to art history and an introduction to different techniques. For more information, call 01684 562040.