Landscape Painting Course
September 6th – 10th
From the foothills of the Black Mountains to the Brecon Beacons
The Landscape Painting Course runs for 5 days
( Saturday to Wednesday).
Tutors. There are two painting tutors ( Niel Bally and Veronica Gibson ) In addition to this we are joined by the geologist Professor James Goff who will give a guided tour and talk on Saturday morning.
Fees.£390. The fees include the use of the studio (9.30am- 8pm), studio equipment, garden and house.Lunch and refreshments
The course takes 12 and is suitable for intermediate and advanced levels. This is a great opportunity for families or partners wanting to take a short break. Those who want to immerse themselves in painting from the beautiful surroundings can do so, while the rest of the family can choose from a wide variety of outdoor activities, which are all on our doorstep.
Saturday Morning start.
The course starts on Saturday morning with a talk and tour by Professor James Goff who is a renowned geologist. James will give you a guided tour of the area to explain the landscape, its history, how it was formed and its workings. He will take you to some of the best painting locations, such as the local quarry and waterfalls , all of which should inspire you.We return for lunch and in the afternoon we begin by drawing……….
Plein-air drawing by A.Poloya
C.Pryce-Mason. Quarry
A. Knight. Black Hill
E. Slee. 3 inks
E. Slee. 3 inks
Andy Thornley. Ruin. Ink and mixed media
Drawing is encouraged for the first day and a half, to familiarise yourselves with the area and gain a certain confidence and flow. We will be using wet and dry mediums, (or a mix of both), plus line and wash . Some may start painting in oils or acrylic by Sunday afternoon while others may start on Monday morning. Then there are those who might want to continue with the drawing processes they have discovered during the first few days. There is a thin dividing line between the definition of drawing and painting and the above examples show this.
Painting the Nature Reserve waterfall
Waterfalls . Oil by Caroline Pryce Mason
Landscape. Oil pastel by Nick Weavers
Subject Matter and Location
If you follow this link and you will see there is absolutely no shortage of subject matter if you choose this landscape painting course. Within half a mile from the studio is a nature reserve called Pwll-y-Wrach. This is a 40 acre woodland site with a series of waterfalls ,tributaries and an old disused quarry. In addition to water as a theme, 5 miles away is Llangorse Lake , which is the largest natural lake in South Wales, and 3 miles in the other direction is the famous River Wye at Glasbury.
Overlooking all this and very visible, are the Black Mountains with a continuous average ridge height of 2000ft. Much of the landscape around here is very accessible by foot or road. Above us are two very large commons with panoramic views of the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. In addition to this is our house and walled garden with 25mile view across the Wye Valley to West Wales.
Black Mountains Oil. Vicki James
View from Black Mountains. Oil Anna Knight
Ways of working.
The emphasis and direction will be on “plein air” methods, which means landscape painting and drawing outside in the landscape. You could work continuously on the spot if conditions are favourable. Alternatively you could work on studies, drawings , and notes and then bring them back to the studio, to make an independent work. This method then forces you to rely more on your visual memory and a subjective approach. Constable and Turner were great exponents of this method and many have followed since. It is also a sure way of dealing with inclement weather. So far and for the last 12 years we have only lost a few days to bad weather, but you can never tell !
Everyone will have space to work and pin-up work in the studio. The teaching will start at 10 am and end at 5 pm each day. The studio will remain open for those who want to continue working to dusk. The late afternoon and evening light are one of the best times to experience the landscape.
TUITION
As previously mentioned there are two painting tutors Myself and Veronica Gibson plus the Geologist Prof James Goff who will give a guided tour on Saturday morning of the landscape and its history. Each morning we will review the previous days work. In addition to this time will be set aside for practical instructions in handling paint and drawing methods. These sessions will will be conducted in a group and are optional. The group, as a whole, naturally spreads itself widely in various directions to their preferred locations. What tends to happen is 2 or 3 people choose the same location. Not only will instruction take place in the studio, but you will also be visited out in the field by Veronica and myself.
Press this link above if you want to see further examples of paintings and drawings done on our Landscape Courses over the past few years.
Materials and What to Bring
What we try to avoid is burden you with an unnecessary list of paints and painting equipment, which could cost you more than the course itself ! We have quite a few supplies and equipment here. Paper and painting surfaces too. Six weeks before the course starts we will send out a list of what you may need and the details can be discussed and exchanged then.
Beverley Thornley. Red Riverbed