2024 art courses
In a small group of nine people we will work in the studio or go out to experience the surrounding landscape. The two days of tuition will begin on a friday at 9.30. Coffee and tea are provided at 11.00. There will be a break from 1.00 until 2.00 pm when students can eat in the long room or go into the village. Lunch is not provided. The day will end at 5.30 pm. There are places to stay in the area and the local town is Dulverton which has both restaurants and shops.
Cost: £190.
Deposit: £50
APRIL 2020
COMPOSITION AND DRAWING WEEKEND
The landscape in March has a linear quality and gives plenty of scope to consider the many approaches to drawing. The strong lines of the horizon, the hedges, the intricacies of the leafless trees and the clarity of the light on the land in early spring will undoubtedly inspire us. After actually experiencing the landscape we will work in the studio to explore a variety of ways to use graphite, charcoal, inks and washes. We will research and examine the drawings of established artists, their personal styles and use of tone, line and mathematical structure. I hope this weekend will give you more confidence to draw what you see around you on a daily basis.
DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
WaterCOlour WEEKEND
Vanessa Bell (detail of a watercolour painting)
Edwina Broadbent
Emil Nolde (detail of a watercolour painting)
Happily we are seeing warmer days and the browns of winter are giving way to sparkling bright greens. What a great time of year to use watercolour; a manageable medium and a fast way of recording what you see, especially when observing colour and light.
During this weekend course we will experiment with brushes and papers, look at the qualities of tube and ‘cake’ watercolours , practise how to load a brush and cover large areas with an even intensity also consider the use of white within a painting; arriving at our own way of using watercolour to make vibrant and spontaneous images of landscape, flowers or still life.
Using as our references the watercolours of Emil Nolde, Samuel Palmer, Morandi and others we will explore colour combinations, examine the balance of warm and cool in a painting and learn how to use watercolour in an enjoyable and personal way. I hope this week will encourage you to keep a little box of colour and a good brush with you at all times.
dates to be announced
Drawing for Painting
The critic John Berger said of the painter Peter Lanyon: "He searches for something which includes a sailor's knowledge of the coastline, a poacher's knowledge of the cover, a miner's knowledge of the seams, a surveyor's knowledge of the contours, a native's knowledge of the local ghosts". Although he was specifically referring to the Cornish landscape, these observations do also relate to this coastal area of Somerset. During this week it will be possible to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and the moods of the moor and you will be surprised by its ever changing light.
We will evaluate the process of drawing for a painting and consider different approaches to the task of interpreting a subject by experimenting with different mediums, including oil paint, offering us more possibilities. Weather permitting, we will attempt to work out on the moor. Whatever you hope to achieve I think you will find your time spent this week at The Linhay Studio is filled with a succession of small victories.
dates to be announced
Autumn Colour Week
During this week the emphasis will be on mixing oil colour. Working with a limited palette each day we will mix and use colour with an understanding of colour ‘key’ coupled with practice in the application of this sometimes difficult medium. The beech trees and hedges of Exmoor are ideal subjects because their windblown energy and intricate outlines, with added autumn colour, are an irresistible sight. If you have never had an opportunity to use oil paint I strongly recommend this particular week; the moor is at its best with maroons, warm greys, oranges and pale ocres. You will be surrounded by heartstopping colour.