Join me this Spring on the stunning island of Tresco. The painting holiday consists of four days of painting tuition, five nights’ bed and breakfast at the New Inn, spa membership, Abbey Gardens entrance, a boat trip to another island and a complimentary drinks reception on the arrival evening (all guests must arrive the day before the course start date)

Due to the nature of the terrain on the island, this course is not suitable for anyone unable to; walk for at least a mile, often over uneven surfaces, get on and off small boats or climb steep granite quayside steps. It is also important to be agile enough to be seated on the ground at times.

Five nights’ accommodation and breakfast at The New Inn

Spa access & Garden entrance & welcome drinks.

Boat trip to Bryher on scheduled boat & On-island transfers

Travel Arrangements

Please be aware you are responsible for all your travel arrangements

This can be done directly through Isles of Scilly Travel or by calling +44 (0)1736 334 220. Here you can book for either the Scillionian ferry from Penzance Harbour or the Skybus which flies out of Exeter, Newquay and Lands End airports.

If you are arriving by plane Tresco offer transfers from St Mary’s Airport to your accommodation on Tresco. Please make sure to book transfers in advance when Tresco get in touch. If you are coming on the boat, you may transfer to the scheduled Firethorn (on the quay) and can pay on board (cash only).

The Penzance Heliport will provide a direct link to the Tresco island avoiding any connecting boats. It is a journey time of 15 minutes door-to-door.  

Travel information and other questions you may have are covered on the Tresco website FAQ page.  

NB: Once you have booked your painting course, you will receive an automated order confirmation. Following your order one of our team will be in touch to discuss your booking and take a few further details. Our team will then inform the Tresco Inn of your booking and they will then contact you to take your accommodation deposit. Please also note you need to arrive the in time for the evening drinks at 6.45 the evening before the course start date. Departure is the morning after the last day of painting. There is a maximum of 10 people per course enabling every participant plenty of time with the experienced artist tutor.

Please read the Terms & Conditions in full, please also be aware that you will need to book your travel to and from the islands along with holiday travel insurance.

Location:

The painting holidays are based at The New Inn, Tresco Island, Isles of Scilly, 28 miles from the Cornish coast.

Materials used on this course:

All painting materials, different types of paper and brushes are provided by the art school. These courses offer a broader and free approach to landscape painting with water-based paints used alongside other mixed media.

Level:

All levels of previous experience are welcome but a little experience with painting outdoors would be helpful. 

Age:

We would advise that this course is suitable for those of 16 years of age and upwards (16-18yr olds must be accompanied by an adult, who is a paying participant).

What to bring:

Please bring old clothes to paint in. Sturdy shoes such as walking boots or trainers, a hat in case of particularly good weather, warm and waterproof clothes. Bringing something light to sit on while outside such as a small cushion, sit mat or rolled-up fleece is a good idea.

Lunch:

Lunch is not provided, you can order a packed-lunch with The New Inn.

Autumnal Abstracts

The landscape is not a static subject. It moves and flows. Trees rustle and clouds fly by, forever changing and charged with beautiful, raw energy.

In this 3-day abstract landscape workshop, you will learn how to respond as an artist to this energy and infuse your landscape painting with vitality and life. Drawing inspiration from the Yorkshire landscape, we will start with fast, gestural observational drawing, moving away from the traditional horizon line and instead, seeing the landscape as overlapping and interconnected layers. Your mark making will become more spontaneous and playful as we simplify forms such as trees, fields, flowers, and rocks down to simple, dynamic marks, which will inform more abstract ways of seeing.

The transition from drawing to painting will occur using inks on paper. Inks are a versatile medium, ranging from soft and delicate when diluted to bold and intense when used neat. We will work outdoors, playing with inks and pastels to create a collection of color studies aiming to capture a sense of place. These studies, combined with our drawings, will provide the inspiration for mixed media abstracts back in the studio.

On the final day I will introduce acrylic paint, as we explore working with additional mediums which will add a third dimension to our paintings. I will also demonstrate how you can use all your observational work to inspire and create final finished paintings on paper away from the landscape.

This workshop will combine plein air work on location and also studio-based time. participants will need to be comfortable walking a maximum of 20 minutes to locations. Walking shoes/boots will be essential.

Lunches and refreshments included.
Days run from 10am to 4pm (ish)

My Inspiration

I create my art primarily on large sheets of paper, capturing colours and marks in the landscape to produce abstract representations of wild and open places. These places evoke a sense of awe and freedom in me, particularly when I am on a remote beach in the Hebrides or the vast open plains of Dartmoor. It's this profound emotion and energy that I aim to convey in my paintings. I use inks, pastels, and acrylics to work swiftly, creating instinctive marks that hint at the various elements that define the unique character of a place, such as wild flowers, open moorland, or distant rock formations. Each place possesses its own distinct features.

Through my workshops, I strive to introduce artists to my unique perspective on landscape art, with the hope of inspiring them to discover their own abstract language.