The subject matter for our Landscape Painting breaks is nothing short of inspirational. Great Britain's premier national parks, from the shapely mountains of the English Lake District to the ancient villages nestling in Dartmoor's lush valleys, its coastal cliffs, harbours and creeks and its rich heritage of castles and houses.

Our friendly and helpful leaders will make it easy for you to enjoy a relaxing painting holiday; whatever your level of experience. They are flexible tutors able to gear their response to your individual needs; are always happy to cover basic techniques, show you the importance of observation and drawing, how to compose a picture successfully and how to finish your work. All our outdoor holidays share the same combination of indoor technical input, with a daily review of the group's work, demonstrations and full days on-site where you will receive individual guidance with your work as well as gaining inspiration from your fellow guests. The first and last days of the holiday are usually spent in the grounds or very close to your Country House. Our transport takes you out on location for three full days on a seven-night holiday. Our mini-coach is always on hand to take us to new sites, ferry us to nearby loos or retreat if the weather gets the better of us.

For outdoor holidays you'll need to be fit enough to walk short distances and be able to carry your own gear. Some of our tutors have a particular bias towards a painting medium but many are skilled in teaching the best use of most media. Check with us if you want to use oils, however.

You can paint out of season too, or concentrate on coaching in specific techniques - handling seascapes and coastlines, cartooning, pastels or flower painting for example.

These absorbing indoor breaks will help you to make progress whatever your level of experience. The timetable is flexible, so that you can make your stay as in-depth as you wish. Sessions usually last for the duration of the morning, then after a long lunch break resume until late afternoon. Evenings are free for you to socialise with other guests in the House, with the occasional specialist painting input from your tutor. You can usually carry on working if you wish!

Facilities vary, but range from good, well-lit rooms with trestle tables to dedicated art rooms with table top easels, sinks for washing brushes and display facilities at Alnmouth In Northumberland, Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, Haytor in Devon and St Ives in Cornwall. If you would like more information on each House's facilities, please ask our Reservations Team.

Many find the get away from it all experience, in lovely surroundings with good healthy food, one of fun, reward and achievement in equal measure.

Our prices hide nothing and represent remarkable value for money - you don't need to spend anything other than when you might be out and about independently.

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Landscape Painting at its Best

There is an unparalleled source of scenic inspiration for all painters at all levels on these holidays. Every one of our Country Houses has been chosen first and foremost for its landscape values so there is a lifetime of picture making within easy reach from wide-open vistas to attractive towns and villages.

From a lovely curving avenue of lime trees and perfect castle, to a packhorse bridge, waterfall, tarn and farmsteads with mountains and moorland as a backdrop; from 19th century houses surrounding a village green to fishing villages with terraced houses, stone steps, boats and crab pots. These examples are just illustrations as there is so much potential.
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Special Offer

*Under 18s half price

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Seascapes and Waterscapes

We'll help both beginners and more advanced painters in the method of painting water and its backdrops, and to appreciate the different quality of light in all locations. Lakes, boats, harbours, estuaries and all things connected with water give us lots of scope to indulge personal preferences. Learn how to capture flat water, the reflection of that mast in disturbed water, what special features you can use to achieve perspective and just which colours work best for the particular light you are portraying.

Scotland's Isle of Arran, provides lochs, beaches and incomparable mountain backdrops, while the North Yorkshire Coast offers headlands, cliffs and pretty fishing villages. Further south, the Isle of Wight provides white chalk cliffs and pleasure boats, whilst St Ives in Cornwall means traditional fishing harbours, pounding spray and surf.

*Under 18s half price

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Painting and Walking NEW

Combine the best of both worlds with three day's painting (one on location) and two day's joining one of our Classic Walking holidays (see below for details of walks) with its daily choice of length. Draw inspiration from our magnificent landscapes on the walks and benefit from expert tuition in getting ideas on to paper and improving your technique.

Isle of Arran

• Easier Walks: 6 to 8½ miles following coastal, forest and moorland paths that can be rough and bouldery. Usually well-graded but with some steeper sections. Up to 1,100ft of ascent in a day.
  
• Medium Walks: 6 to 10 miles, including coast, forest, moorland and mountain with some rough and boggy sections. Gradients generally steep. 1,050ft to 2,900ft of ascent in a day.
• Harder Walks: 7 to 14¼ miles often using very rough, intermittent paths and some exposed ridges and rock scrambling to reach high summits. 2,800ft to 3,400ft of ascent in a day.

Malhamdale

• Easier Walks: 6 to 7¼ miles generally on good, well-graded paths with some steeper sections where it can be rough underfoot. Up to 950ft of ascent in a day.
• Medium Walks: 7 to 10 miles through moorland and dales with moderate gradients and some steeper sections. 800ft to 1,325ft of ascent in a day.
• Harder Walks: 10 to 14 miles over high moorland to rugged summits using some boggy and intermittent paths. 1,350ft to 2,300ft of ascent in a day.

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Rambles with a Sketchbook

Sometimes the best views for the artist are a little way off the road, but our rambles are only up to 3 or 4 miles so our interesting stops are within the grasp of many. Your sketching may be an end in itself, or be used as a source for later painting, all based on careful observation. We use paths where possible, but they may be rough and steep for short stretches. In bad weather we work indoors.

*Under 18s half price

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Pastel Landscapes

Soft pastel is the oldest yet for many the most exciting of all painting media - it does not have to require an understanding of colour mixes: and gives you instant, vibrant colour. We cover application techniques as well as such issues as composition, tonal values and the importance of the colour wheel. We will take full advantage of the region’s scenery as with our other outdoor holidays.

*Under 18s half price

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An Introduction to Drawing

Everyone has the ability to draw; you just have to be shown how. We start you off with the basics of making lines on paper and then, through a series of light-hearted exercises, develop your confidence to put down on paper what you see with your eyes. You don't need a lot of special equipment either - one of the great pleasures of drawing is that it is something you can do with the simplest of tools (Picasso often drew with a biro on the back of an envelope!).

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An Introduction to Painting

We introduce you to the skills and techniques of painting; watch the demonstrations then have a go yourself. Learn about colour mixing, basic washes, complementary colours and composition and the starter kit you need to set you up for a rewarding and absorbing hobby, whatever your innate abilities. This holiday is not strictly indoors, we will take full advantage of the grounds, weather permitting.

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Painting from your Photographs

The camera has proved to be a very useful aid to the artist ever since photography was invented (Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, for example, all used photography to their advantage). These short breaks focus on how to turn your photographs into successful paintings. It will cover the basics - preparing sketches from photographic reference, transferring your drawn images onto paper/board/canvas, adapting the colours to make the most of your usual palette. For those who need it there will be help with drawing, colour mixing, tonal values and composition.

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Pastel Impressions

Try out the freedom of pastel if you are a beginner, or improve your technique if you are more experienced. Paint from photos, observation, memory and imagination. We'll offer advice on materials to suit you and your style.

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Animal Portraits in Pastel

Love animals? Wish you could draw them? Working from photographs and pictures this course will teach you how to capture the appeal of animals through the use of soft pastel and/or pastel pencils. This is an excellent medium for creating fur textures and achieving a realistic effect. Advice on drawing techniques will be provided by the tutor at every stage.

*Under 18s half price

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Chinese Brush Painting

Chinese brush painting places a heavy emphasis on nature with beautiful scenery (often mountains), colourful flowers, animals in action or delightful figures. The good news is that you do not need to be able to draw! Painting is done without a sketch; the brush movement is completed in a simple way and emphasis will be on straightforward techniques that you will be able to use at home. Chinese painting is used by many as a form of meditation because of the need to concentrate, quietly, on preparing to paint and the strokes being made; a thoroughly absorbing art form whatever level you choose to take it to.

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Learn to Draw Cartoons

You'll work on expressions, simple anatomy and how to give your drawings life and personality. Explore common cartoon themes and how to turn your drawings into greetings cards. Learn too how to generate ideas with a few games and look at the cartoonist's primary skill - how to cheat! If you are a regular artist, you can bring along any additional media you enjoy using, such as colour crayons, watercolours or pastels - cartoons can be drawn in almost any medium.

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Calligraphy and Design

Calligraphy is a creative, individual and useful art. Below we list our breaks which are all a mix of learning and exploring your creativity. Don’t be put off by jargon, these are all suitable for anyone, including beginners.

Celtic Lettering (Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia)
We will introduce you to and develop uncial, a wonderful rich Celtic lettering; a rich hand that lends itself to colour decoration. We use it to explore the design process from initial ideas, layout, colour and composition for you to complete a finished piece of work of your choice.

Italic Calligraphy (South Downs)
An introduction to the tools and techniques, colour, layout and design. This is the main style used in calligraphic arts; it is versatile and exciting, has great rhythm, many variants and can look both historical and modern. Step by step guidance encourages you to produce your own original calligraphic piece. Enjoy an optional guided walk in the afternoons.

Find out more about our Leader Celia Lister FCLAS by visiting her website.

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