A moment to reflect about Rydal Hall in The Lake District

The prestigious Hall and majestic Gardens at Rydal Hall - wonderful to relax in whatever time of day

I feel pretty blessed to be honest to be sharing my art skills with so many enthusiastic art students since starting popular residential art holidays in the heart of The Lake District at Rydal Hall which have gone from strength to strength. 

Each time things just get better! My most recent week teaching outdoor and studio art techniques in the fantastic natural woodland within the grounds of this magnificent hall and around the lakeshore of Rydal Water (close to Rydal Hall) from a tutors point of view, was quite superb! 

I was greeted with a genuine smile everyday from all the friendly staff at the hall and also from my enthusiastic students too who were an absolute joy to teach. They had travelled all the way from inverness to be with me and I felt very honoured by that.

The dramatic landscape of Cumbria has always been creatively inspirational to artists and writers alike (you've only got to think of famous names fromThe Lake District such as Ruskin and Wordsworth - who's last family home Rydal Mount is right opposite Rydal Hall) to see what a great corner of England this really is - a positive garden of Eden in fact so it's no wonder my students produced such great work...and enjoyed themselves immensely doing so too!

It wasn't all 'work'! We took time out on several occasions during my evening demonstrations to go and see a lovely exhibition of contemporary 'Lakeland artists work' in the Old Barn Gallery on site close to Rydal Hall with quality craft, sculpture and paintings on show which captured the imagination of my students once more with several of them buying beautiful and unique items which caught their eye. Artists supporting artists and working in co-operation at Rydal Hall - Fantastic!

As expected, The Lake District was up to its usual tricks of changeable weather but by keeping the fun, exciting art experience flexible for everyone by mixing studio days on damp days and outdoor painting on more dryer days, using Rydal Hall as our base with its wonderful calming effect, the spirituality of The Lake District was a fantastic experience for everyone. 

We even managed to have a really great short walk around part of the shoreline of Grasmere whilst other members of the group headed into the village itself for a spot of sightseeing and to visit the famous Heaton Cooper Art studio for another enjoyable and rewarding 'arty' experience. 


I'm looking forward to coming back to be amongst friends again at Rydal Hall in from 12 - 16 October and making new friends too on another successful art holiday later in the year.

I look forward to seeing you all then helping everyone have some more fun and creative adventures with your painting!

For further details about the exciting mixed media painting holiday in October '15 at Rydal Hall visit
http://rdcreative.co.uk/art_holidays/mixed_media_expressive_pastel_and_watercolour_autumn_art_break_rydal_hall

For further details about Rydal Hall visit 
http://www.rydalhall.org

Rydal Hall, Rydal, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9LX.