In celebration of our creative year

As the year draws to a close (no pun intended) it's a great time to reflect on such a great creative year...and it's all down to you!

I'd like to thank all students who have attended my art courses, workshops and art holidays, all directors and staff at the chosen centres of excellence where I have taught this year (with re bookings for next) for their superb support this year, and thanks to all Facebook and Twitter followers for all your support too!

In celebration of a really memorable year I'd like to thank all the art clubs and art societies for the demonstration and workshop bookings and have been delighted to have inspired you all.

Thanks too to the wonderful gallery owners who have supported, promoted and exhibited my work and had faith in me throughout 2016 - I'm delighted to have made some great sales for you! Roll on 2016 for our continued exhibitions!

No least a big thanks to all at 'Team Canson' (Canson - the great paper company from France) who brought me into their fold early 2015 and made me one of their only two UK Canson Ambassadors - a real honour! 2016 with Canson is going to be another cracker!

Nitram Charcoal from Canada have been absolutely brilliant this year too with with my charcoal drawings using their superb top quality charcoal helping me to receive such great public admiration at 'Art World' in Frankfurt at the beginning of 2015 on their amazing stand. 2016 will start with a bang with yet more of my Nitram Charcoal drawings heading for Frankfurt with Nitram and then to Texas with the company later in the year - exciting times ahead!

2015 was a great year working with all staff at 'The Artist' magazine with all the different almost monthly articles written for this great magazine helping to inspire an even bigger audience to the joys of creative painting techniques - especially with mixed media!

if I've missed anyone out I do apologise. Such a superb and eventful 2015 it's hard to take it all in!

All all the very best for Christmas and I look forward to inspiring you all and having fun painting with you all again in the coming New year and sharing lots of new and exciting creative things with you!

Have a good one!

Featured painting
Approaching Pennine Sleet
Acrylic on board
51 x 51cm (20 x 20 inches)

Something to brighten the grey days of Winter

Here's adding some much needed colour to the grey Winters days we have been having of late...

Stage two of my 'Flowing waters, River Nidd - Yorkshire' mixed media painting.
Canson Moulin du Roy 300gsm (140lb) not 100% cotton watercolour paper
22 x 15 inches

Stage one of my 'Flowing waters, River Nidd - Yorkshire' mixed media painting.
Canson Moulin du Roy 300gsm (140lb) not 100% cotton watercolour paper
22 x 15 inches

Finished and final painting soon to come!

A personal angle for Anglesey

Earlier this year in April we went to Angelsey in North Wales for the very first time. What a thrill! 

Fantastic painting opportunities everywhere in a diverse and magnificent landscape.

Whilst there we visited Oriel Ynys Môn gallery at  Llangefni to stand in awe in front of one of my art hero's work - Sir John “Kyffin” Williams, (KBE, RA) which was as expected, jaw dropping!

Staying in a beautiful cottage at Church Bay the sea was just a stones throw away and needless to say, the brushes, paint and fabulous Canson watercolour and pastel papers came with me to paint down at the beach and in different locations around this beautiful island.

Here's just one of those paintings recently photographed.

Watch out Anglesey here we come...ASAP!

Featured painting
Atlantic tide rushes in, Church Bay, Anglesey
Watercolour, Gouache and Unison Pastel on Canson Moulin du Roy 'not' 300 gsm (140lb) 100% rag content watercolour paper
15 x 22 inches (38 x 56 cm)

To learn more about Oriel Ynys Môn gallery at  Llangefni visit www.kyffinwilliams.info/eng/index.html

A time to reflect...

...about all great art holidays, workshops, mini-breaks  at all the different venues I've been teaching at this year. 

It has been an absolute joy to teach you all and I'm looking forward to doing so again throughout 2016 to include Spain!

The painting featured is one I created as a demo for my students between group and one to one teaching sessions outdoors this year in Autumn at Rydal Hall near Ambleside. Just one of our wonderful art holidays in The Lake District in 2015!

Created on Canson Mi-Tientes 'Touch' 350gsm Pastel Paper (Light Blue) the colour of the paper has been used to help with the gently moving waters and the beautiful reflections in Rydal Water close to Rydal Hall itself - a popular destination for art students from all over the country.

For all 2016 art courses and art holidays visit the art holidays section of my brand new website www.rdcreative.co.uk

See you next year!

Featured painting
'Autumn reflections - Rydal Water, Cumbria'
Pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes 'Touch' 350gsm Pastel Paper (Light Blue)
50 x 60 cm

New today...

a recent work to come from the studio...

...the studio at Cober Hill that is!

During our moorland theme expressive mixed media art week when teaching I created this for all the students to show how soft and hard pastels (different brands) can be used with fixative to create a multi-layered expressive painting.

Using the very unique and responsive surface texture of Canson Mi-Teintes 'Touch' 350gsm pastel paper this was an absolute joy to put together for everyone during the evening demo.

The following day everyone was itching to have a go...and have a go they did! Fantastic pastels were created by all eleven students. 

Another great painting day had by all at Cober Hill!

For new art courses at Cober Hill for 2016 please visit the 'art holidays' section of my brand new website www.rdcreative.co.uk

For further information about Cober Hill please visit www.coberhill.co.uk


Featured painting
'The remains of the day - Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire'
Pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes 'Touch' 350gsm pastel paper
50 x 65 cm

Pennine Partners paint with passion!

Peter Brook Exhibition now on at Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse!
(Featuring yours truly)
Saturday 21 November until 24 December 

A massive highlight of my career so far to be showing along someone so great and with an award winning gallery too! 

To say ‘I’m chuffed’ is quite an understatement!

Sadly Peter has passed away but his legacy as an ambassador of the north, and indeed the Pennines lives on through his amazing paintings. 

Highly sought after and collected, Peters work adorns many a fine art collection. 

I have won over the years (nationally and internationally) numerous awards for my work but I still know I have a long way to go yet to climb the dizzy heights Peter got to, so my prices in the exhibition reflect that. But hey, watch this space...things are really happening!

For further information about the show contact:

Harrison Lord Gallery

5 Bradford Rd, 

Brighouse 

HD6 1RW

01484 722462

gallery@harrisonlord.co.uk

www.harrisonlord.co.uk

Creative thrills at Cober Hill!

As an art tutor it is always great to know you have inspired a wide range of art students to create really new and exciting paintings they thought impossible to do on their own. 

This is just I was able to achieve for 11 students recently from  22-27 November at Cober Hill near Scarborough on our 'Expressive Mixed Media Moorland Theme Art Holiday' at this fantastic venue close to the sea.

Cober Hill  - the superb Yorkshire East Coast venue for your exciting mixed media art holidays.
(Photograph by kind permission from Mark Heslington Ltd www.markheslingtonphotography.com)

Having a great time too is what an art holiday is all about so the well organised and informative and practical art holiday had everyone smiling all the time, having fun sharing stories and experiences throughout the week and having a time great learning lots of new things to create some really exciting paintings too!

Helping students to use oil pastels and acrylic paint and inks in new and exciting ways and to see the superb results everyone created throughout the week on different supports was a real thrill for all of us.  

Following several of my evening and workshop demonstrations we even managed to create some really expressive atmospheric soft pastel paintings during the studio painting days with some really some great moorland pastel paintings being created. 

As a UK Canson Ambassador I brought with me Canson Mi-Teintes 'Touch' 350gsm pastel paper  used to demonstrate on using different types of media throughout the week. This is a fantastic and responsive paper useful for so many different types of media and mixed media (not just soft pastel) art techniques that everyone found really exciting to use! 

Here are just two of the paintings from many everyone created during the week...

A really expressive and atmospheric with a very personal style created using oil pastel of the North York Moors by Christopher Dennis 50 x 65 cm on Canson Mi-Teintes 'Touch' 350gsm pastel paper. Christopher is currently undergoing a fine Art Degree. It was absolutely great to help Chris to create several paintings on a landscape theme for his degree portfolio and final presentation. Good luck with that Chris!

A beautiful and serene painting of a moorland pool and waterfall created using oil pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes ‘Touch’ 350gsm by Denise Cliffen. Good drawing is the key to the success of this painting and Denise, having had as part of her creative career Trompe l’oeil experience, has this in abundance!

With a circular tour by minibus from Cober Hill to Grosmont and then back along the scenic Yorkshire Heritage Coast mid week inspired everyone to 'get painting the North York Moors' yet again! The field trip paid dividends as the final show of everyone's superb mixed media paintings showed just what a great effect sketching outdoors and seeing the landscape at first hand can have on your work.

Bright light towards 'Jugger Howe' on the North York Moors - a fantastic atmospheric scene

The beautiful, rolling, pastoral and dramatic North York Moors explored on our field trips and all so close to Cober Hill!

The scenic views for our outdoor sketching near Gromont in the North York Moors National Park. Great landscape shapes and those lovely red pan tile roofs in the foreground add some fantastic accents of warmth to the composition.

Just some of the lovely landscape scenes close to Cober Hill - quite literally just 10 minutes walk from your lovely accommodation down the lane and to the sea!

Just a brilliant and thrilling art week for everyone in so many ways!

Here are just a few of the student comments who were a real pleasure to teach...

‘Excellent Course! Thanks so much Robert for all your attention and organisation. I learnt so much again!'

Rebecca Carrie

‘Inspiring and very exciting. Have leant so much.'

Pam Riddlesden

‘Robert, the course has been wonderful. I have learnt so much! Really hope to do it again one day! Thank you!'

Paul

‘The course gave me more confidence with colour and patience.’

Joan

‘A complete breath of fresh air. i’ve been released from a tight form of painting to freedom and expression under the excellent tuition skills of Robert Dutton. Highly recommended!’

Denise Cliffen

Students enjoying their painting experiences along the Heritage East Coast of Yorkshire in all the quaint fishing villages such as Robin Hoods Bay and Runswick Bay. 

The great locations close to Cober Hill offer so much creative inspiration for the artist and as such two new seascape themed holidays have been planned at Cober Hill for 2016! Here they are:

http://rdcreative.co.uk/art_holidays/Spring_2016_East_Coast_art_holiday_at_Cober_Hill_13_-_18_March_2016

http://rdcreative.co.uk/art_holidays/october_16_east_coast_seascape_and_landscape_painting_holiday_at_cober_hill

To register your interest and for further information contact Cober Hill reception directly on 

01723 870310

or email: enquiries@coberhill.co.uk

www.coberhill.co.uk

Get your skates on - from interest received already about them they are going to be very popular once again!

Exciting stuff! 'The Artist' magazine does it again!

I'm absolutely delighted to have my final article for 'PanPastel' in series for 'The Artist' magazine focusing on different brands of pastels now published.

Shown in this months issue are other artists I have total respect for and admire in so many different ways!

Their work is very different than my own - but that's the point...we all have our own unique style which keeps things exciting and the pages in 'The Artist' so fresh!

There's a 'Wild about Printmaking' article from superb and talented artist Lisa Hooper who quite rightly, gained 'The Artist' Award at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the year exhibition 2015 for her superb hand coloured collagraph of 'Curlews' (featured in her article) which I absolutely adore, as with all of Lisa's work.

Chris Rose features too with his beautiful wildlife paintings in oil which are amazing! Chris is also secretary of the Society of Wildlife Artists...and more besides! Pages 22 -25 have a great insight into his personal vision as a wildlife artist.

Further on in the magazine (past my PanPastel review) is Barry Freeman and his superb pastels. I love Barry's oil pastel work in particular and several of them are featured in his article 'Winter Landscapes' on pages 31-33.

As if that wasn't enough David Parfitt (elected member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours) has a really great article showing one of his paintings from start to finish in his informative article from pages 45-47.

What a great line up and I'm delighted to be associated with the great and the good in this issue!

With more besides in the full 74 page magazine (great value for money), these are just a few of the positively good reasons to grab a copy now!

If all sold out from your leading newsagents you can always place an order here (or indeed and annual subscription so you never miss an issue in the future again) by following this link http://www.painters-online.co.uk/store/products,the-artist_41.htm

To see the paintings featured in my own article and to work with me creating your own unique paintings on my residential art holidays throughout the UK and Spain next year visit www.rdcreative.co.uk

Creativity continues in Cumbria...

...with back to back tuition, exhibitions, and lots of recent 'away days' teaching many different art groups around the country, a weekly art class, demonstrations and articles for 'The Artist' magazine of course!

In Cumbria recently two very successful art holidays completed both at Rydal Hall near Ambleside in mid October and Higham Hall near Keswick (completed mid November) inspired many different adult art students to work outdoors, gather visual information with sketches, drawings, quick watercolours, pastel paintings and so on, to create some quite dynamic studio paintings in both centres of excellence in fabulous locations with stunning scenery.

Rydal Hall 
Autumn Mixed Media Pastel and Watercolour Art holiday
12 – 16 October 2015

Rydal Hall set within its own wonderful gardens and 40 acres of natural landscape and woodlands

Here's  some of the great things we all did and painted at Rydal Hall...

Painting in the Autumn sunlight at Rydal Hall woods - giving a quick demo for a group of the 'woodland students' how to 'see' the beautiful different Autumn colours in the woodland foliage. 

Anne's wonderful study of Rydal Hall woodland using mixed media - fabulous rendition of form, detail and texture. 

16 paintings of the woodland  - everyone a winner at Rydal Hall on our great art holidays! Wonderful pastel and mixed media paintings from everyone! 

The boathouse across the tranquil lake of Rydal Water surrounded by all the wonderful mature lakeland trees bathed in glorious autumn sunshine - just one of the stunning locations at Rydal Hall for painting. Fabulous! 

...and what students said:

'Really, really enjoyed this course and learnt A LOT! Thank you Robert. Rydal Hall is a delight!'
Ailie Robertson

'Robert is such a positive and enthusiastic tutor putting a lot of energy into his teaching. Such a good course!! Rydal Hall facilities and grounds are a delight'.
Linda White

'Great teaching, lovely place for painting, hugely positive generally...and such fun! Thank you Robert'.
Fiona

'Great teaching, good company, felt like I got a lot from this great art holiday with Robert'.
Katy Fortune

'Great fun - hysterical at times! So much information and advice - you are a fab teacher Robert...just like I have said before Robert!' 
Alison Smith

'Had a fantastic time. learned a lot of new skills and techniques. Lovely bunch of folk and a great art teacher!! Thanks'.
Anne Johnstone

'Inspirational and entertaining. I feel really motivated to work in a freer more impressionistic style now! Great company, food, accommodation and wonderful painting locations. Will recommend this course thoroughly. Thanks very much!!'
Nicky Pritchard



Higham Hall 
Expressive acrylic painting holiday

1 - 6 November 2015

The wonderful historic Higham Hall near Bassenthwaite lake and a stones throw from Keswick. A perfect location for exploring the surrounding unspoilt landscape of the Western Fells in Cumbria

What we did, where we went and what was created...

Stunning light through Newlands Valley on the way to Buttermere - everyone keen to capture the light for studio paintings later in the week. A superb day and one well worth taking!

The fabulous ever changing dramatic scenery of Newlands valley near Higham Hall- super painting subjects just about everywhere!

Further up the valley before descending to Buttermere the scenery was equally as dramatic as we headed for the clouds!

Close up of the dramatic light filtering through Newlands Valley. Fantastic and dramatic light with great natural forms - perfect for painting!

All smiles! Hard not to with such great Lakeland scenery explored and enjoyed as well as making superb painting subjects for our art week at Higham Hall!

The weather beaten conifers standing like sentinels in the dramatic landscape high in the Newlands Valley 

Margaret about to sketch the stunning scenery high in Newlands Valley with those 

amazing mountains 

...and what some of the students said about their experiences:

'Really appreciate all your hard work and enthusiasm - best course I have been on! Thanks for completely looking after us'.

Doreen

'A great course - so helpful. Hope to see you again soon'.

Maureen

'Tops course, excellent tutor full of humour and knowledge. Inspiring!'

Anne

'A great course with an inspirational tutor and an enjoyable stay in beautiful surroundings'.

Peter

Anne creating a wonderful tonal drawing of Winter trees. Great work Anne!

Mixed media landscape study created by Doreen - great use of colour, expressive line
and semi abstract form. Love it!

Mixed media studio days at Higham Hall - just look at the great work on the walls inspired
by the superb Lakeland scenery and Newlands Valley experience!

Another great painting created by Doreen inspired by our
Newlands valley experience. Excellent explorations of acrylic
underpainting with oil pastel layers. Great energy and drama!

'An entertaining course, leaving us with plenty to think about and a tutor who passes on masses of useful information on acrylics and mixed media techniques'.

Wendy and Noeline

For all future art holidays, workshops and art courses visit www.rdcreative.co.uk

Bookings being taken on all art holidays already so get your skates on to secure your place!