Creative connections in Cumbria

What an eventful creative year so far its been...especially in The Lake District!

Students having a great time painting at Ashness Bridge in The Lake District March 2016

Higham Hall - great seasonal learning
Art holidays at Higham Hall (close to Bassenthwiate Lake) near Keswick in the Western Fells are going from strength to strength and that's great for all involved. I've done three so far this year - one in late March (29 March to 3 April to be exact), another 22 - 27 May and one superb mid Summer one recently completed 17 - 22 July. 

The weather was pretty kind to us on each of the holidays and it was great to combine both indoor and outdoor painting experiences and minibus tours through beautiful and dramatic (as well as the often picturesque) landscape of Lakeland  to and from Higham Hall all expertly driven by George Cooke the principal of Higham Hall - yes, it's that kind of a place!

Here's just a few of the places and great experiences at Higham Hall we have all had recently...

Higham Hall March '16

A fantastic tranquil setting to paint the flowing waters at Ashness Bridge

 Demo stage 1 complete - now it's everyone else's turn!

Caroline painting Ashness Bridge with watercolour and pastel with the whole place to herself!

Demo stage 2 - caught in the act!

The Dewentwater steamer cuts a perfect passage through the tranquil lake, now you see it...

...now you don't.

The amazing mossy trees at 'Surprise view' a little way above Ashness Bridge.
Another mixed media painting subject there!

Higham Hall May '16

Painting mixed media in the heart of Newlands Valley

Fabulous student painting of Newlands valley using watercolour and pastel techniques...

...and again, another superb Newlands valley mixed media painting!

Newlands Valley in the Spring

Beautiful bright and fresh greens of spring through Newlands Valley close to Higham Hall

Hillsides of Yellow Gorse through Newlands Valley - the Spring blossom was everywhere!

Backlit trees and the plunging deep ravines at the head of Newlands Valley - a painting in itself!

Marion's pastel painting inspired by the waterfall setting at the head of Newlands Valley - a great interpretation created with feeling!

The magic of the mountains! Wonderful pastel work on the May art holiday - really impressive...

...and again...

...and again!

Higham Hall July '16

Helmut concentrating on his painting by the shoreline of Buttermere -
a great one to take back to Germany with him safely in his car!

Rydal Hall - peace and harmony in The lake District
From 25 - 29 May I was at Rydal Hall close to Ambleside teaching mixed media techniques for a full class again and that was absolutely great for everyone and a real creative buzz. 

With 40 acres of woods and grounds on site owned by Rydal Hall, there was plenty to fascinating views to paint, especially with a wonderful fast flowing mountain stream tumbling down the hillside between the trees keeping us company! 

Rydal Hall, terrace and gardens - I wish I could get stripes that good on my own!

A beautiful tranquil Spring morning at Rydal Hall

The gentle moving waters at lakeshore, Rydal Water - perfect for our painting days

Rydal Falls within the grounds of Rydal Hall - Wordsworth's favourite, and ours too!

Some of the students enjoying the tranquil woodland at Rydal Hall. Clare's drawing is looking great...

...drawing and sharing space with the Jubilee statues in the woods at Rydal Hall...

Derwent filming near Keswick, 14-15 June 
I was in The Lake district again. This time I was invited by 'Derwent' (professional art materials) to be filmed using their amazing XL Blocks in their studio close to Keswick for the 'Get Inspired' featured section on their website.

Although I already have a presence on their website (with every featured mixed media painting being created at Higham Hall as it happens for my students), these short dvd's of me 'in action' with XL Blocks will teach you LOTS about how to use them expressively for all levels of artists. 

Films will be released soon so keep visiting and look out for them
http://www.pencils.co.uk/en/gb/4387/get-inspired


Penrith Art Society - a fabulous 2 day creative event, 31 May - 1 June
Filmed again in the Lake district..but with a difference! Mixed media was put into action for Penrith Art Society on the evening of 31 May and what a great night that was! 

A superb audience response and enthusiasm for my expressive mixed media art techniques 

With equal enthusiasm the following days workshop teaching 11 members of Penrith Art Society 'free flowing' art techniques was thoroughly enjoyed. Great work created during the workshop as you can see!

It was a real honour to be invited to share my skills with you all. Thank you!

A special thanks to Diana Smith too from Penrith Art Society for her kindness and generosity for allowing me to stay in her wonderful home after my first evening demonstration and for all the lovely food. Just Great! Looking forward to seeing you all again next year perhaps? I hope so!



Returning again soon to The Lake District!

Here's one I did earlier...SOLD now!

18 - 22 August sees me returning once again to The Lake District to teach another full class of eager students on another superb art holiday at Rydal Hall. We are all really looking forward to that one - especially painting by the lakeshore of Rydal Water just a stones throw from the magnificent historical Rydal Hall!

Keep you all posted.

Pastels are a real hit in Southern Spain!

Fun in the sun with pastels in the mountain village of El Acebuchal with 'Paint Andalucia

What a  great art holiday in sunny Southern Spain we have just had recently with 'Paint Andalucia'!

A totally magical and enriching creative art holiday for all of us in so many different ways. Superb, positive impressions and experiences for us all of us. What a great place, what fun!

Here's a little about what we did...
On arrivals day in the village of Torrox it was wonderful to meet everyone coming from Ireland, Brighton and the Cotswolds,  all coming together for a fantastic painting experience in beautiful and scenic Southern Spain! 

Distant Frigiliana and the Mediterranean coast from the mountains near Torrox

Scenic view towards beautiful Torrox and the Andalucian mountains in Spain

Elegant beautiful Spanish architecture in the centre of Torrox

In the afternoon after everyone had settled into their lovely typical Spanish hotel just off the main square in the centre of the lovely village of Torrox, Vicki and Paul had arranged a lovely Spanish meal for everyone with one of the local restaurants. 

A great chance for everyone to start to really unwind and get to know each other and enjoy the first of many brilliant meals and tasty Spanish food to include our get together in the evening at another local restaurant in the main square before exploring Torrox further still.

Torrox - a delight to explore the quiet narrow streets and discover the hidden corners!

Old Torrox - beautiful, colourful, enchanting and above all, typically Spanish!

Religious icon - Torrox 

Torrox narrow streets towards the top of the village - fabulous!

After a leisurely breakfast we all met the following to be taken by Paul and Vicki to spend the day painting the beautiful Spanish scenery from their lovely home in the mountains near Torrox - a great location offering fantastic views towards the Mediterranean sea.

In the afternoon Vicki and Paul treated us all to some fantastic food they both lovingly prepared - delicious! In the late afternoon it was chill out time - quite literally as several of the group took the plunge in Vicki and Paul’s pool after creating their first wonderful pastel paintings - the hard work done!

Joan exploring pastel colour in a cool and shady spot at Vicki and Paul's Spanish mountain home 'Casa Maria'

Elizabeth and Helen having a great time painting the beautiful scenic mountain views at Vicki and Paul's home near Torrox

A great place to relax at Vicki and Paul's home after enjoying your painting before taking a dip in their pool

Every other day thereafter for the rest of the amazing pastel painting holiday was equally as fabulous. Our wonderful painting locations included mountain hideaways, hidden villages, an historical botanical garden (Jadin Botanico-Historco in the province of Malaga - a real hit with everyone).

Angela and Helen pastel painting the beautiful historic building and light and shade in the Jadin Botanico-Historco

The beautiful gardens of Jadin Botanico-Historco

All these fantastic painting locations where just a short drive away from the lovely village of Torrox. 

We were taken there in style taken from place to place by Vicki and Paul in their comfortable and air conditioned mini bus and 4 x 4  -  all the painting gear provided by Vicki and Paul safely stowed in the back!

Meg painting the serene garden fountain and pool in the beautiful gardens of Jadin Botanico-Historco

The work everyone created was absolutely great! It was an absolute joy for me to see just how everyone took to pastel painting (many their first time experience using this versatile media and indeed, venturing outdoors to paint too) at all the inspirational locations we visited.

Jenny and Angie exploring the colours in the light and shade from one of the many stylish historic iron bridges in the gardens of Jadin Botanico-Historco 

Tree roots in the Jadin Botanico-Historco - another great painting subject

Half way through our amazing pastel painting holiday we visited and spent the day in the beautiful and historical ‘hidden village’ of El Acebuchal deep in the Andalucian mountains near Torrox.

Painting in the 17 century Spanish hamlet of El Acebuchal

Everyone was hooked - especially as we pretty much had the place to ourselves painting in the wonderful village streets. Everyone created great pastel paintings late into the afternoon all before another well deserved sumptuous lunch in the local and popular village taverna. 

The food was amazing and all freshly prepared. A great way to finish the afternoon with tasty Spanish cuisine before a scenic drive back to Torrox!

Creativity in the mountains of Spain. Everyone bringing their pastel paintings together

A quiet corner of the lovely village of El Acebuchal 

El Acebuchal - really beautiful and not a tourist in sight!

Mountain olives at Canuelo

As part of our art holiday we'd organised for everyone an exclusive visit to the superb mountain hideaway 'Canuelo' near Torrox. in the cool shade of the local olive trees and from the terraces of  this quiet and amazing mountain hamlet the views where spectacular - no wonder everyone created such good work!

Show time! Great to see everyone's paintings all together like this - great results each and every day!

Old Torrox - all things bright and beautiful and perfect painting subjects too!

Old town garden balconies in Torrox

Not forgetting Torrox itself, (which we explored on our second to last day) sketching and drawing soaking up the Spanish way of life in the different outdoor cafe bars in quiet pretty village squares, this was a great time to spend together again as another fabulous painting day - this time everyones drawing skills, not just their pencils!

Shared experiences

It was a real privilege to teach everyone lots of new and exciting things with pastels, make new friends, get to know one another and have a great time too on this wonderful relaxing art holiday. A real privilege to be the 'new tutor' for 'Paint Andalucia' and help create such a well thought of and successful art holiday for everyone. 

Everyone told me they learnt lots of new and exciting pastel techniques and I must say, I thought everyone's work was just great! 

On our final night we ended this great art holiday with another amazing meal at Vicki and Paul's home in the hills having fun and enjoying the last of the Spanish sun as it set over the mountains. 

Thanks!
Finally a big thanks to the amazing organisation from Paul and Vicki who were there every step of the way for all of us. We could not have asked for more! 

There is no doubt, a weeks painting with Paint Andalucia in Southern Spain is like no other! A fabulous art holiday for everyone in all sorts of positive ways! I'm already looking forward to coming back again next year to help everyone to feel recharged, energised and indeed...inspired!

Your next Spanish painting adventure or 2017

Roll on to 23 - 30 June 2017 for our next Expressive Pastel Painting holiday with 'Paint Andalucia' in southern Spain!

For further details about this fabulous Summer Spanish painting holiday for 2017 please visit

http://paint-andalucia.com/events/8-day-painting-holiday-in-torrox-23-30-june-2017/

Success with seascape workshops at Sandpiper Studio!

Meet the team! Proud students show their wonderful mixed media expressive seascape paintings at the end of a fantastic two day painting workshop at Sandpiper Studio on the Wirral

What a superb weekend workshop we all had together  17-18 June last month at Sandpiper Studio in the Wirral!

It was an absolute thrill to teach so many enthusiastic and skilful artists from around Cheshire, Merseyside and beyond lots of different contemporary mixed media techniques over two days of wonderful creative painting.

A fantastic painting weekend for everyone - a joy to teach such an enthusiastic and responsive group of students. Roll on the next!

Professional artist Julie McLean (owner of Sandpiper Studio) went the extra mile (as always) to create a wonderful 2 day painting break for everyone in her wonderful studio at Foxes Farm and Riding School in Ledsham, South Wirral to include tasty buffet meals each day too.

Great loose ink and watercolour techniques explored

Encouraging the friendly group of students to work ‘large’ and enjoy really loose big brushwork with watercolour, gouache and acrylic inks together with gestural pastel strokes, everyone's mixed media paintings quickly took shape.

Bringing the paintings together - lots of wonderful expressive layers in all directions...even vertically!

It was an amazing teaching experience meeting lots of keen students in two full classes each day sharing and teaching contemporary mixed media skills with everyone.

Everyone enjoyed the workshops so much that already they are thinking about booking with me again and come back next year for yet more creative adventures at Sandpiper studio.

That's the way to do it! Loose atmospheric seascape painting - fabulous!

New mixed media workshop dates advised for 2017!
Expressive moors and mountains 3 - 4 March 2017
(watercolour, gouache, acrylic ink and pastel)

Expressive coast and cliffs 17 - 18 November 2017
(watercolour, gouache, acrylic ink and pastel)

If you'd like to know more about next years 2 day expressive painting workshops I'll be teaching at Sandpiper studio why not give Julia a ring on 07788 412 480 or email her at

info@thesandpiperstudio.co.uk to find out more.

Full details are listed on Sandpiper Studio website too at http://www.thesandpiperstudio.co.uk/

Derwent do it again with XL Blocks

Expressive seascape painting/drawing using XL Graphite and Charcoal Blocks filmed and featured on Derwent's website in their Derwent Academy. They are an absolute joy to use - wet and dry!

An exciting opportunity to work with 'Derwent' art materials happened recently - I got the chance to use their wonderful XL Graphite and Charcoal Blocks and be filmed during the process helping to show just how darn good they are!

The final dvd (filmed by very gifted and independent award winning film maker John Hamlett from 'Lunar') will be featured, pride of place on the ever popular Derwent website in their Derwent Art Academy very soon. 

Moorland 'advance techniques' painting using Derwent XL Charcoal Blocks. Anything is possible with these amazing painting tools and this painting may take any number of directions yet still! 

Close up of the moorland painting created using Derwent XL Charcoal. A beautiful, quick and responsive medium that works brilliantly when dry or wet for expressive drawing and painting techniques.

The Derwent Academy shows many different artists demonstrating different techniques so well worth exploring. All featured artists using Derwent's high quality art products are at the top of their game so it was a real honour to be filmed showing my techniques to inspire you all.

During the full days filming shoot at Derwent's studio close to Keswick (the lovely and historic Lakeland market town in the Western Fells), we covered lots of interesting techniques featuring exciting and expressive drawing subjects covering landscape and seascape compositions.

Two of the films help beginners understand the fundamental creative techniques possible using the unique Derwent XL Blocks (Graphite and Charcoal XL Blocks) whilst the other two short dvd's cover more advanced techniques (again with Graphite and Charcoal XL Blocks) showing the full versatility of these exciting, art products.

To discover just how easy and exciting these amazing art products are to use (especially for expressive drawing and painting) you just have to try them for yourselves!

For further details about XL Graphite and Charcoal Blocks visit 

http://www.pencils.co.uk/en/gb/4424/xl-graphite-blocks

http://www.pencils.co.uk/en/gb/4425/xl-charcoal-blocks

The XL Charcoal and XL Graphite Block inspirational dvd's will be released soon on Derwent's website. Keep you posted!

XL Charcoal and XL Graphite Blocks available form leading art supplies.

For more information about John Hamlett and his company 'Lunar' please visit www.lunar.co.uk

A full year...in just 6 minutes!

Whenever I get the opportunity to paint outdoors I head for the hills - well the Pennine fells to be precise, particularly those in the south Pennines in the areas around Kirklees near Huddersfield - whatever the season!

This amazing, atmospheric and dramatic location has been the inspiration for a film we have recently created celebrating the beauty of the South Pennines with me painting with pastel and paint in all four seasons, rain, wind, sun, snow and of course 'mizzle'!

There are so many inspirational painting subjects in the south pennines we were hard pushed to select just the few for our 6 minute film packing all four seasons into 6 minutes of compelling watching as I 'worked my magic' across the Canson watercolour and pastel papers. 

Graphite was chosen for the Winter work high above Diggle and close to Milnsbridge in Huddersfield creating en plein air studies for the exciting studio paintings (featured) dripping tipping and pouring paint - Jackson Pollock most certainly influential!

The Pennine hills hold a major attraction - old abandoned farms and hamlets and weathered ruins that stand sentinel over the landscape as the harsh weather year by year batters away at the very fabric of each - but still they remain, never giving up. For that alone they just have to be painted!

Pennine gritstone walls that intertwine and stretch for miles across the landscape up and down dale but all too often feel the force of nature until they eventually collapse and are absorbed by nature once more. 

It is through these gaps I found a place to shelter to paint my view high above the Pennine village of Diggle nestling in the Valley with huge fells towering above with names such as 'The Big Rough'. How Northern is that!

Deep in the Pennines valleys the mill towns fare better. The old mills still remain but many have lost their industrial voices only to become all spruced up and made into new and modern apartments. Modern and old side by side - another visual feast for the artist as cubic and linear forms interlace in all directions. Yet more great and fascinating drawing and painting subjects!

I feel really connected to the land here  - not least because I have northern routes and feel I really do know it. My drawings and paintings created in the Pennines outside within this landscape make me explore and understand to an even greater depth this landscape I'm so compelled to work with as you'll see in the film.

Other artists I've had the absolute privilege to work with include David Blackburn O.B.E. (from Huddersfield) from whom I learnt a great deal. For his vision, creative wisdom and encouragement I will be forever indebted. Many of the places I have revisited in this film were places I went to with him.

Fellow artisan Richard Littlewood (a very gifted photographer from Huddersfield and personal friend of both of us) also knew David well. Richard has branched out into film making and knows the South Pennines really well. it was a real privilege to work with him on this film.

Richard grew up in Huddersfield so his knowledge of the area made the film even better and extra special! 

Richard and I feel the South Pennine landscape is one to spend time within, absorb, admire, respect, listen too and really 'feel' - hence the need to express all of this in our film celebrating the beauty of this amazing landscape.

So here it is, our creative vision of the Pennines - grab the popcorn, sit back and enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_WUKgjEUpk

For more information about Richard Littlewood's creative photography and film making visit http://www.richard-littlewood.com/

To see David Blackburn's amazing pastel paintings and creativity visit http://www.davidblackburn.org/