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Holiday Blogs 2017
In here you will find a selection of Holidays where we have produced Holiday Blogs for 2017. You will see details of holiday destination reccy’s, holiday winners and exhibitions that we have attended. The information is in summary form below or you can click on the summary to see more details and images of holidays you’ve been on.
It was an absolute delight running our first holiday in Cornwall. Cornwall has special memories for me having gone on holiday there for over 50 years. However, in recent years it has been hard to have a holiday there because we run holidays….so the only way I could think of going to Cornwall was to run painting holidays there…and this was our first.
The weather was bright and sunny, if not a little breezy and a bit nippy! We had a great time painting in Padstow, along the camel trail and my favourite place of all, Trevone Bay. On the last day we went to Boscastle and many people did some sketching.
We were very excited about this holiday and it lived up to expectations. Following the success of the Travelling Sketchbook holiday, this was our first sketching and walking in Cornwall and we started in the car park at Port Gaverne and walked around the headland to Port Isaac (but we didn’t see Doc Martin!) and then we spent the day walking around Port Isaac. (Top and Bottom Left)
It was an absolute delight running our first holiday in Cornwall. Cornwall has special memories for me having gone on holiday there for over 50 years. However, in recent years it has been hard to have a holiday there because we run holidays….so the only way I could think of going to Cornwall was to run painting holidays there…
We were very excited about this holiday and it lived up to expectations. Following the success of the Travelling Sketchbook holiday, this was our first sketching and walking in Cornwall and we started in the car park at Port Gaverne and walked around the headland to Port Isaac (but we didn’t see Doc Martin!) and then we spent the day…..
Holiday Blogs 2017 - Full Details
On the last day we walked around Boscastle as there are so many spots to paint there.
Above: On another day we walked along Little Petherick Creek and along some of the Camel Trail into Padstow. Here the group are looking towards the Camel Estuary.
Bottom Right: The day we planned to walk from Trevone to Stepper Point and back to Padstow, the winds were in excess of 50 miles per hour, so we did a sketch from Trevone looking to Tregudda and then jumped in the mini-
I then told the group that we would be sketching at Gun Point. Some people looked worried and then I pointed out that it was a headland within the Camel Estuary!
Once we had lunch the wind started to get up, so some of the group went back to the studio to paint but some hardy souls decided they wanted to walk from Hawkers Cove to Padstow even though they couldn’t paint.
Above: David doing his Man at C&A impersonation!
On this holiday we picked up a couple of ladies from their home in Sidmouth on the way to the hotel as the driver had broken her arm and couldn’t drive or easily travel by public transport.
We had great weather for this holiday, except for one afternoon when we retreated to the studio.
Our first day was at Trevone (Left) a personal favourite of mine. You can see the group painting the bay, the headland and the round hole, what a perfect setting!
You can see Rob here giving people plenty of one-
However, after all these years, I have found my vocation in life. On the day we went to Padstow, in the morning a guest was being pestered by the art equivalent of Harry Enfield and so I decided to intervene and side track him while Rob muscled in and gave the guest proper tuition.
Then at lunchtime the same guest was being pestered by a Sea Gull who snatched part of her lunch, so I had to chase him off.
At the end of the holiday, She said “Thanks go to Rob for excellent tuition, to Gill for bring teas and coffees and to Matt for warding off unwanted art critics and Sea Gulls!”
Top Right: Rob demonstrating in Padstow Harbour
Bottom Right: The group painting the Camel Estuary.
In Memory of Terry Harrison: This holiday was very hard for us to run because originally it was meant to be Terry teaching but sadly he was taken ill and passed away the day of the holiday. It was a great shock to us because Terry was a brilliant painter, one of our top tutors and a great friend and he will be greatly missed.
Our thanks go to Rob Dudley for not only stepping in at the last minute but taking the reigns when we needed some time out, he did a fantastic job.
Left: When Rob said he was going to park his car in the harbour at Boscastle, I didn’t think he meant like that!
There was some great weather on Kevin’s holiday as you can see at Kilver Court and at Nunney Castle, complete with Castle, Moat, Historic Church, Cottages and a JCB! Oh the hazards of painting outdoors……
On this holiday we picked up a couple of ladies from their home in Sidmouth on the way to the hotel as the driver had broken her arm and couldn’t drive or easily travel by public transport. We had great weather for this holiday, except for one afternoon when we retreated to the studio. Our first day was at Trevone a personal favourite of mine. You can see the group painting the bay, the headland and the round hole, what a perfect setting!
Again some great weather in Exmoor with Paul as you can see here on the Left where the group managed to find some welcome shade to paint the stunning Countisbury Hill on the North Devon Coast……..
Here you can see Jem is doing a demo of the church at St. Briavel’s………
There was some great weather on Grahame’s holiday as you can see Left at Bishop’s Palace and Kilver Court. A couple of ladies who had come from New Zealand got invited in for coffee when we were at Nunney as they………
Our first holiday in France with Barry was amazing. The weather was hot, the views were stunning, the guests had a great time and Barry kept everyone entertained and well tutored. We went to the Ochre Village of Roussillon with the surreal Ochre fields and Goult with it’s traditional streets and Windmill and Fontaine Da Vaucluse which is something completely different, a stunning gorge with a torrent of a river running through and some great architecture……
We were pleased to welcome Andy Walker to Caldas De Monchique. The weather was hot and often it was a case of finding some shade. We used trees, umbrellas and even the Mini-
There was some great weather on Kevin’s holiday as you can see Left at Kilver Court and at Nunney Castle, complete with Castle, Moat, Historic Church, Cottages and a JCB! Oh the hazards of painting outdoors.
Left: Another idyllic spot here in Wells on another glorious day.
Again some great weather in Exmoor with Paul as you can see here on the Left where the group managed to find some welcome shade to paint the stunning Countisbury Hill on the North Devon Coast.
Above: Some people will go to great lengths to hide, so that they can get a good composition.
Some people were really enjoying the party (Above) until a gate crasher turned up (Below).
Here you can see Jem is doing a demo of the church at St. Briavel’s.
Above: Now that’s what I call being kitted out for En-
Right: A Guest taking a picture of us, taking a picture of a guest, taking a picture of….you get the idea….You looking at me!
Left & Below: The best camouflaged artist competition. Artists do like to hide away.
There was some great weather on Grahame’s holiday as you can see Left at Bishop’s Palace and Kilver Court. A couple of ladies who had come from New Zealand got invited in for coffee when we were at Nunney as they wanted to have a well earned break from painting.
Left: I think Grahame is a bit harsh ordering someone out of his class. (I think he was giving advice on perspective)
Above: Talking of perspective, Grahame, it’s behind you! Try drawing that awning!
Our first holiday in France with Barry was amazing. The weather was hot, the views were stunning, the guests had a great time and Barry kept everyone entertained and well tutored.
We went to the Ochre Village of Roussillon with the surreal Ochre fields (Left & Right) and Goult (Second Left & Right) with it’s traditional streets and Windmill and Fontaine Da Vaucluse (Third Left & Right) which is something completely different, a stunning gorge with a torrent of a river running through and some great architecture.
Our second holiday in France with Jeremy was just as amazing. We went to Goult Windmill and Lourmarin with it’s Chateaux. We also visited Roussillon . When we visited Fontaine Da Vaucluse it was beautiful in the morning as per the picture but over lunch, I felt that I needed to see if Gill was alright and I left the restaurant and no sooner got to the painting location and the heavens opened and we got drenched and had to run around and………
Above: When we were painting at the windmill in Goult, a couple of ladies spoke to Barry as they really loved his pictures and one asked him to do a painting of Goult for them. Here she is pictured on the left and her husband on the right with Barry.
Left: On the day off from painting we took the group to the Ochre Museum in Roussillon and I saw this book titled “Trucs et Astuces de Terry” (Harrison), which was poignant as sadly he never made it to Provence with us.
Below: We thought that whilst we were at the Ochre Museum Barry needed to go back to basics.
Above: This was the group on the day off in a delightful restaurant called Le Jardin, Cafe Illy in Gordes. One of the guests had previously noticed that I was on “Restaurant Duty” each day and Gill was on “Equipment Duty” but here we are both on “Restaurant Duty”…it’s a hard life!
Right: Here you can see the old Ochre Factory with all the workings and the fires, which was fascinating and well worth a visit along with the Ochre Fields.
Our second holiday in France with Jeremy was just as amazing.
We went to Goult Windmill (Left) and Lourmarin (Right) with it’s Chateaux. We also visited Roussillon (Second Left).
When we visited Fontaine Da Vaucluse (Second Right) it was beautiful in the morning as per the picture but over lunch, I felt that I needed to see if Gill was alright and I left the restaurant and no sooner got to the painting location and the heavens opened and we got drenched and had to run around and turn people’s pictures facing downwards so they didn’t get and generally protect their gear. When it stopped we went back to the hotel and Gill and I had to dry off while the non painting guests kindly dried the chairs out in the baking sun.
When we went to Goult, unknown to us they started setting up for a fair in the square. (Bottom Right). This guest tried to tell me that he was painting the church. I didn’t believe him because I thought he was painting the “The Fallen Madonnas….”
Above: As you can see Jeremy is giving some 1-
We were pleased to welcome Andy Walker to Caldas De Monchique. The weather was hot and often it was a case of finding some shade. We used trees, umbrellas and even the Mini-
Top Left & Right: You can see Andy on the first day, doing a demo and giving some tips to people on mixing colour.
Third Left : You can see the group painting here and Andy (Third Right). Just look at the colour of the sea!
Below: It was a good group, a great bunch of people, with some characters that all got on so well, such a great holiday.
We often attract attention when on location as people show interest and watch demonstrations but the interest this character was showing was a bit of a surprise.
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