1. Typical Normandy landscapes (1) - atmospheric perspective in the bocage: rolling hills and a patchwork of small fields, with hedgerows studded with oak and ash give this region of Normandy an a pearance that has, alas, all but vanished from much of the UK.

2. Typical Normandy landscapes (2) - local barns and houses offer charmingly dilapidated structures with beautiful weathered stone walls. Churches too dominate the landscape with their exquisitely contoured spires and towers.

3. City visit: Caen offers an amazing number of superb abbeys, sculptures and a castle, as well as museums where we have permission to sketch. Not to mention lots of cafes, alleyways and geranium-filled terraces and balconies. Markets Friday and Sunday.

4. The Gardens 1 Portraits in Stone: sculpted figures and busts at Arts in the Garden offer a charming challenge.

5. The Gardens 2. Painting foliage - one of the most difficult aspects of landscape painting, whatever the medium! As well as many charming vistas, we have an extensive collection of Japanese Maples, offering a fascinating range of colours and shapes.

6. Normandy Interiors (1): visit to a metalworking workshop set in an old barn, offering a wonder collection of strange and complex machines to draw and paint.

7. Normandy Interiors (2) : an old barn with a wonderful spiral staircase

9. Understanding Composition: many painting fail through lack of basic composition: i.e. how to choose and frame a subject to make a successful painting.

10. Understanding Tone: how to identify and simplify tonal values, and give your work structural coherence.

11. Understanding Colour: Too many GREENS can damage your health! Landscapes do of course often contain a lot of greens...but this doesn't mean necessarily that your paintings have to!

12. Watercolour: brush painting techniques that will give more spontaneity and panache to your work

13. Watercolour washes and wet and dry techniques: painting water and clouds

14. Flower painting: watercolour, acrylic or oil

15. Sketching people: a visit to the local markets in Villedieu offers plenty of lively scenes for your pencil or pen.

16. Using a computer to make prints and collages from your original work. (This will be the topic of a series of articles commissioned from me by Leisure Painter magazine for their January 2009 issue.)


À LA CARTE COURSE FEES 2009

Inclusive of evening meal on night of arrival, and full board and tuition during the course, and breakfast on day of departure.


Accommodation………………3 day course……………………4 day course.........................5 day course

White Room.................................... €450.............................................. €583..................................... €715

Luxury Red Room…………………524€...............................................€682......................................€836



Prices assume two people sharing room.
Single person supplement per day……………White Room..............€25

.................................................................................Red Room................€35