Tea in the Garden - Watercolour Class

Last week we enjoyed a lovely day full of sunshine for our Watercolour Class day.

We were painting a "Tea in the Garden" scene, there were several to choose from, with Claire demonstrating the stages throughout the day.

The wisteria is on it's way!

We took a break from painting and mixing colours to enjoy lunch, some pistachio, honey and mustard salmon served with an asparagus and avocado green salad

whilst the vegetarians had an aubergine, lentil and feta dish

(which was so delicious I made it for supper the following day!)

Here is the gallery of everyone's paintings ...

So pretty and accomplished!

Thank you everyone for coming.

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I had some of the lovely rhododendrons from the garden on the table at lunch, we have a great Online Watercolour Workshop with Claire featuring Rhododendrons, it's easy to buy and download from the website.  The film is about 90 minutes long with Claire teaching you step by step how to paint the chosen painting.  You also receive a materials list, a paint chart of colours used and images of the stages to print out and have alongside you.

End of an Era - Watercolour with Claire

 ANNOUNCEMENT

Claire and I have spent the past 19 years running Art at Treetops classes, exploring watercolour, acrylics, pastels, pen and wash, mixed media and oils.

Thank you if you've painted with us either in person or via or online library of downloadable workshops.

Treetops Art days are coming to an end at the end of the Summer Term 2024.  We would both like to thank you for all your company, laughter, tears, real friendships and amazing accomplishment in your art adventures.

Time for new journeys, some more time in Cornwall, prioritising health and a gentler pace.

Claire will still be at Marlborough Summer School this year and running her April and September 3-day Cotswold Painting weekends, message me if you would like further details. Her Gift Store full of items adorned in her images can be found HERE.

Our Online Workshops will be still be available to buy from the website and I will still be running Claire's Online Art Materials Shop, with her paints, sketchpads, material boxes, paper and mounts etc.

A Frosty Morning - Two Classes this week

Claire and I have spent the last two days with some lovely artists, painting a Frosty Morning Scene, the painting was filled with such glorious colours in the sky.

It was really fun to create the first wash of the sky, but not before we'd masked the sheep, fence posts and church.  We used 300lb Saunders Waterford paper from St Cuthberts Mill, it's great at absorbing the amount of water we use for this wet on wet technique.

Above are the colours we used today, we used lots of Claire's gorgeous watercolour paints/colours.

Claire demonstrates in a step by step style, you can make notes to refer back to and being a small group, you receive plenty of attention from Claire as she makes her way round the room.

It's always good to break for lunch, have some time away from the paintings and the concentration and enjoy some delicious food and a glass of wine.

This week we have enjoyed Chicken with spinach and artichokes served with herbed rice and a mixed leaf salad and slow roasted tomatoes.

For pudding we had a Raspberry and Lemon Fool.

Vegetarians and Free From diets are easily catered for.

Below is the gallery of this week's paintings:

Thanks everyone for coming

Claire is back next week for a Lake District Watercolour painting, looking at mist and reflections.

Book Here

River Thames - Temple Island Watercolour Class

 Claire joined us on 30 October for a Watercolour Class

Temple Island, near Henley on Thames

Temple Island is an elegant ornamental folly deisnged by the 18th century English architect James Wyatt, commissioned by the Freeman Family and constructed in 11771.  It was designed as a fishing lodge for Fawley Court, a nearby historic house also owned by the Freeman family.

In 1952 the Henley Regatta commitee asked the then owners for first refusal if they were to sell the Island, they tried again in the early 1980s, and in 1986 it was placed on the open market.

In 1987, the future of the island including the Temple was secured through the generosity of local couple Mr and Mrs Burrough.  Their donation made it possible for Henley Royal Regatta to acquire a 999 year lease of the island from the owners, the freehold being vested in The Trustees of Temple Island.

The downstream section of the island was retained as a nature reserve and was extensively replanted with trees.  The Victorian balcony which had decayed was replaced and the wall paintings inside which had deteriorated were repaired and brought back to the colours originally intended by Wyatt.

At other times of year you can hire Temple Island for private or corporate events between April and October, 40 people inside or 120 in a marquee outside it's a stunning spot!

In an effort to precent damage to the Temple or to its garden, visitors are barred from mooring or setting foot on the island without written permission from the Henley Royal Regatta Committee.

Interesting fact: The location was featured in the music video of "Never Turn Away" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

The drawing and perspectives took most of the morning, before we were able to brush on our masking fluid to protect the white areas.

It was a beautiful autumn day, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch including a steamed pudding, always popular!

After lunch we started with the first wash of colour before building up our painting over the remainder of the afternoon

Thanks everyone for coming, great paintings!