Wisteria is Wonderful!

I've just had an evening stroll in the garden, mainly because the smell of the wisteria was so lovely it lured me outside. It is looking beautiful this year.

Caught Bambi eating my newly planted geraniums though .........

Bluebells

This was our third year of running the Bluebell's Watercolour Class, they were looking stunning in the woods, and as our day went through various weather extremes it meant the blue glow from the woods went through various different shades of blue and purple.

It was a brilliant day, we had a full class of eight, with three new (and nervous) ladies. Yet it was one of those days, where everyone felt at home; eating all the biscuits, drinking all the wine and downing all the caffeine ....... relaxed people create great paintings!

The paintings looked amazing when they were all mounted and displayed at the end, all of them very different, but the magical woodlands and hazy hues of bluebells were beautiful.

Lazy Days Cookery

A delicious day with a variety of recipes to make light work in the kitchen this summer. Instead of a bread, we made gruyere and bacon scones; working in pairs, we made over 100, so there were plenty for lunch and to take home. They can be easily frozen and just warmed through in the oven, and were great with the salmon starter we made.

Figs and a Coconut Jelly featured in the puddings. For more great Summer recipes, there is just ONE PLACE left on Summer Entertaining with Vanessa, which is on Wednesday 24 June.

Amazing Masterclass

As you can see, the recent Masterclass produced some fantastic paintings.

Spread over two days, it enabled Claire to spend time on more detailed watercolour work, such as buildings and people.

The first morning was spent drawing out the picture, with the first wash and colour added in the afternoon.

The second day covered some new and interesting techniques and effects.

Everyone enjoyed their two days and were very happy with their masterpieces.

Italian Cookery

We had a great class on Friday with the highlight being Pasta! Everyone hand-made their pasta and then after rolling it a few times through the pasta maker, we had a production line of tortellini making going on. Stuffed with a delicious spinach and ricotta filling, they made the perfect supper for everyone to take home. (I have now made about 200,000 meringues in the Aga from all of the remaining egg whites!)

Vanessa taught a variety of other italian inspired recipes, and the kitchen was full of the smells of basil, tomatoes, herbs and fresh bread.

Lunch was delicious, even more so with the sun streaming in.

The next two Summer Cookery Classes are on Tuesday 5 May and Wednesday 24 June, please visit the website for further details www.treetops-newbury.co.uk, or call me on 01635 44850.

Happy Easter - Class update

Happy Easter everyone!

I thought I would post an update of availability on classes before the Summer Term starts:

Practical Italian Cookery - Friday 24 April - 1 place left

Lazy Days Cookery - Tuesday 5 May - 4 spaces left

Summer Cookery - Wednesday 24 June - 5 spaces left

2-Day Watercolour Masterclass - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 April - 2 spaces left

Fun with Acrylics! - Tuesday 16 June - 3 spaces left

Summer Flowers - Tuesday 9 June - 5 spaces left

Photography - Wednesday 20 May & Friday 5 June - 5 spaces left

For further details regarding the classes, such as prices and timings, please visit the website www.treetops-newbury.co.uk, or call me on 01635 44850.

Beginner's Photography

What a fantastic day, beautiful weather and a lovely group for Jo Andreae to teach. The subject was Beginner's Photography concentrating on composition. After some time talking about everyone's cameras, lighting and various F numbers it was time to go outside in the sunshine. A couple of hours were spent taking photographs concentrating on architecture, traditional shots, contemporary, studying depths of field.

Next week, the group will return with their photographs for some analysis!