Autumn Term Art Dates

Claire and I have put together next term's Art Dates

Wednesday 22 October - Autumn Colours

Tuesday 4 November - Autumn Colours

Wednesday 5 November - Hidden Corners & Secret Places

Tuesday 11 November - Hidden Corners & Secret Places

Wednesday 26 November - Painting Acrylics with Palette Knives*

Tuesday 2 December - A Winter Seascape

Wednesday 3 December - A Winter Landscape

All our classes run from 9.30am - until approx 3pm

Classes cost £70 and include all of your materials, a 2 course lunch with a glass of wine and refreshments throughout the day.

(* The NEW class, Painting Acrylics with Palette Knives will cost £75 due to the extra materials required for the day). 

To book please email me at emily@treetops-newbury.co.uk

Summer Sunshine & End of Term

The relaxed state started early today.  What a beautiful day!

Today's painting was a Summer Sunshine Landscape with buttercups.

A very happy sunny idea.

I particularly like this inspiring photograph of Claire's.

We pencilled in our initial sketch and masked the buttercups with masking fluid.

Some people did farmhouses, some did cows, it was very relaxed today, you could decide how you wanted your finished painting to look.

We had a complete mix of artists too, from beginners through to artists who've been with us for eight or so years.  It was a lovely group.

We had a "Jamie" inspired lunch, delicious asparagus, followed by Berkshire strawberries which I used in the latest Waitrose pudding recipe.

Here are the finished paintings:

Today was the last class of term.  I will update the blog with next term's dates during the Summer Holidays, if you would like to be on my mailing list, please get in touch.

Malta Watercolour

Hard at work on Wednesday at our Summer in the Med watercolour class.

Claire had chosen a lovely photograph of a harbour in Malta called Marsaxlokka.

It was full of colour and points of interest.

We talked about the composition of the picture, you don't have to put everything in, you can hint at things that are there, and build up a focus around a certain area that the eye will automatically go to.

First we did a wash for the sky and worked on the outline of our buildings.

We used masking fluid for white stripes on the boat and on some of the market awnings.

Some of us used a new fan brush to do the palm trees. 

The boats were the last to be painted, followed by some reflections in the water. 

It was a loooong day, hard work, but lots learnt!

(The painting below still needs to be finished)

We enjoyed a delicious lunch

Some Salmon with Honey, Lavender and Pistachios, from a Good Housekeeping Recipe

With some delicious tomato and bean salad salsa from my new favourite book, The Medicinal Chef, Dale Pinnock, and Mary Berry's classic potato salad.

And there's no better pud on a Summer's Day, than meringues, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and some greek yoghurt with a whirl of vanilla bean paste mixed through.

The Rockies Return ....

This photo sums up our class yesterday, lots of laughter and fun!

Along with tons of drawing, perspective and lines ... before anyone was allowed to pick up a paintbrush!

It was lovely to celebrate a shared birthday of both our tutor Claire and Maggie, who came with her Wokingham Rock Choir friends.

Nearly the end of term .....

What beautiful weather we are having!

Next week is our last week of term and there are some spaces available on one of our Watercolour classes with Claire Warner.

Wednesday 2 July

Summer in the Med

A great painting with plenty of colour

9.30am - approx 3pm

£70

(includes all of your materials, a 2 course home cooked lunch, a glass of wine and refreshments throughout the day).

Suitable for all levels of artists.

Come and enjoy a lovely relaxing day. 

A Lazy Day on the Thames - Watercolour

A lovely painting day yesterday with Claire; A Lazy Day on the Thames.

Claire demonstrated a Henley on Thames scene, but there was also a Marlow scene and a Wallingford painting.

Beautiful blues for the sky and river. 

We mixed up three greens and masked various parts of our painting that we wanted to keep white and fresh.

I think everyone's ducks look very cute!

We have some spaces left on Wednesday 2 July - Summer on the Med, before we break up for the Summer Holidays.

A Celebration of Sunlight - Andalucia

Rain was due, but we ended up having a lovely day on Wednesday, whilst we painted an Andalucian scene.

There was alot of drawing involved, so the room was silent for quite a long time during the morning!

We discussed the vanishing point, and spent a while on perspective, as we started by drawing the lines for the building, it's balcony, windows and roof.

Pretty plant pots, tables with wine, and clever shadows really bought the paintings to life. 

Having a little rest outside ......

Delicious lunch today, Nigella's Spanish Chicken, Chorizo and New Potatoes, served with a lentil and beetroot salad, crusty bread and a green salad.

But pudding was very english, berkshire strawberries, served alongside meringues, double cream, blueberries and raspberries.

A very successful day.

Claire will be running another painting holiday to Andalucia in October, please contact me if you would like details.