Over the years of delivering courses, I've found that many of my weekend students have often wanted to stay for longer than 2 days to create an even more beautiful artwork and take their work to the next stage. With this in mind, I am now offering 5 day workshops as well. 

The course is ostensibly about painting birds in watercolour. However in many respects this is a course of 2 parts. The first part gives you the nuts and bolts of how to see and draw any subject, looking at line, perspective, tone, shape, edge, composition. It moves quickly on to the fundamental qualities of watercolour paint; its translucency, its relationship to water and paper; how it works and moves on the surface.

Traditional methods in layering up paint as well as blending and lifting out colour are demonstrated together with a contemporary take on colour theory using the Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/black model as the basis for colour mixing. However, the second underlying theme of the course covers exploration when you will be encouraged to embrace a childlike inquisitiveness about “what if”, without the fear of ‘making mistakes’ or ‘wasting resources’. You’ll be given an array of ideas about how to experiment and explore watercolour using brushes, twigs, masking fluid, feathers, spatulas, salt, cling film… in fact anything that might make interesting marks on the page.

 

You’ll be shown ways to splash, scrawl and scribble with abandon. These techniques will enable you to describe feathers, markings, branches, rocks or foliage in a loose, interpretative style. This two pronged approach will help you get the most out of the unique qualities that watercolour has to offer, whilst finding your unique rhythm, flow and style with dynamic brush stokes, experimental techniques and calligraphic mark marking.

Day One

9.30am: Registration

10.00am: The Importance of shape and tone using charcoal. Great Tit study.

12.00pm: Exploring ways to apply watercolour using traditional and non traditional tools. Stork study.

1pm: Lunch

2.30pm: Learning about composition and how to put together a simple piece using both expressive and controlled brush work.

5pm: Finish.

7.30pm Welcome Supper

 

Day Two

9.30am: How to see and create colours of your choice using the 4 primaries

12.00pm: Painting our first full colour bird using expressive and controlled techniques part one. Prepare Peacock painting and practice colour mixing

1pm: Lunch

1.30pm: Painting our first full colour bird using expressive and controlled techniques part two .

5pm: Finish

 

Day Three

9.30am: Depicting iridescence , movement and texture through edge control. Hummingbird painting.

1pm: Lunch

1.30pm: Finding your rhythm and voice through play. Southern Carmine study

5pm: Finish

 

Day Four

9.30am: Rendering wing markings in an expressive fashion. Barn Owl study

11.30am: A local local field trip by foot, a short walk round Arley to photograph birds, pheasants, ducks or chickens (weather permitting)

1pm: Lunch

1.30pm: Painting blacks and whites in birds. Penguin or puffin study, student choice

5.00pm: Finish

7.30pm: Celebratory Supper

 

Day Five

9.30am: Depicting branches and twigs in a loose interpretative style. Kingfisher study

1pm: Lunch

1.30pm: Free session to develop your style, choice of pheasant, chicken or duck

5pm: Finish

About The Venue:

Arley Studios is based in the picturesque village of Arley, close to the River Severn, Arley Arboretum and the Severn Valley railway. The studios provide a light, airy space perfect for creating your artwork! Tea, coffee and refreshments on tap all day with parking on site. 

Venue:

Arley Studios, School Bank, Arley, Worcestershire, DY12 1XG 

Although accommodation isn’t included, with luxury boutique hotels and guest houses on the Estate as well as friendly overnight hotels in the nearby town of Bewdley, you’ll be spoilt for choice. 

• The Gaol, Upper Arley, Worcestershire, a short walk from Arley Studios-Find out More
• Muskoka Air bnb, Bewdley, Worcestershire, 15 mins drive- Find out more
• Worralls Grove, Upper Arley, Worcestershire, within walking distance of Arley Studios- Find out more. 
• Kates Hill House, Bewdley, Worcestershire, around 6 miles from Arley Studios. Find out more. 
• Dunsley Hall Hotel, Kinver, Staffordshire, around 10 miles away from Arley Studios and about 17 mins drive. Find out more.
• Travel Lodge, KidderminsterA good budget option is the Travel Lodge in Kidderminster which is around 6 miles away and around 13 minutes by car. Find out more.

Price: £625 per person

What's Included: 

• 5 days of classes
• Lunch is provided everyday
• 1 x evening meal at a local fine dining restaurant
• 1 x quality evening meal at another local restaurant
• Free wi-fi during the class session
• Free on-site and nearby parking
• Complimentary refreshments throughout the day
• All art materials (bring any favourite paints or brushes if you wish)
• You'll take home a minimum of 7 pieces of art on this course
• Course completion certificate   

Allergens: Please make sure you inform me in advance of any dietary allergens you have and I will pass these on to 3rd party suppliers in writing. 

Please note that in the event of cancellation by the student, a refund cannot be offered within 8 weeks of the course start date. Cancellations prior to this will be fully refunded, less any admin fees.  In the unlikely event of the course being cancelled by the organiser, you will offered a full refund, although we will not cover ancillary expenses such as travel and accommodation costs.

Please read the terms and conditions via this link before booking: 

https://www.sarahstokesartist.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

The contract begins at the point that the first payment is paid.