The Tutors & Their Courses
Some courses are booked directly through the tutor and these are marked with an asterisk before their name and their contact details are listed (just below and more details at the bottom of the page). We have included, where possible, website addresses of the tutors. We have also provided a helpful diary so you can see at a glance when and what is going on. How to contact tutors who run their own courses - at a glance.
Roy ChaffinSun 13th May 2008 - Acrylics Workshop - Painting Wildlife - £65
Brian CoppardSat 5th April 2008 – Adding Atmosphere to Oil Paintings - £60
We shall also be repeating the extremely popular, and usually over subscribed, pastel animal portrait class as well as including another pastel day on finding out how to produce realistic skies in the landscape. You can bring your own photos to work from but Brian will also bring a collection from his own library. Brian is responsible for getting me started with pastels many years ago – something I shall be eternally grateful for!
Roger DellarSat 29th & Sun 30th March 2008 - Oil Portraits - £125
Roger is an extremely popular tutor as well as a much exhibited painter - Roger will be teaching by demonstration and individual tuition and we shall have different models, both male and female, on each day for both courses.
Joe DowdenFriday 7th & Sat 8th November - Watercolour Reflections
Charles EvansSat 17th & Sun 18th May 2008 – Watercolours – Pencils and Paint - £115
Tim FisherTues 23rd & Wed 24th September 2008 – Sketching & Painting with Watercolour Pencils £115
Tim is well known as a regular Demonstrator for Derwent pencils and regularly writes about this subject in the Leisure Painter magazine.
Soraya FrenchSat 12th April 2008 – The Beach – Acrylics and Mixed Media - £115
Lavinia HamerTues 8th April 2008 – Wet into Wet Watercolour Techniques for Successful Skies - £55
Watercolour is Lavinia’s first love and particularly the effects you can achieve with wet into wet painting. Her first course will be exactly what it says in the title – if you always have trouble with your skies then this is the course for you! In June we thought it would be fun to put on a course whereby the students could produce a simple but effective painting of a simple object such as a strawberry or a chilli! These look great framed in for your kitchen and you pick up lots of tips and techniques at the same time that will help all aspects of your watercolour painting. Finally, in the autumn, one again using wet into wet watercolours, you can explore the colours and fruits of the season – always popular and fun to do.
Barry HernimanTues 12th & Wed 13th August 2008
James HorslerTues 15th April 2008 – Starting with Pastels - £55
James runs an informal class on Thursday afternoons where students can bring their own work to paint. James is on hand to give advice and encouragement and as well as regularly demonstrating new ideas to provide inspiration – contact him directly on the number below if you are interested in attending. Tel: 01255 435106
Ian KingSat 14th & Sun 15th June 2008 – Pens, Washes and Watercolours - £115
Christine MayWed 19th November 2007 – Boats and Barges in Watercolour - £60
Keith MortonTues 27th & Wed 28th May 2008 – Life Painting Workshop – Oils or Acrylics - £125
Sylvia PaulSat 15th March 2008 - Intensive Tutored Life Drawing £65
Andrew PittTues 11th & Wed 12th March 2008 - Freshen up your Watercolours - £115
John ShaveSat 13th & Sun 14th September 2008 – Impressionist Boats and Estuaries in Oil - £115
Fortunately he is still able to come down in September for another one of his very popular weekends of painting. The course is designed to help you interpret your subject in an impressionist way with demonstrations and discussions to illustrate this, including how to apply and blend the paint, mix colour, use your brush and interpret nature. Suitable for all abilities, you will have plenty of help and one to one tuition throughout each day. If the weather is fine John will try to take the group out to our local boatyard for preliminary sketching and inspiration – otherwise you will be studio based most of the time.
Bryan ThatcherSat 31st May 2008 - Wet into Wet Watercolour Landscapes - £60
Graham TimminsSat 22nd & Sun 23rd April 2008 – Contemporary Landscapes in Oils - £115
David WebbTues 29th & Wed 30th April 2008 – Animal Painting in Watercolour - £115
Sue WilliamsTues 3rd & Wed 4th June 2008 – Venice Views in Watercolour and Mixed Media - £115
Nat YoungTues 28th & Wed 29th October 2008 - Expressive Landscapes in Acrylics - £115
Book Directly with these TutorsFor more information or to book please ring or contact these tutors directly as they organise their own courses - don't worry, you will still get lunch! Paul BryantBob Ross Painting Workshop – September – details direct from Paul. Tel: 01603 472869
Melanie Cambridge
This three day Summer School for oil painters will include some outdoor sketching and painting weather permitting. Maximum of 8 students – paint and equipment included. Tel: 0208 660 4982
Laura Reiter7th & 8th August 2008 Tel: 0208 8668715
Richard TaylorSat 10th & Sun 11th May – Painting a Country Garden in Spring – Watercolours - £158
Richard also played an instrumental part when we set up this studio – giving us our first bookings and offering encouragement and support when I was still wondering if it all wasn’t just a dreadful mistake! Tel: 01255 221511 |
We have a broad range of one and two day courses covering all media. We have tried to ensure that there is something for everyone, from beginners to the more experienced painter who wants to try something different. We are not in the business of cramming people in to the studio and we try to keep numbers at a reasonable level to make sure that everyone receives plenty of individual attention. Class numbers do vary though depending on the tutor and the medium.
We welcome back for a fourth year this internationally acclaimed wildlife artist. This is a day course in the use of acrylics and how they can be best used to effect with painting a small animal on the day. Roy is known for his unique style, combining photographic detail with artistic portrayal. Entirely self taught Roy gladly shares his knowledge and expertise giving talks, demonstrations and lectures on painting techniques.
Brian is a popular tutor who leads you gently through his one day courses, imparting lots of information and technique secrets to help you all achieve an individual painting. Bryan has a lovely way of painting with very dry oils and blending with a dry brush - do try it - this year we are going to show how this method can be used to put atmosphere into your paintings but the technique can be used to paint anything.
We are extremely lucky to have Roger here for two weekends next Spring as he is always very popular and over subscribed – early booking is recommended! Once again Roger will be looking at portraits and life painting in oils – something I am sure many of his fans will be pleased about.
Joe’s first visit here - a magical watercolour artist and a brilliant teacher and communicator. He is able to both demonstrate his skill and watercolour technique in a methodical, clear, step-by-step process with an instructive commentary – can’t wait!
Charles really needs no introduction - he is extremely well known on the circuit, tutoring all over the Country to packed houses and author of many books, videos etc. We are delighted that Charles will be returning to Watershed in 2007 - his very popular courses are suitable for all abilities, particularly those of you who are still hesitant about a particular medium. Stage-by-stage painting will follow a demonstration with tips and techniques advice. This year he will be teaching watercolours, oils and watercolour pencils. 
Watercolour pencils offer a clean and convenient way of working and controlling watercolour. Enjoy two days in this wonderful location exploring Tim’s unique approach to using watercolour pencils as a sketching medium and also as a means of producing finished paintings. You will learn lots of techniques that are special to this medium as Tim is seen as an expert in this field of painting, often combining watercolour pencils with ink work. Let Tim show you how to get the most out of solid watercolour pencils and Derwent Inktense..jpg)
High Days and Holidays, and The Beach will be Soraya’s themes this year – both all encompassing titles that can include anything from beach huts and deck chairs, to beach scenes to harbours and boats! Or family weddings, days out, celebrations, or just a particularly good view you enjoyed from the car! Bring photos of your holidays and events or use some that Soraya will have with her – this is an opportunity to work freely and expressively with demonstrations and plenty of one to one guidance from Soraya. You will have to work hard but it will be a very rewarding time and you will have the chance to experiment with acrylics, acrylic inks and oil pastels etc – great fun! I predict this will be fully booked by February as the one day course is already practically full! However, waiting lists are made as people do have to sometimes drop out due to unforeseen circumstances. 
Now for something completely different – Lavinia has been teaching at the Studio since we first opened and has become a firm favourite with students for her practical, no nonsense teaching style honed from many years experience as an art tutor.
Barry is another well known name around the country and a regular contributor to the Leisure Painter Magazine. This will be Barry’s third visit and we just had to make sure he came back in the summer so he would have to wear his shorts! We had a super couple of days with Barry last summer again – even though the atmosphere was very relaxed everyone learned so much and got so much out of the two days using not only watercolour but pencils and inktense pencils too. In 2008 learn how to use a sketchbook to enhance your work - Barry has a whole mass of inspiring sketchbooks that show so many of the places he has been and the people he has seen – strong loose watercolours, pencils and pens – loose and liberating!.jpg)
This year James will be looking mostly at courses for beginners or people wanting to try out or go back to the basics in a particular medium. All the materials will be provided for these courses, ideal if you are not sure if the medium will suit you before you go and spend too much money on new gear! You are in safe hands with James and these are gentle, friendly courses to inspire and encourage new students.
TV artist Ian King’s workshops are always very popular and good fun too! Ian will be teaching by demonstration as well as offering plenty of individual tuition. These two day courses will cover the basics of permanent pens, water soluble pens, other mark makers as well as basic washes.
This course follows on beautifully from Christine’s popular 2007 course on coastal landscapes. However, even if you missed that one you will still find this year’s day concentrating on boats and barges a MUST if you enjoy painting this subject. Christine is a well known artist and tutor who also just happens to live close by to us here! Her work is exquisite and breathtaking and we are so pleased that she has agreed to come back and pass on how she achieves her results. It seemed obvious to follow last years popular day with this topical and wide ranging subject of boats and barges – however, some previous experience with drawing and this medium is necessary.
Keith is fast becoming one of our most popular tutors with his quiet but infectious enthusiasm for his subject and the use of colour. The two day portrait workshop will give students a good foundation in the principles behind creating a likeness and is suitable for artists of all levels. You will paint from life. We will also have a model for the life painting day in May. As a change this year we have included a one day portrait course at the end of the year for beginners. This will take you back to the very basics of creating a likeness and is suitable for people who have never tried to paint a likeness, or people who are utterly frustrated by this subject, or if you would just like to go back and start all over again!.jpg)
It is always a delight to welcome Sylvia to the Watershed. Her vibrant and colourful paintings are very inspirational and her workshops are great for those people who yearn to loosen up and be more expressive. Sylvia works at great speed and after a demonstration she is on hand to give masses of individual advice. As well as workshops using impasto oils, her collage workshops are a must for anyone wanting to try something different and experimental. We are including an intensive life drawing day at the beginning of the year and a new course just in acrylics –Fun and Free Landscapes in May. These are two single day workshops that can be taken back to back as a two day course if wanted. Early booking is recommended - these courses fill up extremely quickly!
Andrew is a highly respected and popular tutor from Suffolk (used to be north Norfolk) and we are delighted to welcome him back to Watershed. His lovely fresh and uncomplicated style of oil and watercolour painting is a must for artists who have been disappointed with their results or who want to further understand these elusive media. Both courses do exactly what they say in the title, the object being to keep things simple but very effective – if you are still not sure just look on Andrew’s website at his wonderful paintings and I am sure it will help you to make up your mind! Andrew takes the students very thoroughly through the basics of each medium, giving them the opportunity to watch how the paint is applied and various other techniques and he is an absolute mine of information that will inspire and educate all keen painters.
Unfortunately John is only able to with us for one weekend in 2008 – we have had to cancel the June date that was published in the flyer before Christmas due to him getting a much better and more exciting offer – painting abroad with the Wapping Group! Don’t blame him!
Bryan will be returning to take two courses exploring the wet into wet technique of watercolour landscapes. Brian has a lovely relaxed manner, which inspires great confidence in his students.
This will be Graham’s first official year at Watershed, although he has already helped me out by standing in for a watercolour weekend course here in 2007 and proving a real hit with the students. Graham is a relatively local teacher and demonstrator. He like to create jewel-like paintings full of impact, mood and vibrant colours and feels there is a case for using beautiful art creatively in the home and workplace where an accent of colour is often missing. Despite the vibrancy of the colour people sense a restful quality to Grahams work.
We are very excited that this will be one of David’s first workshops since the publication of his new book ‘Animal Painting Workbook’. The book features both domestic and wild animals and contains lessons on how to paint animal faces, groups, animals in action, backgrounds and composition and more. It also contains many watercolour paintings and drawings. You will be able to put these lessons into practice with the expert there to help you in person on this course – a sneak preview of a few pages can be downloaded from David’s website and I defy anyone not to immediately want to have a go themselves! David is a popular artist/tutor on the nationwide tutoring circuit and is regularly featured in the Leisure Painter – I can’t wait!.jpg)
Sue is one of the most hardworking tutors I know – her work is lovely and inspiring and this first course will be a real treat for watercolour painters, especially if they also love the architecture of Venice, windows, doorways, gondola…... It was very popular in 2007 with some wonderful paintings being produced by students over the two days. You will be working from photographs and there will be an opportunity to try acrylic inks, which Sue will bring, and other mixed media techniques if you wish. A second treat is in store for the autumn with a chance to improve your landscape techniques. It will be quite a broad ranging course, challenging but extremely useful to painters wishing to extend themselves and find out more about the watercolour medium. If the weather is fine Sue hopes to paint outside around the studio. Sue gives an enormous amount of one to one tuition as well as demonstrating these techniques throughout the courses.
In 2007 we ran this course as two single days back to back but it was agreed that it would work better as a two day course as one day of painting just wasn’t enough! This course has booked very quickly in previous years so early booking is therefore advisable. This course is suitable for all students with experience who want to push the boundaries of abstraction further we are thrilled to be able to offer this exciting course with a well known local painter. Weather permitting we hope to start with sketching outside before going indoors to produce large, dramatic paintings in acrylics.
Tues 19th to Thurs 21st August 2008
Many people will best know Richard Taylor for his best selling instructional books “Natural Watercolours”, “The Watercolourists Guide to Painting Buildings” and “Drawing and Painting Buildings” as well as his work as Consultant to the internationally acclaimed ‘Art Course’ Magazine. Richard is renowned for his personal and accessible teaching style.