The Week

Saturday

Arrive at the hotel for a relaxing evening and a welcome meal. Decompress and meet the other members of the group. The accommodation is in the Auberge/Hotel of the village. We live in a rural area, surrounded by beautiful countryside. This really is a relaxing place and guests will have a truly French experience. Each room has ensuite bathroom or shower. 

Sunday

8.45am - 9.45 am - A continental breakfast awaits you. Transfer to the studio in Laás to start the day.

10 am - 12.30 pm - We will start with a drawing lesson exploring proportions and planes of the human head. Exploring how to build up tone using one colour. 
12.30 pm - 1.45 pm - Lunch at our local French restaurant.

1.45 pm - 4.45 pm - Working from photographic reference we will work on a small painting to understand the principals of oil painting. We will prepare the canvas and continue to develop the underpainting. Looking at how to see tonal ranges in a portrait we explore how to set up a work space and oil palette developing colour mixing and creating flesh tones. 

Students will learn to mix solutions for painting and how to use them. Getting ready for our next day of painting.

5pm - 5.30pm Drinks 

7.30 pm - A three course meal for dinner, followed by your own relaxation time.

 

Monday

8.45 am - 9.45 am - A continental breakfast awaits you. 

9.45 am - 10 am - Transfer to the studio

10 am - 4.45 pm - Day of painting in the studio in Laás. Kate will teach you the next steps to successfully create a portrait using layers to build up your piece. This will give you the confidence before we work with a life model.
Lunch 12.30 - 1.45 pm Picnic by the river and the opportunity to swim.
1.45pm - 5.30pm  Contine painting 
7.30 pm - Dinner at the hotel followed by your own relaxation time. Opportunity to play Pétanque.

 

Tuesday

8.45 - 9.45 am - A continental breakfast awaits you. 

10 am - 12.30 pm - Working directly from a model we create a painting from life. Developing colour studies of the subject, we will explore the narrative in portraiture. 
12.30 pm -1.30 pm Buffet style light lunch.

1.30 - 3.30 pm - Students continue to develop colour studies from the model. 
3.30 pm - 4.30 pm - You will take a photo of the model and develop your own concept.
5 pm Freetime 
7.30 pm Dinner at our house.
9 pm Drinks and an artist talk. Local artists will come and discuss their work with you. 

 

Wednesday
8.15 am - 9 am - An early breakfast 
9.30 - 11am - Visit to the morning market in Salies de Béarn. Taking a break from painting we will explore the thermal town and its traditional French market. 
11.30 am - 12.30 pm - Return to the studio. Prepare your canvas for our final painting. 
12.30 pm - 1.45 pm -Lunch in a local restaurant 
1.45 pm - 5.30 pm - Sketching out your painting and underpainting.

5.45pm-7pm- Visit a walled village and the local art galleries.

8 pm- Dinner at the restaurant 

 

Thursday
8.45 am - 9.45 am - Breakfast at the hotel 
9.45 am - Transfer to the studio 
10 am - 12.30 pm - Continuing to work on our final painting we will begin to build up layers adding glazes. 

Students will develop their own art piece exploring the narrative in portraiture. 
12.30 pm - 1.45 pm - Lunch at a local restaurant.
1.45 pm - 4.45 pm - We will discuss glazing and how to explore further techniques in your painting.
5 pm - Transfer back to hotel 
7 pm - A beautiful three course meal to celebrate the end of the course and all the fabulous paintings created.
 

Friday:
Breakfast and goodbyes.