Class details
Join Gail in the watercolour studio for a new 6 week course featuring examples from the recently published book “The Artist’s Journey“. Author Travis Elborough details how a change of scene for artists can become ‘a voyage of discovery’ leading to fresh and creative works. During the course we’ll retrace some of the steps that inspired artists.
Tuesdays
10 September – 15 October
10am – 12.30pm
Course Fee : £110
Course Outline
10 September
JWM Turner
(1775 –1851)
In the tradition of the great romantics, Turner
travelled around Europe no less than 18 times with his sketchbooks and watercolours. The Swiss Alps was one of his favourite destinations, recording its landscapes of mountains, castles, bell towers and rural life. His studies were often painted outdoors and used as guides to help him create larger studio
made watercolours that were commissioned upon his return.
17 September
Marianne North
(1830 – 1890)
If you haven’t been to her gallery in Kew Gardens yet, then you are in for a treat. Marianne’s wanderlust started with the exotic plants in Kew. These piqued her curiosity to see and paint them in their natural habitats. She defied the limitations of both her sex and the Victorian era, travelling extensively to countries such as Japan, Brazil, Borneo, and spending over a year in India.
24 September
Gustav Klimt
(1862–1918)
Next, we will delve into Klimt’s lesser-known emerald landscapes of Lake Attersee in upper Austria. This is a location that he returned to again and again, painting over 40 visions of the lake and its surrounding countryside throughout his career.
1 October
Joaquin Sorolla
(1863- 1923)
We head to the bright sunlight of Spain where towards the end of his life, Sorolla spent almost 10 years travelling the length and breadth of his country in search of the most iconic scenes for a series of murals called Visions of Spain to be installed in America. As an accomplished portrait painter, he sought to reflect the essence of the people, with their unique customs and costumes but also show their connections to the land through their labours and traditions.
8 October
Georgia OKeeffe
(1887- 1986)
In the 1920’s whilst living amongst New York’s cultural elite, Georgia bought herself a Ford Model A to explore New Mexico. This barren and beautiful landscape held her in its grip for the next 50 years, reminding her of her mid-West childhood.
Describing her new home and studio in 1939 she wrote – ‘All the earth’s colours of the painter’s palette are out there in many miles of Badlands’.
15 October
Vincent Van Gogh
(1853- 1890)
For the last session in this series we end, as it does in the book, with Vincent’s time in Arles. After many years living in grey places such as Etten, Nuenen, Brussels, Paris and London, the power of the Provence sun brought a newfound colour and vibrancy to his work. This will also give us a prelude to the blockbuster exhibition of his work at the National that we will study the following term.
We look forward to seeing you in the watercolour studio for this short, six week course.
