Join Billy Showell for one week of botanical art using watercolour. Billy will guide you on how to capture the beauty of leaves found on the grounds of Atelier Clos Mirabel.
About this course:
How lovely to have a whole week of painting, to really concentrate on the beautiful differing greens that we can find around the garden or countryside. On this course, I’m hoping to make you all fall in love with painting green. My aim is that we all produce a beautiful posey of leaves to show off the beauty of leaves, but also to make a beautiful and pretty composition by the end of the week. By putting the leaves into a posey, we can cover all aspects of composing a botanical painting.
During the first part of the course, we will be choosing and arranging the leaves, making sure that the posey is beautifully arranged and doable in the time we have. We will then explore all of the various shades of green that can be mixed, beginning to depict the different veining and patterns on the leaves while also focussing on creating light and shade for the posey.
During the course, I hope to offer you confidence for the wet in wet method, but also push you to produce beautiful portraits of the leaves; learning what to include and what to leave out of your study, ultimately creating a beautiful painting to be proud of. There will be plenty of time to practice all of the techniques that I hope to share with you during the week, while completing your main posey study. I look forward to getting to know you and your painting style, helping you along in your botanical painting journey.
Botanical Painting Holiday – Outline Programme:
Saturday
4.00 – Check-in time from 4pm onwards. Guests arrive, settle in and explore Atelier Clos Mirabel
6.00 – Welcome drinks and dinner
Sunday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 12.00 Introduction & choosing our plants
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 5.00 Sketching out our studies and perfecting the drawings
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House or on the terrace
Monday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 12.00 Painting technique practice with demos
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 5.00 Painting and demos
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House or on the terrace
Tuesday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 12.00 Continuing painting and demos
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 5.00A good afternoon of painting with one to one advice
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House or on the terrace
Wednesday – day off
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
We suggest wine tasting in local vineyard, explore Pau or beyond
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House or on the terrace
Thursday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 12.00 Painting and perfecting
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 5.00 Painting and adding more details and drama
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House or on the terrace
Friday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 12.00 Perfecting our paintings
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 5.00 Final touches and questions, an informal appraisal of the weeks work
6.00 – Evening exhibition in the double living room of Clos Mirabel. Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House or on the terrace
Saturday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet Breakfast and departure (Check-out 11am)
Non-painting guests: we are more than happy to welcome non-painting guests, accompanying partners, family or friends. There are plenty of activities to experience around Clos Mirabel, that will make your holiday unforgettable Click here for more information.
The Art Studio offers a spacious open plan layout of 75 m2. It is available at all times during your stay. Click here for more information.
