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Summer News 2010
Saturday 22nd May 2010, 11:10 AM
Watercolour Painting courses for all abilities
Hello Everyone,
Now that the fine weather is here we expect you will be thinking about getting out and about sketching. There is a fascinating exhibition at the Royal Academy celebrating outdoor watercolour painting. It is nearly 250 years since Paul Sandby first did this in Scotland as a topographical artist following the Duke of Cumberland's brutal put down of the Jacobite Uprising. 'Butcher Cumberland's dealt with 1745 Rebellion by butchering Bonnie Prince Charlie and my Highlander ancestors at Culloden. The British Government were surveying Scotland's defences and Paul Sandby and his brother Thomas were employed in mapmaking and recording. You can see how this developed into full scale landscape watercolour at the Royal Academy exhibition (until 13th June). Just walk passed the hundreds queuing to see the Van Gogh and enjoy this stunning show. You will never see better painting of trees by this, the acknowledged Father of English Watercolour.
At Adventures in Watercolour we still have a few spaces on Garden Adventure which will help complete beginners get started in safe, relaxing cottage gardens. Here you can have a choice of subject from flowers to simple barn shapes to pots and hidden corners where you can discover the fun of sketching.
Our day at Horsey Mill provides you with the chance to tackle this famous wind pump set in the heart of the Norfolk Broads. There is a boat trip included on Horsey Mere which is arguably the prettiest and quietest stretch of water on the Broads. We also have West Somerton Village Hall as a base. This has to be one of the quaintest village halls you will experience. Inside you will encounter a life size drawing of the local giant, Robert Hales who entertained Queen Victoria and her family in the 1850s.
Rydal Hall is a fine country house owned by the diocese of Carlisle in the heart of the Lake District. We shall enjoy this stately home and its extensive gardens which include one of the first covered studios for the use of plein air painting. Wordsworth's Dove Cottage is a mere walk away and his later home, Rydal Mount, is next door. Dora's Field, famous for its daffodils, is 200 yards away as areRydal Water and Grasmere Water. This is a perfect location to imbibe Romanticism both in its watercolour and poetic forms. There are still places on this course but we shall have to close booking soon so do get in touch quickly, if you are interested.
John Tookey's Master Class will take place in St Lawrence's Arts Centre in South Walsham. This is an award winning conversion of a medieval church into a wonderful studio space full of light and air. The churchyard is almost unique in that it has two mediaeval churches, a herb garden and some fine houses and cottages: all of which can be painted from this location. John will be doing at least two of his famous demonstrations. They are worth seeing and will inspire you to loosen up your technique. He is one of the best watercolour impressionists working in East Anglia.
Venice Adventure is almost full but there may be one or two spaces left. We shall be combining art and culture in this the Queen of cities. Painters will be busy in the mornings working within walking distance from our garden hotel. Both painters and non painters will explore the city and its galleries in the afternoons. In the evenings we hope to enjoy some good Italian cuisine as we discover this beautiful city at night.
We at Adventures in Watercolour hope you have a very stimulating and adventurous time sketching and painting in the warmer weather.
Christmas 2009: news for 2010
Sunday 1st November 2009, 8:18 PM
Watercolour Painting courses for all abilities
Hello Everyone,
I hope that the dark evenings have encouraged you to think about next spring and its opportunities for painting outdoors. Not that you should hibernate over the winter. I know many of you use the Christmas period to review your sketch books and have a go at some studio work translating summer sketches into larger masterpieces! Why not knock off a few home-made Christmas cards in watercolour? Nothing delights more than receiving a personal sketch in the form of a greeting card and it keeps your hand in. A quick pen drawing of your local church or even some holly splashed with loose washes is sure to delight your friends and family.
We are pleased to announce the courses we are planning for next year.
Saturday 12th June - Garden Adventure
A chance to relax and paint in two delightful cottage gardens in south Norfolk. These adjacent 17th century cottages afford good views across the fields as well as some intimate corners with a variety of plants, potting sheds, barns and garden furniture.
Saturday 26th June - Horsey Mill and Mere Adventure
This is one of Norfolk's most famous mills and beloved of painters. A boat trip on the tranquil Horsey Mere is included providing an opportunity to sketch the reed beds and distant church towers punctuating the horizon under Norfolk's vast sky.
Monday to Friday 12th -16th July - Lakeland Adventure
Rydal Hall is one of the grand houses of Lakeland set in the heart of Wordsworth country next door to Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage where he lived and wrote most of his romantic nature poetry. The hall is set in 34 acres of woodland with a beck and waterfall. There are footpaths to Ambleside and Grasmere and the
Mirror-like lakes of Rydal and Grasmere are just minutes away. The house is possibly one of the first locations for plein air painting. There is a library, bar, tea shop and lots of other facilities. We shall be sketching, looking at poetry and visiting Dove Cottage. By combining art and literature in this way the course is designed to attract both painters and their non painting partners.
Saturday and Sunday 24th - 25th July - John Tookey Masterclass
John is a master of watercolour impressionism and does very few courses a year. We are honoured that he favours us with one of these. His courses are very popular and fill quickly. We hope to combine his two great strengths: painting buildings and boats. So the venue will be set in the Norfolk Broads at a location to be announced.
September 2010 - Venetian Adventure
This course is still in the planning stage but already there is a good number of people who want to come. We will send information to anyone interested.
Our Sri Lankan Adventure has had to be postponed again because of the delicate political situation and the expected arrival of my twin grand daughters at the time we hoped to visit the Indian subcontinent. Hopefully we will make it in January 2011.
It has become obvious that the most successful courses are the painting holidays with their mix of fun and learning. We have been very fortunate to have the help of two great friends of mine, Colin and Janet Grimes who helped plan, inspire and organise the Honfleur trip last September. We all had the most splendid time in the beautiful French port - the birthplace of Impressionism. The hotel was elegant and spacious with large gardens and only five minutes walk from the Vieux Bassin. Colin has made the most delightful DVD of the trip which we have distributed to all those who came to Honfleur and we hope to get some images from it on our website.
Looking ahead to September 2010
We shall be doing some research on getting similar accommodation in the centre of Venice and possibly travelling there by Eurostar. The cost will be in the region of £850. The same team will be on hand to look after you and help inspire you to paint and enjoy this spectacular city.
In recent years we have been asked to help people with Christmas and birthday presents. A watercolour course makes a delightful gift for the hesitant painter who may not have had the confidence to book a course for themselves. If you would like to discuss this just ring the Adventures in Watercolour number and Anna will tell you all about it.
Last year's courses were all well received. We had lots of fun helping people enjoy the delights of painting and sketching. Our courses combine fun, culture and tuition and from the comments we have received, it is good to know we have struck the right balance with our students.
Do let us know what you think of these ideas as we really value your feedback and interest. Thank you to those who have also sent encouraging remarks about the website. We find our involvement in Adventures in Watercolour a very satisfying and rewarding experience and hope that you will feel that we have something to offer which might help you to enjoy this challenging but exciting medium.
Keep sketching and do not hesitate to get in touch if we can help in any way.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
Phillip McFadyen and the team at Adventures in Watercolour
Eurostar Painting Adventure
Friday 24th April 2009, 2:27 PM
At last I can announce further details about our Eurostar Adventure. We have been able to ‘test drive' this painting holiday and have found an excellent hotel in Honfleur which can accommodate our party for the dates advertised (September 21st to 25th) Honfleur proved to be the better location in that it is a delightful and historic fishing port crammed with painterly subjects. All the main sights are well contained within walking distance of the hotel. As the birth place of French Impressionism Honfleur has some classic watercolour subjects. We have no doubt that all our clients will be delighted. In fact, while we were there we just could not stop sketching!
There is one slight challenge in that the hotel we have found, in common with most others in the town, does not cater for meals other than breakfast. Of course there is a wealth of cafes, restaurants and bars nearby in this world famous fishing port and many of them are situated around the Grand Bassin. Many of the eating houses have stunning views of the port with its fishing fleet and the picturesque houses around the quay. I have no doubt that we shall all be able to find something to suit all tastes and pockets. In order to compensate for not being able to provide a hotel offering half board we propose to upgrade the Eurostar tickets to first class which will provide luxurious travel facilities, complimentary champagne and two excellent meals with wine and coffee while you are looked after during, what must be, one of the most comfortable train journeys in the world.
So the trip will include first class travel by Eurostar to Paris, then the train to the seaside town of Deauville on the Normandy coast. From there we shall take taxis to our three star hotel in Honfleur. The hotel is a grand nineteenth century town house with spacious double rooms, a conference room and a large rear garden. It is one that Brenda and I used some years ago and we thought, then, how lovely it would be to bring a party here.
I hope you all approve of these changes which we shall soon post on the website with the final costing. Should anyone feel disappointed then we shall gladly refund any monies and let the space to someone else.
However, I am confident that most if not all of you will be delighted with what we have arranged. I am also pleased to be able to tell you that I shall be accompanied by two of my oldest friends, Colin and Janet Grimes. Both of them are retired heads of art from separate High Schools and have been involved in organising many foreign trips. What is more important they can both speak French and are lots of fun.
Phillip McFadyen
Christmas and New Year 2009
Wednesday 10th December 2008, 8:07 PM
As you can see Adventures in Watercolour has an exciting programme for 2009. Firstly, a big thank you to everyone for their interest and support to date (and for the Christmas cards!) It's lovely to be part of a developing online painting community and we are grateful for all your kind wishes.In addition, we have had a good deal of interest in our Sinbad Adventure to Sri Lanka and Southern India. With respect to these inquiries and in view of the current economic uncertainty, we have decided to postpone the trip a year. So we shall be taking bookings to see spice gardens, temples and the Vidiyal Trust project in February 2010. This will give us all longer to save up for this non profit making trip and by then the Garden, in memory of my late wife, Brenda, should be well underway in the school compound.
A number of people have booked courses as presents for friends and family and we are always glad to assist. A gift card is sent with details of the course as the booking is usually through the person making the gift. This has always been well received and makes for an innovative present.
We have made one or two improvements to the way we handle bookings. The dedicated help line has changed to 07950 5959 81. This is a mobile number and we can also call you back if you prefer to text your details with an inquiry. My daughter, Anna usually deals with initial inquiries and has a couple of years experience in helping with course booking needs. Do give her a ring if you need to know anything thing about what is on offer. My brother-in-law, Ron Johns is my wing man for course planning. Alongside his great sense of humour, he brings his perspective as a historian with an enthusiasm for rail travel. Alice is coming in to help me with the accounts and book keeping so we have an efficient team who enjoy developing the business. We do try to respond to our customers ideas so if you feel you would like to share some suggestions do get in touch either by email, text or phone.
We feel that Adventures in Watercolour courses offer a good balance between art tuition and a painting holiday. The thinking is that we can provide good teaching at locations, which develop watercolour skills and also provide enjoyable holidays for like-minded people who enjoy sketching in beautiful and historical places. Non-painting partners are also very welcome and this side of the business grows each year. We always provide a cultural introduction to the places we visit and encourage everyone to attempt to keep a travel journal or scrapbook with either sketches or photographs. The evenings are a time when we can entertain each other with what we have discovered and there is always an opportunity to have a drink and relax in good company. Mindful of the importance of sustainability, we try to provide holidays which plough something back into the local economy and help local charities whenever possible.
We hope you will find something of interest on this website. Although we do not produce a paper brochure, we hope to continue to send newsletters by email and update this site regularly and may even add new courses in response to demand. So please watch this space.
A very happy Christmas and a painterly New Year to all our friends.
Phillip and the Team
October 2008 - Planned Adventures
Friday 10th October 2008, 11:57 AM
Sinbad Adventure
We are now in a position to give a few more details about our trip to Sri Lanka and Kerala, southern India.
My daughter, Anna has devised this amazing adventure after our trip to see the Vidiyal Trust project last February. She has all of Brenda's flair for planning and organisation. A friend of mine, Canon Pat Atkinson, started the Vidiyal Trust some 15 years ago. This small charity helps street children and untouchables by providing a safe home, education and healthcare. We were so impressed with what is being done that we felt we wanted to take others to see what is happening. We feel sure that those interested in sustainable tourism and who want to be involved in the countries that they visit, might like to join us.
We also hope that those who come with us will want to take a record of this fascination odyssey home with them. A travelogue in the form of a sketch book journal, scrap book or photographic compilation is a way to do just this. The stories of Sinbad the sailor always fascinated me as a child and to have the opportunity to write up our own Sinbad adventure makes this trip so special.
Our plan is to take a group of up to 15 people to visit both Sri Lanka and Kerala. While we are in Sri Lanka we shall stay in unashamedly comfortable hotels with beautiful gardens and excellent local food. However, we shall never be far from the local culture and the hotels themselves will reflect the history and interests of the Sri Lankan people. In fact two of them are involved in promoting local environmental and cultural projects. We shall see evidence of the Tsunami devastation and the reconstruction taking place there. We shall meet people who have stories to tell about the devastation and are involved in the reconstruction work. One of them is an old school friend of Anna's and lives in Galle.
Now a word about our itinerary.
Day 1 We fly to Colombo by Sri Lanka Airlines. Our hotel The Mount Lavinia is the former Governors' residence on the beach about one and a half hours from the airport. This is a beautiful hotel with a colonial history. The food is excellent and there are good poolside facilities. Nothing of the grandeur of the British Raj has been lost.
Day 2 Drive to the southern Dutch fortress of Galle. We shall visit a small moonstone mine on the way to the southern Dutch and Portuguese fort at Galle. Here we shall stay at the luxurious Amangalla Hotel, which was one of the first hotels in Asia. It has been beautifully refurbished and has a spectacular garden and swimming pool. Here we will be treated with the utmost courtesy and attention. There is a wonderful library, spa, yoga studio and so many beautiful places to sit, sketch or just pop out into the walled fortress and experience the local scene. We stay here three nights and visit some historic Buddhist temples and some of the best beaches in Asia. We shall also meet some of the ex pat community and hear of their experiences during and after the 2005 Tsunami.
Day 5 Drive to Kandy via through some of Sri Lanka's most beautiful tea planter scenery. This landscape is known locally as ‘Little England'. Our base in the historic city of Kandy is Helga's Folly. Helga herself is something of a self confessed eccentric. She provides the warmest welcome and the hotel has some fascinating gardens with spectacular views across the ancient city of Kandy and its world famous Temple of the Tooth. While we are here we shall visit this temple complex and also the fabulous Botanical Gardens which are smaller version of Kew Gardens in London. We stay at Helga's for three unforgettable nights and shall take breakfast supper on the terrace enjoying the view and spotting purple face monkeys.
Day 8 Today we drive from Kandy via the Elephant Orphanage, which has to be one of the highlights of our trip. Here we shall see up to 40 elephants bathing in the river. You can watch them from the comfort of a terrace café drinking Ceylon tea. There will be plenty of time to sketch or take photographs. This is an unforgettable experience. We shall stay at the new bespoke hotel Wallawwa near to the airport.
Day 9 Short flight to the fishing port of Cochin in Kerala, southern India. Today we visit the Vidiyal Trust project at Malevikara. Here we shall see the children, the small Primary School, the building works and garden site. We shall meet Jacob and his family who are overseeing the project and talk to some of the children. Stay at Voyage Hotel, Tiruvalla.
Day 10 Return to Cochin staithe where we shall board our house boat for a relaxing night on the world famous Kerala backwaters.
Day 11 Check in at the White Fort Hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore Cochin's fishing port, the Jewish town or simply shop.
Day 12 Fly back to Colombo and check in at Beach Hotel at Negombo for a day's relaxation on the beach before our final supper together.
Day 13 Short transfer to Colombo Airport for our 13hrs flight home to Heathrow arriving 19.45hrs.
August 2008 - news for 2009
Sunday 10th August 2008, 10:45 PM
Hello everyone.This news letter is meant for our many friends who have joined us over the years and also to welcome new people who may be interested in the things we offer.
2008 was an experimental year for me. Having lost my wife, Brenda just twelve months ago I was not sure if I could continue on my own, but with the help of family and friends we have successfully completed four courses, one of which had all the fun of a painting holiday. I now feel optimistic and enthusiastic about next year. The holiday in Bruges was a great success and attracted painters and some non-painters. The city is crammed with watercolour subjects and some major works of art including the only Michelangelo north of the Alps. This experience has given me a new direction. Given my interest in art history and poetry I want to include these features in our future painting holidays to broaden what we do and make it more attractive to non-painting partners.
Now that the 2008 courses have been successfully completed it is time to look ahead to next year.
In 2009 I propose to try something different. Adventures in Watercolour have a reputation for being innovative. We have always wanted people to enjoy the adventure that watercolour painting provides. That adventure need not be restricted to painters alone. We aim to attract non-painting partners who will find the holidays we provide stimulating and exciting. This February we propose to take a dozen or so people to Sri Lanka and Southern India.
Last February my daughter, Anna and I visited these two locations and decided that it would make a perfect adventure in watercolour for those who felt they wanted to experience something very different. Sri Lanka provided some breathtaking locations. We saw and painted dozens of elephants bathing beautiful beaches and tranquil Buddhist shrines. The hotels we stayed in were of the highest quality with delightful gardens and swimming pools all of them offering exquisite afternoon tea! We met many people with tales of surviving the 2004 Tsunami and saw the reconstruction work. We also spent another week in the garden state of Kerala in Southern India. Being involved in a street children rehabilitation programme called the Vidiyal Trust (http://www.vidiyaltrust.com/) we wanted to see at first hand the work being done and the garden site being constructed in Brenda's memory. We had a very rewarding and moving visit to the children who are being re-housed and educated by this Trust and we would like to introduce others to the project. The trip will include a visit to the site and a day with the children. We will also visit the famous backwaters, spice gardens and western gats, which make this part of India so famous and provide such rich painting opportunities.
Other plans include a five-day painting holiday in at least one European city accessible from the Eurostar network. The Bruges trip was so accessible that many of our fellow travellers want to repeat that mode of transport. We shall be looking at Honfleur, Lille or maybe Avignon as possibilities. If you have a preference it would be good to hear from you and may influence our choice of destination.
In Norfolk we intend to offer mostly one-day courses in watercolour sketching on the Broads and a two-day course with the master painter, John Tookey who will lead courses at Horsey and on the coast. Our very popular Complete Beginners Course will also run next year with Nicky Arrowsmith-Brown.
In 2010 when I will have more time, we hope to expand the holiday aspect of Adventures in Watercolour and will look to return to the hill towns of Italy.
As you can see this website is being regularly updated. We at Adventures in Watercolour hope that you will keep visiting the site for the latest information on courses and news about what we are doing. Please do get in touch if you need any help. In a few weeks' time we shall be able to announce our course dates and provide some more details.
I am glad to be able to announce that both my daughter Anna and Ron, Brenda's brother are helping me with the operation of the business so we should be more able to maintain Brenda's high standards.
Best wishes,
Phillip McFadyen
January 2008
Wednesday 16th January 2008, 12:39 PM
As you can see this website is being regularly updated. We at Adventures in Watercolour hope that you will keep visiting the site for the latest information on courses and news about what we are doing. We hope to offer some extra feature like tips for painting and an interpretation of a painting or drawing which might be helpful for those with an interest in watercolour.
The Bruges Adventure is almost full and soon there may well be a waiting list. I am considering offering a repeat course in September and withdrawing the Assisi trip. If you are interested in going to Bruges on the new Eurostar at that time of the year please get in touch and I shall take this idea further.
If you click on ‘Further information’ when you visit the ‘Courses’ page you will find some images and texts telling you more about that particular course. If you have any questions or if I can be of any further help then please do get in touch.
I am glad to be able to announce that Ron, Brenda’s brother is helping me with the administration so we should be more able to maintain Brenda’s high standards.
I shall be in India from January 25th to February 9th having some holiday and visiting a school we are sponsoring in my wife’s memory. My daughter, Anna whom some of you have met, will be accompanying me. She, like her mother, is well organised and no doubt will see that I return safely with another illustrated journal and plenty of stories to tell. We shall make arrangements to have mail dealt with but there might be some delay in getting back to you during this time.
With very best wishes,
Phillip McFadyen
Christmas and New Year 2008
Friday 14th December 2007, 4:03 PM
Thank you for your enquiry and interest in Adventures in Watercolour.
Firstly my apologies for not updating this site sooner. Some of our regulars will already know that my wife, Brenda, died suddenly at the end of August. As you can imagine this was a tremendous shock. So much so that it has taken me some time to decide whether or not to continue with the Adventures in Watercolour she so ably managed over the last few years. However, with the help and support of my family I have decided to continue her work, which has given such pleasure to dozens of people many of whom have become friends and I am now in a position to publish a list of proposed courses for 2008.
I hope you will find them attractive and interesting. I can assure you that the excitement and delight of working with watercolour remains a strong motivating factor in making this decision.
Please do not hesitate to reply to this mail or get in touch on our watercolour helpline 01603 628739 if you need any help or assistance in choosing a course for yourself or gifting the course as a Christmas or Birthday present for someone else.
With very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year,
Phillip McFadyen
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