UK Watercolour Workshops July 2015

Inspirational Workshops 2015

What a week! I have been busy teaching watercolour workshops in UK and as each day arrived my excitement grew. I look forward to sharing my passion for watercolour so much but I have to say that this week has been so very special. Artists attended my UK courses this week from India, USA, Italy, Denmark and of course UK too. The sessions had a wonderful international flavour to them and colour flowed freely every day. 

I hold my worskhop sin Hampshire, just outside London. It is known as Jane Austen countryside as Jane Austen's house is nearby. As is the estate of the Duke of Wellington. There is a lot for non painting partners to enjoy.  And so, this week a terrific group of people arrived, communicated and enjoyed their time here. Not just  gaining inspiration for art but also gaining many new friends.

We had wonderful lunches getting to know  each other and I invited everyone back to my cottage for drinks on Thursday evening which truly added to the occasion. Everyone wandered around my garden, enjoying my pets who posed  really beautifully for cameras and afterwards we all sat with laughter ringing in the air while the sun went down. How great was that. After everyone left I realised how very lucky I am. I commented to my husband when he returned from giving artists a lift back to their hotel what a rich life we lead. People from all over the world sit in our garden and share time with us. Often, purely because of a love for painting in watercolour. It is pretty amazing. And I know I have gained many life long friends too.

But back to the workshops. They were magical. Day one was for artists who have never been on my courses before so the room was full of people completely new to me. And any nerves for everyone ( I hope) disappeared as soon as we started painting. We had a terrific time exploring the possibilities of working in this  gorgeous medium. The next days saw artists arriving who I have known now for some time, and of course artists who were very new to me. We explored colour, we experimented, and we grew. As artists. In our journeys and it was fantastic. The positive feedback at the end of each day was so uplifting. Everyone left inspired and very eager to paint.

I so want to paint now myself as I often end up feeling very envious of everyone on my courses. I want to be in the class, as an artist not the teacher because everyone seems to have so much fun as well as  time to paint unhindered, quietly and motivated by the demonstrations gaining new heights in results.

Last week was so incredible and I am honestly now very eager for my next sessions. I am also really excited about next years workshops as the themes are very different than this year. Even more exciting and glowing of course with new colour combinations and techniques.

I believe as artists we shouldn't stand still in our art. We should continually move forward stretching our skills and improving our knowledge and techniques. We certainly all did that this week.

Please can I ask , if anyone is interested in attending my UK workshops next year, could you email me right now please. As the schedule for 2016 will be released early September this year and if your name is not on the email contact list there is a possibility you will not get a place. These days I rarely advertise my courses as they are all booked up by previous email requests. Emails getting to me now at this time of year for the year ahead. So please. get in touch on

jeanhaines@hotmail.com

And a huge thank you to everyone who came to my workshops this week. It has been such a roller coaster of highs getting consistently higher!

Happy Painting!