Watercolours With Life: Four Seasons Hotel Watercolour Retreat

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Four Seasons Hotel Watercolour Retreat

A wonderful memory of a wonderful week

Four Seasons Hotel

"Painted Escapes" 2011

Hampshire, UK

It has been a really full week and another Sunday has arrived where I can look back and think just how lucky I am with my life.

Tuesday evening I attended the welcome evening at Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire to greet the artists who were staying for the watercolour seminars that took place there this week. From the first welcome glass of champagne to the very last moment where we finally said farewell it was a very magical experience.

It is hard to believe we covered so much in just two days. The techniques, subject matter and ambience were perfect. I opened the four seminars with an introduction to my style and time flew by far too quickly. I am certain a favourite part of the retreat was the rose morning. Roses have always been a favourite part of any of my watercolour sessions. A " Jean Haines" experience would just not be the same without their inclusion!

Painting roses in watercolour at the Four Seasons Hotel "Painted Escapes" .

However we were not simply trying to paint flowers as the aim was to capture their essence in a way that viewers of the finished paintings could almost imagine taking in their heady fragrance on a warm summer day. To highlight this point the room was filled with the wonderful rose perfume by Jo Malone. The retreats were relaxing,stress free and unique in every way possible.

Jo Malone Rose Perfume

The hospitality of Four Seasons Hotel is outstanding.The lunches were so magnificent and highly presented as individual works of art. The atmosphere was so beautiful and the surroundings in springtime just out of this world.

It has been an incredible experience and there were warm hugs by the time for departure arrived. Inspiration,enthusiasm,sheer joy and a sense of new excitement are words I can use to describe the results of such a wonderful few days.

In fact I wish I could start the whole week all over again!

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1 comment:

Christiane Fortin said...: Beautiful pictures and roses of course. I just received and watched your video it's wonderful. I'm very happy with it. Thank your for sharing your experience. Now I must practice practice and practice.; 1 May 2011 at 05:39

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The Artist Magazine : Book Review

Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours

"The book is nothing less than a paean to the wet in wet technique. If that's your thing, prepare to be amazed. Jean Haines credits Jean Louis Morelle, and in many ways this book is the sequel to Morelle's remarkable, but very technical work, showing the wealth of creative possibilities the technique offers. A lot of the images are barely recognisable and yet you instinctively know what they are. I wish I knew how, because this is impressionism taken to its logical conclusion and reminiscent of some of the later work by JMW Turner. You will have to take it from me that "First signs of a face appearing magically from a first wash of watercolour" is pure alchemy. This is an extraordinary book."

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour:" Fastest Selling DVD!

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour" from Town House Films is the fastest selling DVD with the company to date! Record breaking pre-orders for this much awaited film saw requests for copies flooding in from all over the world. A wonderful introduction into working with watercolour minus the use of a preliminary sketch this DVD removes the fear, stress or pressure from worry about how to use watercolour. Instead the focus is on having fun, enjoying vibrant colour combinations and allowing the medium to create the subjects with just a little help from the artist. A really exciting new DVD to own. Whilst the DVD sold out in the first few months since its' release due to popularity it is now in stock and available directly from Town House Films.

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How To Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour

"How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" Jeans first book was launched at the Mall Galleries in 2010 at the SWA Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition. Many copies have been sold world wide. It is available on Amazon.com, Search Press, SAA Society for All Artists and Ken Bromley.

"This book is a wonderful introduction into Jeans' way of working and gives an insight into her way of thinking and approach to a large variety of subjects. All painted minus the use of a preliminary sketch."