Painting Courses & Holidays

We have been arranging dedicated painting holidays in association with The Artist and Leisure Painter Magazines for over two decades.  We have also organised a special indepth study and painting course in Rome for the Sir John Soane’s Museum .  We know how important light and subject matter are when selecting a painting destination.We also know that timing is critical – the weather has to be suitable for working outdoors and the height of the season must be avoided to allow you more space and peace.

We only work with professional artists who are chosen as much for their style as their ability, enthusiasm and dedication to help you develop and improve your skills and produce lots of work.

We are continually researching new destinations and hotels and re-visiting old ones to ensure that our product knowledge is up-to-date, so that we can offer you new and special experiences and that our information is accurate. We select the most reliable travel arrangements and the most convenient and comfortable accommodation.

We are trusted for our excellence, the personal service and value for money we provide.  Everything is organised and included for you except lunches. We do not cut corners and there are no hidden extra costs. An accompanying travel director takes care of all the arrangements, freeing you and the guest artist to paint every day. 

Each year we select different painting destinations and each holiday has just one departure date for between ten and eighteen students.

Your Tutors

TOM COATES, President of NEAC
Tom Coates is a leading figurative painter and versatile artist and you will learn much from working alongside him. Tom is happy to give individual guidance and will encourage you to achieve exhibition standard. This ‘masterclass’ approach is best suited to intermediate and professional artists working in any medium.

HAZEL SOAN
Hazel Soan is the hugely popular Watercolour Challenge TV artist. She has published several instructional books including Watercolour Landscape Techniques and African Watercolours. Hazel has a natural ability for teaching art and her more structured approach is particularly suited to beginners and intermediate students.

JASON BOWYER
Jason Bowyer is a highly respected professional artist and leading member of the NEAC. Jason works in all mediums and although his work is figurative he often tries to find abstract solutions to resolve his visual and conceptional ideas. Jason has tutored many courses in the UK and enjoys helping and inspiring fellow painters.

JAMES WILLIS
James Willis is a senior tutor at the Open College of Arts and of the fine art workshops at the Sir John Soane Museum in London. His reputation is emerging as a distinctive figurative and he exhibits in the UK and abroad. James works in all mediums and has a keen interest in materials and how they perform.

LUCY WILLIS
Lucy Willis is renowned for her ability to capture light and atmosphere, as portrayed in her books Light in Watercolour and Travels in Watercolour (Harper Collins & Batsford). Lucy teaches by example focusing on demonstrations and group critique sessions. You will be encouraged to work on your own, which best suits intermediate and professional artists.

IAN SIDAWAY
Ian has been painting since 1970. In the 1980’s and 1990’s he painted portraits to commission and began writing instructional books and illustrating books on art techniques including The Instant Artist, Collins & Brown. He is currently concentrating on the landscape in the UK and abroad working in watercolours, acrylics and oils. He regularly exhibits in London including the Royal
Watercolour Society, Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour,
Royal Society of British Artists, the Pastel Society, the Royal Institute
of Oil Painters. Ian taught in summer school in Italy for several years.

DAVID BELLAMY
David specialises in watercolour paintings of mountain and wild coastal scenes, and is particularly fascinated by the moods of nature in the wild places. A full time artist and author, he has written fourteen books illustrated with his paintings and seven dvd/videos's on his techniques in watercolour.Through his painting and writing David hopes to bring about a greater awareness of the threats to the natural environment, and he is particularly active in conserving the wild areas.

GLYN MACEY
Glyn is a young and dynamic artist who is bring a breath of fresh air to the British art scene as both a tutor and a painter. His enthusiasm and style is taking him in to partnerships with and commissions for the National Trust, RNLI & Fat Face clothing retailer, which enables his work to be accessible to a wide audience.  A Brush with the Landscapes (DVD) follows Glyn painting at 100 of the most beautiful NT landscapes in the country.  Using acrylic, mixed media and an array of mark making techniques he endeavours to capture the underlying essence of the landscape, the essence that shapes the landscape and the people who live in it.