Monday 17 June 2024

Blooming June!

 

Weekend Workshops in June

Saturday 15th June - 2.30 - 4.30pm Drawing and painting for age 8 - 18. Sharpen the drawing skills and brush up on painting in this session. Fun and fully tutored. Cost £35 per person


Saturday 22nd June 2.30 - 4.30pm Comber doorways, drawing and watercolour wash. This class is part of the Comber Earlies Food Festival. Suitable for all levels of experience. Cost £45 
                  

Saturday 2nd June 6.30pm - 9.30 pm  Portrait drawing session as part of National Portrait Day! We will draw a famous face in graphite pencil! Cost £75



To book please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

Saturday 15 June 2024

This week in the studio we painted...

Quails eggs and pebbles! This subject is just gorgeous to paint - I love the similarities of shape and scale and pattern. Luckily, my students loved it too. There is not much drawing involved, leaving more time during class to spend on the paint layering. 


 
I bought the eggs first, and then headed to the shore to try to find pebbles of a similar size. A rather addictive habit, once you start spotting little stones. 


Above - this photo shows the start of my demonstration. I worked on several stones/pebbles at a time, which meant that I didn't 'poke' around when things got too wet to play with (I don't like waiting for things to dry...), but instead transferred my attention to another pebble to build up the layers gently. 


I worked in a Moleskine book, A4 size, and used the page next to my drawing for colour tiles, as well as demo-ing possible processes. 
Above - the finished demo. 
Below - eggs for lunch! It took 9 eggs to make a modest amount of scrambled egg. But the biggest joy was the colour of the shells on the inside when I cracked them open - the softest, gentlest shades of blue. Delicious. 

For info on workshops, including watercolour, colour pencil and oils,  email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 



Thursday 6 June 2024

Summer workshop add-ons

 

The Summer 2024 Programme of Workshops (check back as there may be additions)

June - 15th Drawing & Painting for age 8 - 18. Sharpen the drawing skills and brush up on painting in this session. Fun and fully tutored. Cost £35 per person

Friday 21st June 6pm - 8pm Life drawing. Fully tutored, with poses short and long. Cost £40 

 22nd - As part of the Comber Earlies Food Festival, a watercolour, pen and wash workshop, Comber Doorways. £45 The studio is on the way to the food festival - this is food for your eyes! 2.30 - 4.30.

Saturday 22nd June 6.30pm - 9.30 pm  Portrait drawing session as part of National Portrait Day! We will draw a famous face in graphite pencil! Cost £75

July 17th & 18th Wonderful Watercolours! Understand the process and techniques to create lovely paintings from washes to pen using paint alone with graphite pencil and pen. Skies, landscape and still life. £220

July 20th Figure Drawing (clothed model), including long and shorter poses in any dry media. Fully tutored. £110

July 22- 24th Colour pencil. All things animal! Looking at texture, tonal variations, hair, fur and how to creat believable lovely colour pencil drawings. 10.30 - 4pm. £330





July 27 Portrait in pencil. 2.30 - 6.30 £100 Intensive, concept-changing workshop which changes your perception and improves your skills. 

August 7th & 8th  Portrait drawing including graphite and colour pencil. 

August 12th - 14th Portrait in oils - includes colour mixing and how to work with a limited palette. This can be extended for an extra day if students need more time. £350

August 16th - 17th Birds. Drawing and on to colour using ether water colour or colour pencils. £220

Please note, courses are added regularly so please email if you'd like to be kept updated. Please also get in touch if you'd like to do something which is not listed here OR if you'd like to do something but can't make the date, and I will do my best to accommodate you. 

Tuesday 4 June 2024

Art hoiday in Cavtat, Croatia

There is something special about going away to somewhere warm and lovely with a group of like minded souls. Cavtat, just south of Dubrovnik, ticked all the right boxes, and even gave us lovely weather in spite of the forecast. Warm with a breeze - perfect. 

Above - the view from our hotel. Below - across the bay to the back of the tow. 


Below - Cavtat is at the base of a small peninsula, which we walked many times. It offered shade as well as beautiful little bays and beaches. 
Below - Cavtat is full of friendly, sleepy cats. Here (below) is one asleep on a hot tin roof...
Below - more cats...
The first day we set up on the broad terrace in front of the hotel, and looked across the bay to a wonderful clump of trees. This meant we could sit on large comfy seats and not suffer too much discomfort to begin the week. 
Above and below, my first demo

Student work

The next day was a little bit overcast, so I chose for us to draw and paint the arched walkway as this didn't rely on sunshine and shade in the same way that other subjects would. There was definitely 'suffering' doing this, with a lesson in perspective as well as colour and tones. 
Aidan and Tricia looking glamorous, at the edge...!
Clive and Jeanette


Students hard at work!

Some folk brought their own collapsable seats, and others were happy perching on rocks on steps.

Sara with her watercolour of the arches

Some of the students and I at break time..!

arches demo

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Above - demo of the arches


Clodagh on the boat in Montenegro


Lorraine and Sara hard at work
Gennie, Aidan and Tricia having a Kayaking lesson after the morning's painting session


Clive, sitting in a huge seat outside the city walls in Kotor, Montenegro


Sunset over Cavtat

Above and below, lovely little studies by Ruth
     


Ruth, not stopping for the rain!



Christine cooling down!


demo in Cavtat

Above and below - the demo on the last day, of the town itself on the hill



Finished demo

On the afternoon of the last day we met again after lunch and walked along the peninsula to do two more drawings, of steps leading down to the sea and a tree leaning towards the water 
The afternoon demos


Students perched in a row

Aidan on the cliff edge!
The whole gang on the last evening. 



A lovely trip, and my favourite days were the ones with the most drawing in them... 
For info on classes and upcoming workshops please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 

Summer workshop programme available on my website www.juliedouglas.co.uk 













Tuesday 14 May 2024

Art Holiday to Sermione on Lake Garda.

Drawing and painting on location is always fun, but go to a warm sunny town on a small peninsula jutting into Lake Garda and the pleasure increases beyond measure. Throw in 18 students and you are all set for a great week!

Sara


We stayed in a little hotel in Sermione, just a 20 minute walk from the centre of the old town. Crossing the bridge, with water either side and flanked by a medieval castle, is like stepping into history. Twisty small streets, shaded by tall ochre coloured buildings, with several squares leading to the lake, all full of cafes and restaurants. 
Anne, Pam, Sandra, Carlo


Pam and Julie B


Clive working on his painting


Carlo, Anne and Liz - painting in the dappled shade.

Nicky, Kate, Clive, Ken, Christine and Pam


A boat trip to the next town was a blue-balmy treat. 

Christine

Kate

Anne

Claire, Christine, Sandra, Anne, Julie, Gennie, Nicky, Pam, Aidan, Ken, Ruth, Julie B, Sara, Clive, Liz and Kate 


A quick demo

On the last day we stayed at the hotel, and painted water colour exercises around the pool. Very productive and relaxing at the same time. 

Front, Sara, and on the lounger.... Robert!

Julie B, Carlo, Pam, Christine, and outside, Nicky, Ken, Gennie, Kate, Liz

Student exercise


Verona from above
Gennie, Robert, Ken, Anne, Liz, Pam, Julie B, Kate, Sandra, Kate, Carlo, Sara, Ruth, Aidan, Nicky, Christine, Claire. 

Reflected in the window, Gennie, Julie, Sara

A day trip to Verona led some of us to a gorgeous little art shop/stationers whose window was full of tantalising colour pencils...

Nicky, Christine, Claire, Gennie, Julie, Robert, Ken

The next trip is to Croatia - can't wait!!