Rennes

Art d'Oc Drawing and Painting
in the Languedoc, South of France

Course Descriptions

Intensive Landscape: Wendy Winfield & Danielle Eubank
Exploring Landscape: Wendy Winfield
Expland Your Capacity to See: Gail Sauter

It is hard not to feel on holiday with the rural majestic calm of the region, balmy warm days and great French food and wine. Art d'Oc courses do however aim to be more painting and drawing courses than painting holidays.

All the Courses are guaranteed to have a maximum of eight students except where specified otherwise, and the course leader on each day will have ample opportunity to go to each student and talk about individual issues they are having.

After each day's work the group will have a chance to unwind with an aperitif and discuss the issues of the day. As ever we shall be sure to provide a specially selected taste of the region and France.

Courses and workshops 2008

Intensive Landscape Week

Exploring landscape

Master Class: Expand Your Capacity to See

PLEASE ENQUIRE FOR WEEKEND, DAY AND WATER COLOUR PROGRAMME

 

Intensive Landscape Week

The Intensive Landscape week is a course led by Danielle Eubank and Wendy Winfield. It is held in the spring and is open to participants of all experience levels working in any medium. Regardless of depth of experience, students will be treated individually and their needs taken into consideration. Due to chateau works and family commitments this course will not be available for 2008 but Wendy Winfield's Landscape Painting and Drawing first conceived at St Ferriol will be running in the Drome region. See Exploring the Landscape: Wendy Winfield. For future reservations contact realpoodles@mac.com

The Intensive Landscape Week leads students to surprise themselves, and extend their boundaries and in so doing improve and acquire new skills. As well as encouraging students to maximise the use of time during the week, students are given pointers on the use of photography and sketch books in the studio.

The course starts with a session at the Château which commands a view of the rich range of horizons and landscapes typical of the area. Most days are spent at one location with the day divided into two three hour
sessions. Morning sessions begin with a short discussion and warm up exercises and proceed to more in depth drawing and painting. Afternoons provide an opportunity to take a different approach to the same site.
Depending on each individual's needs landscapes will be used by the tutors to introduce students to new ways of both observation and practice. Students are helped to overcome timidity with confidence.

The majority of discussions will be on-site relating to the issues of the day. We are very privileged to be able to offer students these two tutors, both experienced professionals who, while agreeing on artistic principles approaching the practice from quite different angles and
carry their individual different wealth of observations and experiences to the discussions and coaching.

Danielle Eubank's approach takes on topics that aim to enable students to make controlled choices about, and explore different examples of treatment of light, colour, depth and perspective.

Wendy Winfield's approach encourages self-expression and emphasises the validity of personal vision and the importance of responding to specifics, ie. mood, terrain and time of day.

Castel NegraCastel Negre

Winfield will help students to discover and benefit from the advantages of working fast and spontaneously.

The week includes the possibility of studio and still-life studies.

The contrast from painting the compositions, forms, spaces and transitory light of landscape to the values of still-life has a refreshing effect and facilitates, when returning to landscape, a new vigor and fresh objectivity. Compositions are arranged by tutors in advance and individuals or groups may create their own composition from objects collected from the château and the countryside.

After a day's work the group unwind with an aperitif and discuss the issues of the day. As ever we provide a specially selected taste of the region and France.

Locations. Several well researched spots within walking distance of the château offer good painting opportunities. Other venues include Rennes le Château, the peak at Bugarach and the château at Arques.

The week includes a number of informal slide shows and discussions and finally a small exhibition. Bearing in mind that participants must transport work home, it is informally presented (see photographs), but anyone wanting to mount their work will have our cooperation. Everyone will be invited to exhibit their work and we will have a brief review of the course, the work and the week.

Click here to read testimonials from the last course.

Click here to e-mail realpoodles@mac.com for the date of the next Intensive Lanscape Week.

Exploring Landscape

Wendy Wenfield

Next course June 7th to June 14th 2008

Exploring Landscape is a 5 day course led by Wendy Winfield. This course is open to participants of all experience levels working in any medium. Regardless of depth of experience, students will be treated individually and their needs taken into consideration.

Students surprise themselves, and extend their boundaries and broaden their outlook and belief in their own vision. The tuition encourages participants to employ an enriched visual vocabulary of ways of looking and responding that will continue to be meaningful to them when they return to their studio work. Castel Negra
Castel Negra Exploring the Landscape focus' on the drama of the landscape. The course starts with a session at the Château which commands a view of the rich range of horizons and landscapes typical of the area. The course is over seven days with a day of rest or self study followed by three more intensive days. Each working day is divided into two three hour sessions. Morning sessions begin with a short discussion and warm up exercises before proceeding to more prolonged drawing and painting. Afternoons provide an opportunity to take a different approach to the same site. Depending on each individual's needs, landscapes will be used by Wendy to introduce students to new ways of both observation and practice.
Locations include excursions to some remote and wilder parts of the surrounding countryside such as Queribus and/or Peyrepeteuse. Working in the hilly terrain of Cathar country means that you need to come prepared with sturdy footwear and a waterproof jacket.

Weather permitting, on two days the morning session is followed by a return to the Château where students can relax or work on their own. Later in the afternoon is a sunset session in the late afternoon where the same location is visited on several occassions.

The fifth working day is normally spent working in the rich and varied landscape adjacent to the Château with an opportunity to paint the wonderfully colourful vineyards.

One-to-one help is provided throughout the course taking into consideration individual needs. The aim of the course is to extend and build confidence in painting out of doors.

There will be a small exhibition of participants work and a brief resume of the course on the last evening.

Wendy Winfield's approach encourages self-expression and emphasises the validity of personal vision. Wendy will help students to discover and benefit from the advantages of working fast and spontaneously.

After each day's work the group will have a chance to unwind with an aperitif and discuss the issues of the day. As ever we provide a selective and authentic taste of the region and France.

Click here to request realpoodles@mac.com specific details of Wendy Winfield's Exploring Lanscape Course for June 2008.

Due to renovation work and family commitments at St Ferriol in 2008 Wendy's Painting and Drawing in the landscape for 2008 will be held in a different location.

 

Master class: Expand Your Capacity to See

Gail Sauter

Expand your Capacity to See is normally offered in September in 2008 due to chateau renovation and family commitments it will only be available in the United States. Please contact Sophie for further details.

Expand your capacity to see will be led by Gail Sauter. This course is designed for artists wishing to gain mastery in creating unique and original work.

  • Expand your approach to your subject matter
  • Develop your personal style
  • Increase the power of your work
Each day of this 5 day course will focus on a different area of the creative process. There will be daily guided discussions on topics which are designed to develop a personal voice and vision, plus participants will paint on location in both morning and afternoon sessions each day. These sessions will be self directed with the goal of giving each participant time to apply the day's discussion topic during their painting exploration. The instructor will circulate among the participants throughout the painting sessions and interact with them regarding how the topics are showing up for them in their work. Joan and Ellie
Iris

At the end of each day, participants will meet together to share their day's discoveries in light of the day's discussion topic. As ever we shall be sure to provide a specially selected taste of the region and of France.

Discussion topics will include:

  • Inspiration - What are the sources of your creativity and how can you tap into them?
  • Courage - What is its role in your artistic growth?
  • Fear - The big 3: fear of failure/fear of success/fear of fear - what good are they?
  • Finished - How do you know when your painting is done?
  • Growth - Where are you going and how can you get there?

This course is open to participants of all experience levels working in any medium. It will focus on developing self expression and creating a powerful personal painting vision. It is not designed to teach the basic techniques of painting (composition, colour, drawing etc). This is a fun and challenging week devoted to self discovery and artistic growth. All artists are invited to join.

Plane Tree

Due to renovation work and family commitments at St Ferriol in 2008 Wendy's Painting and Drawing in the landscape for 2008 will be held in a different location.

Click here to e-mail realpoodles@mac.com for the date of the2008"Expand Your Capacity To See" course details and dates.

Click below for more information

Introduction
Course Descriptions
Tutors
Location
Accommodation
What to bring
Castle, Gardens & Hosts
Artistic Heritage
Reservations & Rates
Testimonials
Web Links
Contact Us
Tel: + 33 (0)468 201142

e-mail: realpoodles@mac.com

 

Next Course

Le stage de formation étant prodigué par des personnes de langue anglaise certain d'entre vous peuvent se sentir exclus. N'en croyez rien, l'art est universel et un geste est parfois plus explicite que quelques mots. Si vous possedez quelque notions d'anglais n'hésitez plus venez nous rejoindre pour participer au stage de formation.

 

The Languedoc. Click here to open this site in a new window
LinksContact by e-mailTerms & Conditions