Well, what a fabulous time we had on the Portrait Residential course, the weather was glorious and the Farmhouse is in such a beautiful setting, right alongside the River Dane in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
With it being so summery I decided to welcome people with a nice cold glass of Pimm’s & some strawberry scones. These went down well and soon everyone was settled in and chatting away like they had known each other forever.
The group was a mix of abilities, some who were brand new to portraiture and some who were revisiting it after a break, needing some inspiration & motivation to get going again.
It was amazing to see their skills & confidence grow, and even better to see them all embrace the new challenge of working from a ‘live’ model on the last day…something I’d organised as a surprise.
Here’s a short video of our week together, hope you enjoy it.
“I’ve had the best time ever, you have re-awakened my confidence and passion for portrait painting”
“A really brilliant retreat, going home feeling very relaxed, full of enthusiasm and so many new skills.”
“Venue was excellent, comfortable bed & en-suite, enjoyed the food, good variety and choice. You made us all feel very welcome”
“I loved the focus on ‘portraits’ and having a live sitter was the icing on the cake! I have learned so much.”
“The days were nicely paced and everyone knew they could take a break at any time, but we mostly caught the drawing bug and kept picking up our pencils.”
“This was my first experience with pencils and portraits, you removed the fear from both and allowed me to work at a comfortable pace. Explanations were clear and support was constant. I’m leaving with some wonderful memories and some new friendships.”
“I’d hardly done any portrait work, but was astonished at what I managed to produce. I couldn’t believe I’d done it. I was thrilled and excited to draw...and I’ve not felt like that for ages.”
“Your relaxed composure and calm leadership set the tone for an enjoyable few days. It’s impressive that you can lead such a cohesive group when people are working across different mediums with varying focus. A wonderful experience! I’m so glad I found you.”