| Painting
and/or Drawing Holiday Course at the ancient monastery La
Cartuja near Sevilla, Andalucia.
(A Sculpture Course will also be run if there is suffient interest)
I am bilingual (English/German)
Kurse können auch auf Deutsch unterrichtet werden
Residential
Complete Beginners
to Advanced Students and Artists
Non-participating
partners or friends welcome
Click here to read success stories
Story & Pictures COURSES 2005
Story & Pictures COURSES 2004
S p r i n ga C o u r s e a 2 0 0 6
Date: dates to be published soon, please register interest on enquiries form
Arrive:
Course begins:
Depart:
click
here to enquire
S u m
m e ra C o u r s e a 2
0 0 6
Date: dates to be published soon, please register interest on enquiries form
Arrive:
Course begins:
Depart:
click here to enquire
Sculpture Option
I have very good news for all the people who were interested in sculpture. There is clay and a kiln available at Cartuja. So, if you would like to join us and do a sculpture course, please apply. Let me know if you are interested in figurative sculpture so I can arrange for a model - or if you are more interested in a non-figurative project. You will receive one-to-one attention while learning artistic basics of sculpture and a full theory course pack.
S e t t i n g
a n d a c c o m m o d a t i o n :
La
Cartuja is an ancient, peaceful monastery set within the
Sierra Morena Natural Park
(also listed in Peter Sawday's Special Places To Stay)
Not
many guesthouses can rival the history of La Cartuja, which
has served as a religious site through the millennia and
today is declared a Historical Monument, thanks to its dedicated
owner and restorer Carmen Ladrón de Guevara y Bracho.
This
retreat is dedicated to artists, writers and thinkers, taking
the place of the monks, creating works of art, which is
the spiritual food in these modern days. The rooms of the
Guesthouse are decorated with works by visiting artists.
The
Centre of Contemporary Culture includes an art gallery
with paintings by the resident artists, many of which can
be acquired by our visitors, and a permanent collection
of Spanish and Latin American art.
Click
here to view a panorama of Cartuja
In the
Cartuja of Cazalla de la Sierra you can enjoy:
- Painting,
drawing or writing accompanied by the silence of the place,
disturbed only by the calls of the 200 or so species of
birds that live in the woodland.
-
The
sound of water which flows from an inexhaustible spring.
-
Refreshing yourself in the swimming pool or the natural
spring-water pool.
- The
natural richness of the myriad botanical species in the
surrounding woodland.
-
Walks along the lanes and pathways of the 100 acres which
comprise the land and woods surrounding the Cartuja.
-
Rides on horseback from the Cartuja stables.*
-
The permanent exhibition of the works of contemporary
artists who have links with the Cartuja.
-
The cultivation and development of your artistic interests
through direct contact with the Cartuja artists.*
-
Musical concerts which take place on a regular basis in
the Refectory of the Cartuja, with its exceptional acoustics.
-
Theatrical and literary performances which take place
throughout the year in the Cartuja.
-
Guided tours through the Monastery.
-
Tasting the gastronomic specialties of the area, based
on the products of the Cartuja's own farm.
-
Using the modern facilities of the Cartuja guest house
in order to relax.
-
Use of the healing centre, which offers a range of therapies,
courses and activities.* (*
by arrangement)

Please see their site at: http://www.skill.es/cartuja/
"The Independent" article about Cartuja
"The Guardian" article
Cartuja was also in 'The Good Hotel Guide 2005' once more
A few
miles away there are two large lakes embedded in the nature park as well as a river that are good for swimming. You will also find some of the most beautiful cities apart from Seville (around
1 hour) Jerez, Cadiz and the coast are in a 2 hour radius
if you wish to explore during your free time.
Rooms:
Accommodation consists of two people sharing a room.
If you wish to have a single room, then this must be booked in advance, as changes cannot be made at a later stage. Please see below which rooms are available.
Temperatures during this already cooler time of the year are warm but pleasant.

Accommodation is for 7 or 14 nights in twin/double rooms.
Our building has: 4 large twin rooms for sharing by 2 (for cheaper 3-share, a bed can be added), 2 normal double rooms (most rooms can be occupied as single for a small supplement), 2 single rooms (enquire re supplement).
There are other categories of accommodation:
a) 4 suites
b) Gardener's Cottage for 4 people in case you want a group booking with friends.
Please contact me for supplements if these are required.
Price Saver Option
3 sharing a double / twin room with an extra bed. Please enquire.
Availability
of these rooms is on a first come first serve basis. (Pound
Sterling Prices are at December 2005 exchange rates).
Local Attractions
P r i c e
Click
here for the Summer Course enquiry form
Two
weeks: Euros 1698 (£ 1147 December 05 exchange
rate) all inclusive
One week: Euros 885 (£ 599 December
05 exchange rate) all inclusive
All payments to be made in Euros please. GBP amount given
as guideline only. Please enquire for the price of a one-week
course.
Included:
Tuition and Preparation fees, Accommodation, full board (including coffee and wine), use of studio and other facilities, listed materials and extensive theory pack.
Excluded:
Flights
pick-up from airport (approx 15 Euros per person depending on group size). This will be co-ordinated when bookings are in.
Model fees to be shared in group to keep your costs down (only around 7 Euros per day for 1 week)
(Detailed information sheet plus materials explanation list will be sent to you.)
Price Saver Option
3 sharing a double / twin room with an extra bed. Please enquire.
T r a v e
l
Airport:
Sevilla (Seville)
Check for cheap flights at http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/find-a-cheap-flight/
Or for the US http://www.cheapflights.com/index.html
British Airways flies from Heathrow and Gatwick, and Ryanair from Stanstead.
Pick-up
from the airport will be arranged.
Please
arrange your own Travel Insurance!
Directions:
Find
your way to La Cartuja with this map

click
map to see a bigger version
C o u r s e
Course
hours are every weekday for 6 hours, excluding breaks, starting
between 9:30am and 10:00am, depending on the group's preference.
If you wish to keep painting or drawing after the course
hours - because you simply can't stop -, you are welcome
to continue outside or in the studio.
Hours are flexible, so there is time to "holiday"
or go off on excursions or take advantage of activities
at the monastery. The weekend belongs to you!
After
a short introductory lecture introducing the next
subject of painting / drawing or technique, you will be
able to work intensively with my support. Every step of
how to build up a work successfully will be covered so that
you will most likely share the experience of many of my
students, that you have learnt in one painting what you
normally would have learnt over quite a period of time.
I
am fully available during the course hours. In
my experience it is impossible to give full individual attention
and value for money if the teacher paints while the students
work. A teacher has to keep close track of a participant's
work and his personal development to able to advise the
exact right thing at the right moment. In addition I keep
track of progress with digital photos which has proven invaluable
in not only documenting achievements but also demonstrating
to students where the development of a work has gone wrong
and why. You may be familiar with the problem of "overworking"
or spoiling areas that worked very well and you don't know
how you did it…
After
the course time we usually have a short group discussion,
where we look at the work, progress is reviewed and one
can learn from each other, which has proven to be quite
invaluable for students.
At
the end of the course, we will have a final group "crit"
and look at the progress and achievements of the course.
Each
participant will receive a certificate
at the end of the course.
Materials
to bring:
Sturdy outdoor easel
Light folding stool
Largest feasible sketch pad and oil painting
pad or water colour pad and / or ready primed painting boards
or primed paper
Any painting / drawing materials you can bring (brushes,
Liquin, paints i.e. oils, acrylics, watercolour, inks, pastels,
charcoal, whatever your preferred medium)
Materials
provided:
Basic range of paints
Basic brushes
Canvasses can be obtained through me for wholesale prices
Comprehensive theory course pack
Studio:
Workshop / studio are available at the monastery.
Outdoors:
The monastery provides literally any subject you would want
to wish for: many amazing spots in and around the ancient
buildings and gardens, surrounded by 100 acres of its own
land and great views of distant landscape.
For
figure painting models are readily available if required,
I have organised the possibility to have models from the
Sevilla art school for academic life models - but there
are village people that will be glad to model for us as
well, old people, young, people, children, all in their
everyday clothes but "wearing" the most interesting
faces...
If that is not enough, there are also animals to paint,
horses, cows, sheep...
Or you just paint what needs to find expression as your
mind calms and relaxes in this peaceful environment that
many people describe as a sacred location.
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