Hi again ( or Hola – I’m already in the Spanish mode again …)!

I am looking forward once more to another Spring Course at the mountain monastery artist retreat La Cartuja in Andalusia, where I will also be teaching again in August. This is the third year of running courses there and it has become like a second home to me. Just love it!

Click here!

So, if you are thinking to join us for a rare experience, let me know as soon as you can.

Spring at Cartuja was really different than summer last year. It’s always difficult to compare seasons as each one has its own character that makes it beautiful. But for me this certainly was one of the most intense Spring experiences ever:

I have not felt and seen before such iridescent clarity of atmosphere that is so vibrant and brilliantly clean that it seems to shine. This lends a dynamic presence to living trees and plants and surrounds them with what I can only describe as an aura, so they are veritably beaming! Space, that we conceive of as “nothing” becomes tangible and palpable if one opens up one’s perceptions and “switches gear” to see things for what they really are…Space and atmosphere is “something” – which is usually more real to sculptors than painters – but to learn to see and experience its qualities is equally important for painters, so naturally we did discuss this also during the course.

I have heard happy birds in spring before but the myriad of birds around the monastery and their incredible, lively concert is something that was also new to me. They seemed to go quite crazy with energy – and again this is untainted by any civilisation noises such as traffic hum and one has to really open up to it as we are in daily life so used to blank things out. So turning the “blank-out mode” around that doesn’t let us see and hear things anymore, even if they are there, is something one can really do at La Cartuja.

It is always green in these mountains but the colours of Spring paint everything into a new picture. Bright sap greens sprout up everywhere, gold lemon yellows, fresh life-hungry grass is pushing up and many wild flowers, yellow broom everywhere, purple and white flowers.

I saw a couple of eagles flying over the valley and on my last day we found a fluffy-white, dozy, confused baby owl in a tree who had obviously left the nest and didn’t quite know yet where to sleep at night …

I explored the area a bit more on my day off after everyone had left and found an old sandy mountain road that took me right up into the mountains after passing ever-changing landscapes that looked like olive and cork parkland rather than groves with white imposing fincas speckled throughout randomly. The mountain road was spectacular as it allowed for beautiful views into the far distance though very old trees. Maybe we will go up there on one of the next courses…

The last night I heard something by the monastery which I haven’t heard for many, many years:  a nightingale was singing.

I am beginning to think I am in an old Hollywood movie, so I better stop now…

For more photos of Cartuja and surroundings as well as student work produced on the course have a look at my site or click this link (or copy and paste it into your browser’s address bar):

There were several beginners on this course, a few had some experience and a couple of artists. The people new to painting or drawing amazed me again with what they can produce and learn in such limited time! Everyone did extremely well and learnt a lot or put things into a new perspective in this short week. And we all really wanted to stay there… 

So, if you feel like leaving this century behind, come along to the summer course!
Details you will find here:

Click here to see details of the Spring & Summer 2006 Cartuja courses.
To reserve your place on the Spring & Summer 2006 Cartuja courses Click here.