EMILY BALL AT SEAWHITE | CONTEMPORARY DRAWING AND PAINTING COURSES |
|
|
|---|
EMILY & YOU IN THE ALGARVE | Grab one of the last remaining places today! |
|
|
|---|
| Images: the Algarve Landscape, Hot Hill Painting by Emily Ball |
|
|---|
Dear Visitor Summer gets busy – family events and meet ups, festivals, school holidays, days out – it’s a chance to go off and have adventures, to have a break from the usual routine and to recharge. But what if we told you there was a way to do all of this in the autumn too – to have your proverbial cake and eat it?!
There are just a few places remaining on each of Emily’s Portugal courses, taking place in September. The first is a taught course, led by Emily and focused on helping you make studies that truly connect with your surroundings and your practice as an artist. The second week is a residency, where artists are invited to work alongside Emily and each other as they spend a precious week immersed in their practice, without the usual demands of everyday life.
Previous newsletters have provided a deep dive into each course – you can read the newsletter by clicking here. This newsletter is all about giving you a nudge to grab one of those final places and join Emily for a very special experience – one that will nourish, restore and reinvigorate you and your creative practice. Read on to find out the top five compelling reasons why these courses are definitely a bit of you! Or, click on the buttons below to head straight to our website: |
|
|---|
5 Reasons to join Emily in Portugal |
|
|---|
| Image: Emily making studies on the beach (Katie Sollohub) |
|
|---|
Emily has worked out in the landscape for most of her career and as a result has all the skills and tools you need to get the most out of the experience. She is the master of what to do when you “get stuck” working outdoors. After so many years visiting and running courses with Ros in the Algarve, Emily is attuned to working in its landscape, and can help you form a deep connection with its rugged beauty. During these weeks in the Algarve, you have Emily ‘on tap’ – providing exercises, demonstrations and leading lively discussions about all things painting. For these courses she has developed painting kits based on her wealth of experience that contain the essential tools you need to make effective studies when working outside. This removes the chatter and decision-making, so you can focus on doing the work. |
|
|---|
| Image: Emily discussing studies with students back at the villa (katie Sollohub) |
|
|---|
“I loved painting outside all day and learning how to adapt to outdoor conditions. The slow study approach was great and the use of words to describe what we’re seeing was a revelation to me. I learned how to be bolder, use stronger brush strokes, layer colour, immerse myself in the natural environment -to see, smell, feel & explore.” ~Wendy Heaps |
|
|---|
#2
Ros Hodges is the most amazing host
|
|
|---|
“The course in the Algarve was the best I have ever been on. I was made to feel welcome, comfortable, motivated and happy from the moment I arrived.” - Jennifer Fricke |
|
|---|
| Image: Ros Hodges' beautiful villa |
|
|---|
Your host for these courses - Ros Hodges - helps people open up and relax. She strives to make everyone feel comfortable and previous course participants have commented on how well looked after and nurtured they felt during their stay. For these courses, she has arranged an in-house chef providing phenomenal fresh vegetarian and vegan food throughout the week. As a practicing artists herself, Ros also supports and reinforces what Emily says, providing helpful insights and perspectives. Having spent years living and running courses in the Algarve from her villa, Ros has extensive and invaluable knowledge of the local area; knowing the best beaches and pathways, the perfect place to see sunset or sunrise, and the best spots to sketch from. |
|
|---|
| Image: the villa (Ros Hodges) |
|
|---|
"The residency was a great chance to be immersed in such an amazing place with nothing to think about but painting and being able to chat to a group of like-minded painters. The villa is beautiful and Ros did a great job of catering for our every need.” ~ Fiona Tracy |
|
|---|
#3
The Drama and Beauty of the Algarve Landscape
|
|
|---|
“There is a stark, bleak beauty and toughness that I love. It is an alien landscape to me, one that demands a different physicality to the marks I make, and a palette that reflects the weather beaten, bleached and shimmering space." ~ Emily |
|
|---|
| Image: the Algarve landscape (Emily Ball) |
|
|---|
Moving away from familiar surroundings and views can help provide a fresh perspective when working from nature … and there’s something for every taste here. The landscape in the Algarve is parched, barren and tough. The apricot glow of the earth is in stark contrast to the depth of the blue sky. If you love plants, the toughness of the massive Aloe Veras and grasses that thrive in the landscape will captivate you, as will the huge range of beautiful trees and shrubs that Ros has cultivated in the villa’s garden. No description of the landscape would be complete without acknowledging the drama of the Atlantic ocean. It’s not to be toyed with – the power of the ocean and roar of the waves as they tumble to the shore or break against the rocky outcrops is awe-inspiring. |
|
|---|
| Image: the beach near the villa (Ros Hodges) |
|
|---|
#4
Experience a Creative Practice without Interuptions
|
|
|---|
“The course in the Algarve allowed me to detach myself from the normal grind & to focus just on art without distractions.” ~ Wendy Heaps |
|
|---|
| Images: Sstudents working around the villa (emily Ball) |
|
|---|
To focus on your creativity without the usual interruptions of daily routine, responsibilities and distractions is really special. Having the freedom to follow a train of thought for five days is precious and the positive headspace it gives you cannot be over-estimated. |
|
|---|
| image: Hot Hill Painting by Emily Ball |
|
|---|
“Last year my focus was ‘colour and light, like jewels.’ I kept on layering colours, pushing and scraping until they glowed with jewel-like qualities, conveying the intensity of what it was like to be there on that hot hill. To have the time to follow this idea so completely felt like a total luxury.” ~ Emily
These courses in the Algarve are fantastic for nurturing your practice, and for truly connecting with your subject. In these weeks you can really feel as though you are melting into the space; becoming a conduit for birdsong and the crashing waves. The landscape holds you in that moment. To simply notice and to just be is a profound and humbling experience, that can have a long-lasting impact. |
|
|---|
#5
The Impact and Intensity of the Experience
|
|
|---|
“Taking the studies I made in Portugal and pushing them forward into a larger, more ambitious body of work was thanks to the discipline, rigour and focus that these courses/residencies offer all artists attending (including myself!).” ~ Emily |
|
|---|
| image: Studies made in portugal, Emily Ball |
|
|---|
These courses are more than drawing and painting in the Algarve; their impact can be felt way beyond the week in September that they take place. The intensity of the experience leads to explorations and discoveries about really fundamental questions. They invite you to spend time connecting your experience to what really matters to you in your life and as an artist. It’s a chance to reflect on the strengths that you have and qualities that you would like to develop. |
|
|---|
| Image: the Algarve landscape (Emily Ball) |
|
|---|
If we have convinced you to find out more about this year’s Algarve courses – or better yet to secure one of the final places – click on one of the buttons below:
|
|
|---|
TAKING IT FURTHER
Join us for another creative Adventure!
|
|
|---|
These weeks in the Algarve could be the start of a whole new body of work! Why not join Emily in October/November for PAINT FIT and do just this? |
|
|---|
PAINT FIT STUDIO RETREAT Live Online with Emily Ball
27-31 October(Mon-Fri) 3-7 November(Mon-Fri)
£250
Paint Fit is all about establishing a daily practice of painting and discovering what really matters to you. Each day starts with a live-online tutorial/demonstration with Emily guiding you through exercises; opening up the possibilities of how you can approach your painting. Making a commitment to show up in your studio and paint every day quickly gets results - the progress and breakthroughs that participants make during the course are significant and long-lasting. |
| |
|---|
|
|
