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EMILY BALL AT SEAWHITE‍

CONTEMPORARY DRAWING AND PAINTING COURSES‍

Team taught courses in the landscape

with Emily Ball & Katie Sollohub 

“Taking students out into the landscape to work is a

particular favourite thing to do: taking away the fear, handing them the materials and watching them love the

experience. It’s one of the great pleasures of teaching at the studio.” ~ Emily

Dear  ‍Visitor ‍

Here at the Seawhite Studio we’re welcoming the promise of warmer days and brighter skies with real excitement. At this time of year our thoughts turn to those courses that invite you out into the landscape — encouraging you to immerse yourself in nature and explore how its shifting qualities can be captured in paint.

What does the landscape smell like? What does it sound like? How does it feel to move through it, with the weather on your skin and your senses fully awake? And how might these lived experiences find their way into the work you make, both outdoors and back in the studio?

Perhaps you’ve longed to work outdoors but felt overwhelmed by how to capture everything you see, hear and feel. Maybe the practicalities have held you back: what materials should you bring? How will you carry them? Does the thought of trekking across fields weighed down with art supplies leave you feeling overwhelmed?

This Spring and Summer, we may have the answer.

Emily Ball and Katie Sollohub are offering a series of courses designed to help you engage deeply with the landscape through a range of thoughtful exercises and approaches. Working outdoors, you’ll gather dynamic, responsive studies — rich with information, energy and ideas that can later be developed into paintings in the studio.  These courses encourage you to move beyond painting the view and into expressing the richness of being present in the landscape.

The courses on offer are: ‍

Colour & Light

on the Downs

8–9 May, £280

‍

Colour & Light

on the Downs

29-30 May, £280‍

‍Colour & Light

on the Downs

25–26 Sept, £280



Development into Paintings

8–10 June, £380

‍

Summer in the Garden (Live Online)

22–25 June, £250

‍Summer in the Garden

at Highdown

29 June–3 July, £550



Alongside the shared focus on working outdoors, these courses also have another special feature: they are all taught collaboratively by Emily and Katie. In this newsletter we’ll introduce each course in more detail, and explore the unique strengths that this team-teaching approach brings to the learning experience.

Read on to find out more, or click on the buttons above to head over to our website and secure your place now.‍

Two Tutors, Two Perspectives

Courses Led by Emily Ball & Katie Sollohub‍



Image: Emily & Katie teaching Summer School Online at the Seawhite Studio‍‍

Emily and Katie have been teaching together for many years, developing a creative partnership that brings energy and insight  to their courses. Their teaching is shaped by conversation, shared demonstrations and lively exchanges about the process of drawing and painting. The result is an atmosphere that is both supportive and invigorating — encouraging you to experiment, take risks and discover new possibilities in your work.

“Katie and I have been delivering courses together for years. We continue to spark off one another, bringing both playfulness and a wealth of knowledge that comes with time. We trust the creative process and are more daring with how far we push our work. We love sharing the idea of Serious Play with our students as it has become something that shapes not only our paintings and drawings, but is an integral part of who we are and our everyday lives.”

~ Emily‍

"Each time I teach with Emily brings new insights and new ways of seeing. Over the years we’ve learned to slow down, observe more closely and trust the process. We try to strip things back to what is essential — to simply be present, notice things with a clarity and awareness, and respond from the heart - and we encourage our students to do the same." — Katie Sollohub‍

Image: Emily & Katie team-teaching Summer School Online at the Seawhite Studio‍‍

Together, Emily and Katie create a learning environment that is calm, practical and full of curiosity. With more than fifty years of combined painting experience, both artists are sensitive to responding to individual students and generous in sharing their knowledge. Exercises and demonstrations are carefully structured into manageable steps that build confidence whilst opening up new ways of working.

Whether working in the landscape, the garden, the studio or online, Emily and Katie’s collaborative teaching brings together two perspectives, two voices and a shared commitment to helping artists develop their own unique responses to their experience of being in a place.‍

Image: Emily & Katie teaching Summer School Online at the Seawhite Studio‍‍

The Double-Act Dynamic

What Students Say About Emily and Katie Teaching Together‍

‍

Image: Emily & Katie teaching together during Colour & Light on the Downs (photo credit: Clare Wilkinson)‍

It’s not only Emily and Katie who love teaching together — the feedback we receive from students is always positive. Indeed, many participants say the lively rapport between the tutors creates a motivating atmosphere that pushes them further and gives their  practice a boost Here’s what some of them have to say:‍

 Setting you up to Succeed

Courses that are crafted to ensure you get the most out of working outdoors

Image: Emily leading a study-making demonstration outdoors (Katie Sollohub)‍

“Working from nature brings its challenges; it is

physical, mucky and uncomfortable. However, it is this transitory space, fleeting sensations and physical

engagement that I love and paint about.”  ~ Emily

It can sometimes feel daunting to work outdoors, and many artists feel unsure of how to make the best use of their time on location; how to be present and engage with their surroundings; how to make studies that meaningfully capture the sense of place;  how to select the best materials and tools to ensure your studies are rich and varied (and that you’re not lugging around un-necessary ‘stuff’).

Not to worry – we’ve got you covered.

Drawing on their extensive experience of working in nature, Emily and Katie share approaches to landscape painting that go far beyond copying the view. Through carefully devised exercises, you’ll be encouraged to engage with the location in a uniquely personal way. Each course incorporates moments of quiet contemplation of - and engagement with - the landscape, including mindfulness and sensory exercises led by Katie.  These are brilliant at  helping you tune into your surroundings before you begin to draw or paint:‍

“It’s a pleasure to lead exercises that reconnect us with a sense of place — through meditation and through the senses. Celebrating paint in all its glorious colour to convey a time, a place, a sensation.” ~ Katie Sollohub‍‍

Image: out in nature, Katie Sollohub‍‍

Participants often find these moments deepen their experience of working outdoors:

“The meditation exercises really enhanced the feeling of being immersed in the garden. I felt I was seeing things more deeply, and the writing exercises allowed my mind to wander in a different and helpful way." ~ Karen Harrison, Summer School Live Online‍

Image: Hot Hill Study, Portugal using  R&F oil pigment sticks (Emily Ball)‍‍‍

And with regard to materials, Emily has honed her years of working outdoors to provide each participant with a specially prepared artist’s toolkit, containing everything they need to work on location: 

“I have carefully assembled a toolkit for every artist, based on the materials I’ve found essential for making the most of working outdoors. Each student is given a small clear plastic box containing a limited range of oil pastels, soft chalk pastels, R & F oil pigment sticks, rags and an eraser. Papers and boards are prepared in advance, including beautiful Arches Oil paper." ~ Emily‍

Image: Hot Hill Study, Portugal using  R&F oil pigment sticks (Emily Ball)‍‍

“It was great being given paper and materials, rucksack seat, everyone at the same starting point.   Especially good, and new to me, were the oil pigment sticks.” ~ Barbara Kennington, Colour & Light on the Downs‍

The care and attention that Emily and Katie have put into these courses ensures that you are getting  a landscape painting experience that will more than meet your needs; allowing you to really immerse yourself in the experience of being in nature, explore new ways of making rich and vibrant studies that will provide endless inspiration back in the studio.  Joining them for one of these courses ensures that you are set up for success.

“I loved the limited materials. No trying to decide what to take. Also the fact that Emily said this is what she takes outside when doing her own work: if it's good enough for Emily…” ~ Penny Boylan, Colour & Light on the Downs‍

“Standing on Truleigh Hill there are the most stunning views of the South Downs and the Adur Valley. You are held by the hill, grounded by the chalk beneath your feet, yet exhilarated by being up high, soaring and floating, feeling the air and wind on your face.” ~ Emily‍‍

Image: the view from Truleigh Hill (Katie Sollohub)‍

“I enjoyed everything about the course - Emily and Katie's combined creative and teaching experience and encouragement, the camaraderie of the group, the panoramic Downs, the focus on creativity - in the landscape - away from home.  Spending time really looking and seeing the landscape and discovering different ways of portraying the views abstractly.” ~ Anna Hewitt, Colour & Light on the Downs

This two day course is about capturing the energy and freedom of moving through the landscape.  Offering an exciting collection of processes to help each artist feel immersed in the experience, Emily and Katie intend for this course to give participants an injection of courage and creativity to make expressive new work that goes beyond copying the view.

 

“I thought Emily and Katie brought the perfect combination of leadership, fabulous examples and demos, and encouragement to get out there and try it.  I really appreciated the generous provision of materials.  They created a warm and kindly setting, essential for us to work in.” Frances Rae‍

Image: making studies on the South Downs duringlLast year's Light & Colour Course (Photo Credit: Clare Wilkinson and Katie Sollohub)

The base for this course is the Truleigh Centre, a fabulous recently converted barn nestled in the downs above Shoreham.  It is spacious and light, with all the facilities needed to be comfortable over the two days.  You will have access to the centre throughout the day to shelter from the elements (if needed), look at the work created and take breaks.  For more images of the location please visit Truleigh Centre’s Instagram Feed: @truleigh_centre‍

Image: Painting inside the Truleigh Centre  (Katie Sollohub)‍

“For me personally, I love pushing, layering and rubbing colour in search of finding a visual connection to the vastness of the open space of the South Downs.  This course is about me and Katie sharing our love of colour and light, and helping you to find new ways of weaving colours together to create a beautiful sense of the scoop of the land and the way the light continually changes.” ~ Emily‍

Images: studies made by artists during Light & Colour on the Downs (Katie Sollohub)

With a short course working solely on location, there is no pressure to produce finished work.  The joy of this course is the chance to spend two whole days outdoors: really looking, being quiet, being still.  To spend time in the landscape in this way is a profound experience.   At the end of the two days, you will come away from the course feeling recharged, invigorated, enriched and more confident about how to capture the qualities of the landscape that are important to you. The drawings that you make could be the catalyst for future paintings.

Colour & Light is running on three separate dates in 2026. For more information and to book your place, please click on one of the buttons below:‍

Colour & Light:

Development  into Paintings

At the Truleigh Centre, South Downs

With Emily Ball and Katie Sollohub

8-10 June, £380

Image: Colour studies , Light & Colour on the Downs (Clare Wilkinson)‍‍

If you enjoyed one of the two-day Colour and Light courses in 2025 or 2026, why not join for them once again for  this three-day course designed to build on that experience?

The freshness, freedom and immediacy of studies made in situ are qualities many artists hope to carry through into more sustained and finished paintings. Rather than copying these studies directly, this course invites you to use them as a starting point—sources of inspiration and catalysts for new work.‍

Image: making paintings from studies in the Seawhite Studio  (Katie Sollohub)‍‍

Over the three days we will explore how to unpack and reinterpret the material within your landscape studies, transforming them into new painted studies and developing them towards finished pieces. The colours, marks, layers and memories within your sketches become material to experiment with and reimagine. In a sense, they become your own landscape to wander through and explore—reminders of the sensations, light, weather and atmosphere of being out on the hill.‍

Images: works in progress - making paintings from studies (Emily Ball)‍

“What you did was unpack the whole process of working outside on studies, bringing them into the studio and then how to put together a painting. You couldn’t have broken it down for us more or facilitated our creativity better." ~ Sophie Bartlett, Summer School participant 

Students will bring the studies they created in the landscape, and Emily and Katie will demonstrate a range of approaches to help unlock their potential. Working with either acrylics or oils on canvas, board or paper, you will experiment with paint, tools and mark-making processes to discover the visual language that best supports strong, expressive and exciting paintings.

For more information and to book your place, please click on the button below:‍

“My own practise as an artist involves long stretches of time working outside, feeling deeply connected to the landscape. This feeds me and provides me with inspiration back in the studio to make paintings. I love teaching with Katie on the Summer Schools. The opportunity to share with other artists our processes and enthusiasm for engaging in this way is always a joy.” ~ Emily‍‍

Image: making studies in the garden (Emily Ball)‍

The garden is a symbol of abundance and a space for dreaming. Spending time in a garden is food for the soul.‍  From Monet to Matisse, many artists have been inspired by the motifs of the garden, revelling in the colours and sensory delights that they offer.  As Spring melts into Summer, flowers become centre stage with their splashes of colour jostling for attention. Colours are luminous on the blousy petals of flowers, the bird song is shrill and excited, the shadows are deep, cool and inviting.  Whichever garden you choose as your subject, you are bound to found endless inspiration in this summer setting!‍

 The two versions of this year’s Summer School take their inspiration from the abundance of the Summer garden.‍

The Live Online version of the course gives you the option of t

aking inspiration from your own garden (or one of your choice).‍

The In-Person version of the course starts with 2 days on location at Highdown Gardens, followed by 3 days at the Seawhite Studio.‍

The aim of both Summer Schools is to give students the tools and courage to transform on-location studies into successful painting back in the studio:

 “It has really fired up my enthusiasm for painting. I also feel more confident painting outside and believe I have developed some really useful ways of making meaningful studies.” ~ Liz Meier‍‍‍

Images: mindful mark-making at Highdown Gardens (Katie Sollohub‍

The in-person Summer School takes its inspiration from the beautiful Highdown Garden near Worthing, a unique chalk garden on the South Downs.  It is a garden full of delights; mature trees and plants, winding pathways that lead to open spaces where you can sit immersed in the sights, sounds and smells.  Accessing the garden is easy: all the paths are easy to navigate and there are benches dotted everywhere so that you can pause to sit and soak up the atmosphere and draw in comfort.  ‍

The first two days of the course are spent in the garden making lots of studies. Beginning with a guided meditation to ground you in the space, you will then be introduced and shown a variety of processes to make successful studies: mark making that captures the lights and depth of foliage; collage exercises that explore space and colour; and written tasks to help capture your immediate responses and observations.‍‍‍

mages: using collage to make studies at Highdown Gardens (Katie Sollohub)

If you choose to join Emily and Katie for the Online Summer School, you will be sent – a month prior to the start of the course  - a collection of short films that give you demonstrations of ways of working. These will help you make lots of studies which you will need in preparation for the live classes.‍‍

mage: Emily & Katie providing exercises via preparatory films  for the Summer School Online at the Seawhite Studio‍‍

“Think about how a garden is created: with love, experimentation, trial and error no doubt.  A willingness to shift this, transplant that, cut back, prune, replant…. this is how you can approach your sketchbooks, studies, and paintings.” ~ Emily Ball‍

Regardless of the garden you choose to take inspiration from, a core aim of the Summer Schools is to make impactful paintings back in the studio.  So after you have spent time on location, Emily and Katie will show you how to unpack and select from your many studies.  They will expertly guide you through different approaches that will enable you to select, invent, and compose, creating ambitious and creative paintings‍ that bring back the glorious riot of colours, patterns, mood and memories of being in the garden.‍

mage: Students working on paintings in the Seawhite Studio during Summer School; Katie teaching Summer School Online at the Seawhite Studio‍‍

“Katie and I will be encouraging you to be painterly: to embrace and use the beautiful colours, textures and natural patterns that have inspired you from the gardens to make joyful and evocative paintings that bring the garden into the studio.” ~ Emily‍

Image: making paintings from studies in the Seawhite Studio  (Katie Sollohub)‍‍

By the end of the course  - whether in-person or online - you will have started a collection of paintings and also have a set of exercises and ways of working to maintain an independent practice beyond the course.  This could lead to a body of really interesting and exciting work, reflecting your experience of seeing, and sensing Summer in the garden.

“The biggest takeaway from the course was the feeling of diving into the subject matter, the garden, being well prepared but then letting go of expectations. It really is an immersive experience to paint with Emily and Katie and I have come away with a feeling of expansion and that I’ve pushed to my edges a little bit more.” ~ Karen Harrison

To find out more about the Summer Schools and to book your place, click on the buttons below:‍‍

Image: Emily & Katie teaching Summer School Online at the Seawhite Studio‍‍

“A highlight [of the course] was the easy interaction between Katie and Emily and the reminder that art is meant to be joyful and  not too angst.” ~ Cindy Tassell‍

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