Summer School of Painting and Drawing

Course Dates  June 28^th - July 2^nd  ( Monday - Friday ) 2027

On top of Truleigh Hill

Price includes all materials for the 2 days making studies in the landscape.

Our summer school week is five days dedicated to drawing and painting, inspired by the most beautiful location on the top of Truleigh Hill in West Sussex. Taught by two artists who love their profession and have over 60 years of teaching and painting experience between them. The first two days of the course are spent on location making drawings and colour studies that are searching and playful, rather than plans for paintings. The final three days are spent in the Seawhite studio developing paintings inspired by the drawings and memories of being on the hill. Your tutors will guide, support and encourage you to experiment, play and find your personal language to express what you loved about being in the place.

Give yourself time to sit in the landscape and marvel at it. Notice the sounds, colours, the plants, the light and weather. From on top of the hill you have spectacular, expansive views across hills and valleys, out to the sparkling, shimmering sea. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight and the rows of Wind Turbines distant in the sea beyond Shoreham. You can hear and see Sky Larks above your head and will walk amongst wild flowers and grasses. We have worked on the hill many times and on one occasion we had the magical experience of seeing mist filling the bowl of the valley below us; billowing, rolling obscuring the view and then the landscape being slowly revealed as the sun burnt away the mist. Every day is different, every season brings new wonder. Watching and being in it gives you an experience that feeds into the paintings that we will make back in the studio.

“Gorgeous location, next time would stay at the Youth Hostel too! The barn was spacious and modern, it felt like the perfect base, and I would imagine would be great whatever the weather. “

Staying in the Youth Hostel a few minutes walk away from the Truleigh Centre could be a wonderful extension and addition to your experience. You could carry on drawing and catch the sunset or sunrise so you don’t miss a moment of inspiration.

“What a place…excellent location, easy parking, good indoor facilities. Made one feel great just the drive up!”

The course is structured so that everyone feels supported and focused each step of the way; from making drawings in the landscape to unpacking the content and potential of them in the studio and exploring how to create many paintings from them. Everyone will go away with lots of studies and a series of paintings that all relate to each other. Whether or not work is finished is not really the over all aim. Instead these 5 days gives you an insight into how to begin to create a body of work and sustain the journey of exploration in the paintings; maintaining inventiveness, expressiveness and courage to work with the flow and changes that occur as the subject opens out.