I’m enjoying the nature sketches so much that I’ve decided to teach a short course in Watercolour Nature Journals starting in October at the beautiful Morrab Library in Penzance.

Founded in 1818 the classical white building surrounded by palm trees is an oasis for book lovers, and is one of my favourite places in the world.

A collection of rooms big and small houses old books up to the ceiling, library ladders and leather topped writing tables. It has the air of a stately home library, but with added cups of tea and lots of laughter and camaraderie with the lovely staff.
I’ve booked the Theology Collection room (more commonly known as “God’s Room”. )

Wednesdays were free, so I’ve booked a run of six two hour sessions there on Wednesday afternoons to share my love of sketching nature with a small group of nature lovers.

My Watercolour Nature Journal Course costs just £120 for 6 x 2hour classes and there a couple of places left so if you’d like to join us just send me an email with your phone number and I can ring you for a chat to see if it’s right for you.

Payment:

£120 (6 x 2 hour classes)

1.30pm -3.30pm

What’s included: 

12 hours of art tuition over 6 weeks

All the art materials you’ll need: no need to buy or bring anything with you

A detailed multi-page handout covering all the techniques you’ll learn in the workshop

Unlimited hot drinks and biscuits to keep you going!

Please be warned: my courses fill up very quickly !

I come across so many people who say they’d love to draw but say they “can’t even draw a stick figure.”

But I know that the reason they can’t draw isn’t their fault. Not at all.

The reason is that they’ve never been shown how to properly. It’s that simple….

I was so lucky as a child to have had a father who was an artist. I was such a daddy’s girl when i was small that I wanted to go everywhere with him. I can remember sitting at the back of a public hall, when I was about five years old, watching my father demonstrate drawing, or how to use oil paints, or pastels to members of the local art society.

He showed me how light and shadow make things look substantial and three dimensional, how to apply those shadows to my drawings, and how to add skies, clouds and backgrounds to my tree or my house.

Here’s how I learned to draw

I wanted to learn to draw because first of all, I saw him do it. It looked like magic! Creating an object, a scene, a world out of thin air.

Secondly, he showed me how to look really carefully at what I wanted to draw, and to notice the things we don’t normally see when we just glance at something.
Then he showed me how to draw it.

Next, I tried out what he’d showed me.

And then he highlighted the best bits I’d done and showed me how to improve any bits that looked a bit wonky.

Then the rest was up to me to keep on practising it, getting some positive feedback, and practising some more.

That’s how you can learn to draw, too.
And that’s what I’m offering to show you this coming Autumn.

All we’ll need is a 2B soft pencil and some paper. Just as I learned, you’ll see me draw; I’ll show you how to; I’ll give you positive feedback, and you’ll practise some more. It’s as simple as that, and you’ll be amazed at your progress, because it’s really not that hard if you are taught well.

I’m making it sound very serious, aren’t I? But it’s not: we drink coffee, we look carefully, we laugh and we draw. It’s lovely. And it’s fun.

What’s included: 

• A days tuition with me (Sarah Bell!)

• All the art materials you’ll need: no need to buy or bring anything with you

• A detailed multi-page handout covering all the techniques you’ll learn in the workshop

• Unlimited hot drinks and biscuits to keep you going!

Payment:

Two day workshop - £195

Non-refundable deposit - £80

Final amount of £115 to be paid online, 7 days before the course starts.

Please be warned: my courses fill up very quickly !

Come and enjoy learning how to paint the modern watercolour botanicals and flowers that are so popular on greeting cards, stationary, Pinterest and Instagram right now. You can use your new watercolour skills to create your own thank you cards, party and wedding invitations, place settings, menu cards… the list is endless!

Bring a friend, your mum or your daughter and spend a wonderful, relaxing day together.
(suitable for absolute beginners and the more experienced.)

This workshop is designed to help you to:

· Understand how to draw simple flowers and leaves

• · How to arrange the subject on paper

• · How to mix colours for botanicals

• · Which watercolour techniques to use

• How to draw easy flowers and botanicals

• How to paint simple garlands, flowers, leaves and berries

• (And how to “erase” any watercolour mistakes!)

  
  
  

What’s included: 

All the art materials you’ll need: no need to buy or bring anything with you

A detailed multi-page handout covering all the techniques you’ll learn in the workshop

Unlimited hot drinks and biscuits to keep you going!

And not included: 

Lunch: bring a packed lunch along

Accommodation (we can supply a list for you) 

Payment information:

Total Fee: £225 for 2 days

Deposit of £125 to be paid online, the final £100 to be paid 7 days before the workshop starts.

Please be warned: my courses fill up very quickly !

Come and enjoy learning how to paint the modern watercolour botanicals and flowers that are so popular on greeting cards, stationary, Pinterest and Instagram right now. You can use your new watercolour skills to create your own thank you cards, party and wedding invitations, place settings, menu cards… the list is endless!

Bring a friend, your mum or your daughter and spend a wonderful, relaxing day together.
(suitable for absolute beginners and the more experienced.)

This workshop is designed to help you to:

· Understand how to draw simple flowers and leaves

• · How to arrange the subject on paper

• · How to mix colours for botanicals

• · Which watercolour techniques to use

• How to draw easy flowers and botanicals

• How to paint simple garlands, flowers, leaves and berries

• (And how to “erase” any watercolour mistakes!)

  
  
  

What’s included: 

All the art materials you’ll need: no need to buy or bring anything with you

A detailed multi-page handout covering all the techniques you’ll learn in the workshop

Unlimited hot drinks and biscuits to keep you going!

And not included: 

Lunch: bring a packed lunch along

Accommodation (we can supply a list for you) 

Payment information:

Total Fee: £195 for 2 days

Deposit of £80 to be paid online, the final £115 to be paid on the day.

Please be warned: my courses fill up very quickly !

Discover the fascinating world of underwater creatures. You’ll love learning how to sketch those sinuous shapes of fish, dolphins and octopus. And Watercolour is the prefect medium for painting them. 

In the last year I’ve become just a little bit obsessed with painting seals, dolphins, whales, puffins and other sea birds and my art gallery is full of them! You’re invited to a pre workshop meet-up with Prosecco the night before to have a look at my sea life paintings and greetings cards and get to know each other a little.

At the workshop I’ll be doing lots of step by step demonstrations on how to get the proportions and sense of movement into your sketches of sealife before you start to paint, and also be helping you on a one-to-one basis too. Let the Watercolour Magic Begin!

Who’s this workshop suitable for?

This is ideal for those who have attended one of my workshops before and have done the colour mixing system with me. (If you haven’t, but have done some watercolour before, then don’t worry. You’ll even receive a helpful handout talking you through all the things you’ve learned to take home with you.

Here’s what you’ll learn about on the Watercolour “Seal Life” Class:

·      How to sketchthings using a basis of really simple shapes

·      How to mix and match coloursusing just three tubes: 

·      How to paint water

·      How to simplify what you see 

·      How to plan the sequenceof your painting: what comes first, next, and last…

·      Which techniques are best for the different elements of your painting

·      How to paint “wet in wet” 

·      How to paint an easy but effective watercolour background

·      How to make things look 3Dwith light and shadow effects

·      How to choose colours for maximum impact (colour theory)

You’ll work from a choice of subject matter fresh from the local greengrocer, or from my reference photos, specially selected to include all the aspects above for maximum use of your time. 

What’s included: 

All the art materials you’ll need: no need to buy or bring anything with you

A detailed multi-page handout covering all the techniques you’ll learn in the workshop

Unlimited hot drinks and biscuits to keep you going!

And not included: 

Lunch: bring a packed lunch along

Accommodation (we can supply a list for you) 

Payment information:

Total Fee: £195 for 2 days

Deposit of £80 to be paid online, the final £115 to be paid on the day.

Please be warned: my courses fill up very quickly !