Painting days: 26th - 30th May
Join Tom for 5 days of watercolour painting in the beautiful and extensive grounds of Westcott Barton - the perfect place to immerse yourself in the wonderful medium of watercolour, as well as take some time to relax!
On two of the days we will also spend time sketching and painting from life at various spots in the surrounding area - we have the wonderful Devon Coastline on our doorstep!
There will be an underlying structure which slowly builds over the 5 days, steadily equipping you with the foundations of watercolour.
Whether you are starting out and looking for some direction, or you are a long time watercolourist needing some fresh input (or anything inbetween), this particular retreat is designed to take your painting to the next level, whatever direction you wish to go in.
You will focus on the key principles of watercolour painting, starting with tonal values, through into composition, colour and mixing, finally edges and bringing it all together. You will be looking at painting from both life, photos and using sketches, as well as various approaches to the medium itself. Plus there will be a continual thread of capturing the light and creating dramatic and lively watercolours.
There will be plenty of demonstrations to illustrate these principles in action, as well as lots of guided painting for the students (i.e. Tom will always be on hand to assist and tutor as you paint).
The overriding emphasis is absolutely on enjoying the medium and having fun with it, alongside a focus on developing your own practice.
Weather allowing, and it often does, we will be out on the grounds painting from life as much as possible. However there is also a studio base which we use too, and many students like to use a combination of life and photos. Ultimately, this is your painting retreat and time to use as you please.
Tom has spent many years travelling up and down the UK teaching and demonstrating, he runs many of his own workshops and courses, and has led a number of painting holidays abroad. In this time he has become a highly regarded and much sought after tutor.
From beginners to more experienced artists, Tom loves to help others discover the joys of painting and is passionate about supporting them to develop and advance their own creative practices.
Tom started off his art career creating custom artwork on guitars using graffiti pens. Making a move towards a brush and more traditional mediums opened up a whole new world to Tom and he hasn’t looked back since. He has been featured in various publications, including Artists & Illustrators Magazine.
Tom's work has become widely collected in the UK and more recently, internationally. He has also been a highly commended finalist in the World renowned Wildlife Artist of the Year on several occasions.
Please visit Tom’s website for further information and to see examples of his work.
"Tom's skills are not just in composing and progressing his own work to a high standard, but in encouraging and developing the potential in others. He shows patience, enthusiasm and a natural empathy with aspiring artists that makes his workshops a real joy to attend, with excellent results."
"Thank you for the fabulous workshop you tutored here on Saturday. It really was tremendously enjoyable as well as beneficial in so many ways.
I have already had such positive feedback and mostly asking for a return visit Next year. Thank you for sharing all your secrets with us and mostly for the exceptionally generous individual attention you gave to each member, we were spoilt"
"I have attended several of Tom's painting workshops and have found them to be most enjoyable.
Tom is an enthusiastic and friendly teacher introducing us to new techniques and keen for us to improve our painting style while having fun.
Like my fellow student I leave the class looking forward to the next workshop."
Upon arrival on Sunday Afternoon, at around 3pm, you will be greeted by the team at Westcott. After time settling in there will be a gathering and briefing in the main studio at around 6:30pm, followed by dinner at 7pm.
All meals are fully catered for, including a packed lunch for days out.
Days 1, 3 and 5 will be spent at Westcott enjoying the beautiful gardens, old buildings and many acres of land. Breakfast is at 8.30am for a studio start at 9.30am.
There will be a morning and afternoon demonstration. Afternoon sessions/demos commence at around 2pm. Students are free to paint for as long as they please and take lunch as suits, with dinner then being served at 6.30pm every evening.
Days 2 and 4 will involve minibus trips out to local scenic spots (beaches, harbour towns, etc) to sketch and paint. We aim to leave around 9.30am. We generally aim to be back between 2-3pm (this is weather and group dependent), leaving time for students to relax and/or do some more painting back at the studio.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are readily available, along with afternoon cake in the studio.
The whole format is structured, but also informal and friendly. We find it makes for the most enjoyable yet also most productive atmosphere.
- Watercolour.
- Gouache and acrylics are also very welcome, if planned to be used in a “watercolour style”.
All abilities very much welcome and easily catered for!
Students will need to bring all of their own equipment.
Tom is very happy to advise in detail on all aspects, including colour choices and what to expect, via email or over the phone.
As a general overview you will need your chosen medium and all equipment associated with it.
Depending on how you like to work, you might require some sort of standing easel, tripod or pochade box to work on. Some people like to work on their laps, especially with watercolour and sketching.
You may also want to bring a foldout stool or chair if you prefer to work sitting down.
All in all have a think about what medium/s you plan to work with and how you like to work.
You will be sent a much more extensive materials guide a month or so in advance.
Tom can be contacted to discuss and advise regarding equipment and materials via: tom@tomshepherdart.com or 07980 611 267.
- Accommodation and meals during your stay, including an evening meal on day of arrival and breakfast on day of departure.
Please click here to view a sample menu (PDF opens in new tab).
Single occupancy in secure room, with own bathroom facilities: £970 per person.
Single occupancy room or shared room (twin or double), but sharing bathroom facilities: £925 per person (minimum booking for two and both must be participating in retreat).
Non-participating partners sharing a course participant's room are welcome: £625 per person (includes meals) . This option is subject to availability.
We welcome non-residential participants on our retreats/courses - please enquire for further details.
The form can either be printed and completed by hand or filled out on your computer (Adobe PDF reader required). If the latter, please make sure you save the PDF once you have added your details and then email this back to us.
RETREAT BOOKING FORM (PDF) - please right click and save to your computer.
Please refer to our Location page for directions, if coming by car.
We suggest you download what3words and then use Google Maps within the app to provide you with directions to us. Please enter our full address and not just the postcode.
If you are planning to travel by another means of transport please contact us for assistance.