Arrive at the market town of Stroud where transport will bring you to Stinchcombe House. 

On arrival to your accommodation, you will shown to your comfortable room, with time to settle in.

Meet Sarah Stokes, then embark on a lovely orientation tour of the gardens, teaching and dining areas of the Manor House. For those guests who like to get a grip on their surroundings there will be the option of an early evening stroll round the extensive grounds and woodlands.

In the evening, get to know your art group over a freshly prepared  evening meal, enhanced by a glass of carefully selected wine.

Your third day unfolds with breakfast, fresh juices and coffee where we can chat about the day ahead before heading out the award winning Wetland Wildlife Trust at Slimbridge, a remarkable and vast mosaic of wetlands, including open water reef bed, grazing marsh, ponds and pools. 

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This is home to the world’s largest collection of exotic, rare and endangered ducks, geese and swans as well as a multitude of other wildlife such as kingfishers, water voles, otters and five different types of flamingos. With curlew, warblers, waders, egrets, oystercatchers, pollinators, harvest mice, roe deer and cranes making this place their home, you will be enthralled by this incredible conservation reserve. You will be taken on a guided tour of the site, with a the option of taking part in a group photographic workshop.

Lunch will be served at the Kingfisher Kitchen, after which we will be able explore parts of the 650 acre site with a professional guide and hopefully, weather permitting take part in an off road jeep safari through the wetlands. What an amazing opportunity for photographing a host of beautiful animals! 

During the rest of the day your time will be your own to explore and photograph the other sights at Slimbridge including the indoor art gallery, sculpture garden, and historic home of Peter Scott, son of “Scott of the Antarctic”, artist and founder of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. The daily afternoon otter talk also offers a fascinating insight into the life of these much loved water creatures. After such a busy and inspiring day, we’ll head back to the Manor House for a welcome home cooked evening meal, washed down with some delicious wine.

Day five starts with a gorgeous selection of breakfast items with coffee, tea and fresh juices before we set out to the ancient Fortress and family home of the Berkeley’s, Berkeley Castle. During the tour of this stunning 12th Century Norman castle you will get to see the China room where Queen Elizabeth 1’s bedspread is on display, the Kings Gallery where Edward 11 was held prisoner and later murdered amongst a host of other rooms and gardens. 
 

We will then travel out to some of the prettiest towns and villages in the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a region known for its picturesque scenery and quintessentially English charm. This will be the perfect opportunity to take photographs of the iconic stone buildings and ancient market squares, visit antique shop and cosy pubs and marvel at its myriad of bridges, streams, and natural beauty. A minimum of at least 3 villages will be visited with the chance to take afternoon tea in a traditional Cotswolds cafe.  Castle Combe, Bibury, Bourton on The Water, Painswick, Malmesbury Abbey, Burford, and Tetbury are some of the villages in mind. As the afternoon draws to a close, we will head back to the warm and inviting atmosphere of Stincombe to enjoy a seasonal apple cider aperol spritz, by the fire before getting ready for a delicious 3 course evening meal freshly prepared by the house cook. 

Over breakfast, the final day presents the ideal opportunity to reflect about the kind of
painting that you would like to create as a result of the sights, sounds and photographs
that you will have taken during this immersive retreat.
Throughout the day Sarah will be on hand to carefully guide you through any pieces that you want to start or complete, whether they are art journal pages or fully fledged paintings. With a printer on hand, you will be able to print off any reference photos you need to recreate your work. Inspired by the trip to Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, Sarah will also be demonstrating the painting of a swan for anyone who wishes to follow her in painting this piece.
Topped up throughout the afternoon with homemade seasonal delights, the pace of this
last day will be relaxed and steady. Just after afternoon tea, an informal exhibition of work
will be set in the cinema room… presenting the ideal chance to chat to fellow guests
about techniques used and images inspired. The last night calls for a very special celebration whereby our private chef will prepare a delectable 5 course meal paired with a superb selection of wines.

After a hearty English breakfast, we will embark on our first art lesson during which I will teach you loosening up techniques to create a beautiful English hare in graphite and watercolour. This exercise will help free up your style and paint with an emphasis on expressive mark making and not precision brush work. After a delicious lunch we will draw an otter in its natural habitat. Throughout the afternoon, we will start to paint the otter using a balance of warm and cool colours. Punctuated by afternoon tea, this session will immerse you the techniques required to effectively depict the texture of fur and the fluidity of water. 

With this practical session finished you will have time to relax and refresh ready for a beautifully prepared meal at Stinchcombe Hill House.

After a freshly prepared breakfast, we will have a steady and solid day of painting at the venue. During the morning we will finish off the otter painting which we started on Sunday. After a light buffet style lunch, we will then prep and paint either flamingos or swans in situ. The painting of these iconic birds will teach you how to paint the sky using a graduated wash, as well as convincing reflections, shadows, splashes and feathers. Colour mixing, timing and pigment control will be key skills learnt during this session. And if course, there will be the obligatory afternoon tea! Once our painting session has finished there will be some time to relax and freshen up before heading out to a traditional village pub for our evening meal in cosy surroundings.

After a nutritious breakfast, we will embark on a day of uninterrupted painting. During the
day, Sarah will show you how to paint a large majestic stag using a range of desaturated colours.

During this class you will learn how to paint beautiful, soulful eyes as well as the characteristic colours and markings of antlers.
After a light buffet lunch, you will create the background for the stag, using flat washes and
expressive techniques to denote the woodlands from which it emerges. This is the time to get expressive with splashes, flicks and painterly strokes, helped along by Sarah’s encouraging guidance. After painting this beautiful, considered piece it’ll be time for some relaxation before joining everyone for an apperitivo hour, followed by a delicious home cooked dinner.

Enjoy a filling breakfast together, exchange any last contacts and catch the 10 am transfer to Stroud train station.