Fun Things to Do

I was 55 in May and our daughter gave me a ‘Painting Weekend Voucher’ as a birthday present. I’d dabbled with watercolours occasionally and regularly took photographs of the beautiful flowers growing in the garden. Like most people I appreciate beautiful things but was never quite sure what to do with them. I was so excited to receive this gift, a painting weekend. The idea filled me excitement but then a certain amount of dread. I can’t paint, I can’t join a class of people painting and show myself up.

"I Can't Paint"

I had to go on the Painting weekend though, or my daughter would be offended. I telephoned the number on the voucher, 0118 948 3155, and spoke to a lovely lady called Annabel. I decided to voice my apprehension and told her ‘I can’t paint’. ‘Don’t worry’ she said, ‘most people can’t. The course is excellent and Caroline guides you through everything. Honestly don’t worry, we provide everything and I know you will have a great time’.

I spent the next few days playing about with watercolour, which was a mistake because nothing I did looked good. It made me feel worse. I really can’t paint but I realised I wanted to.

I left my house early on Saturday morning, sat on the M25 for an hour or so, then the M4 and then followed the instructions given to me by the Studio. I was feeling very tense, the traffic was heavy and negotiating around strange towns was horrible. I passed round Reading and into Caversham, went up a steepish hill, drove along a main road and turned left just past the Chazey Heath sign, opposite the Pack Saddle pub. I turned left at crossroads and then I was in open country and drove down a narrow country road. There was a large National Trust sign saying ‘Mapledurham House’ and a few yellow and black signs saying ‘JoeDaisy Studio’ with directional arrows. At least I knew I was on the right road.

No Cars, No Buses - just Beautiful Scenery

I was now driving past rolling hills, fields of sheep, cows and horses. Pheasants strutted across the road and the odd rabbit darted into the bushes. It was beautiful. The birds were singing. My pulse began to drop as the countryside beautifully emerged into a tiny street of old houses. ‘Look out for the Alms Houses’ I’d been told, ‘the studio is opposite’.

This can’t be right I thought, it’s like being back in the 1950’s. No cars, no buses, no mass development, no office buildings just beautiful houses and scenery but yes, there it was; the gravel car park with a life size fibre glass cow. Other cars were parked and I could see easels inside the building. I was here.

If nothing else I thought, I’ve found a beautiful place. I knew there was a 15th century watermill here and I could see Mapledurham House, which I’d heard was worth visiting. Apparently ‘Where Eagles Dare’ was filmed here and ‘Midsummer Murders’.

I walked into the Grade II listed building which is JoeDaisy Studio and was greeted by Alex. He smiled broadly, offered me a cup of tea, coffee, water (or even wine) and he showed me upstairs to the lounge. There was an assortment of fantastic paintings on the walls and in the ‘gallery’ area.

I met the other five people on the weekend. Three people the same age as me and two young girls. Well I say young, probably 20s or 30s.

Our Tutor was Caroline Hulse - Master Painter

Alex kept us chatting and was very charming and witty. Then the tutor ‘Caroline Hulse’ came up the stairs. It was obvious she was an artist. She wore paint splattered trousers and paint splattered shoes but she put us at ease immediately. She told us about herself and her achievements, she showed us some of her work and the article that was in International Artist which declared her a ‘Master Painter’.

Caroline chatted for a short while, explained the course and how she wasn’t going to teach us to paint ‘by numbers’ or to paint like her but that she wanted to develop the artist in us and the course was so unique that by the end of the weekend we should be able to paint absolutely anything, in a professional way.

She made us laugh, told us to make the Studio ‘our home’ for the weekend and to take breaks whenever we wanted to, help ourselves to coffee from the machine or ask Alex to make us a drink. She pointed out the chocolate biscuits and nibbles to eat at any time and the bottles of wine, we could help ourselves to.

We were offered a bottle of water and a ‘painting shirt’ to protect our clothes and then we went downstairs into the area where there were six professional easels, high stools, painting tables, brushes, canvasses, paints, pastels, paper – everything you could wish for!

The first task was called ‘Painting with Passion’ We painted in acrylic paint with a limited palette – everyone had the same colours, the same size canvas and we all painted from the same image. Caroline told us not to replicate the image but to ‘interpret’ the image in our own way. She said this was an exploratory exercise to get used to the paint and to see what we developed. The image was a perfect example of composition she said and pointed out why.

Exhilarating

I didn’t think I would be able to do this first exercise. Where do I start? ‘With the ‘focal point’ Caroline said and explained what a focal point was. We used the best materials, the best professional brushes and the best paints. It was exhilarating.

She left us to paint for a while to some lovely music, BB King I think, then she came round and gave each of us individual attention, she pointed out in a refreshingly direct yet unintimidating way how we could make our paintings better, how we could ‘loosen up’, how we could mix the paint, how different brushes make different marks.

All six of us painted something different. It was quite amazing as we had all used the same colours and worked from the same image. It made me realise that everyone has the power to be an artist as everyone interprets everything differently. Caroline showed us techniques and helped us use our brushes.

The first day was fantastic. We painted in acrylics and oils. We learnt composition, tonal values and focal points. We walked to the watermill and the Thames and composed our own drawings in charcoal. Everything was included. Lunch was a cold buffet. Delicious fresh food, soft drinks or wine.

We sat outside to eat and admired the Mapledurham House and chatted easily with one another. One of the students was quite an achieved artist but said she had learnt more in one day than a year at art school.

Relaxing Together at the End of the Day

At the end of the first day, we followed Alex in our cars, to our accommodation, Greendene Farmhouse. It was about a four minute drive. Linette runs the bed and breakfast, apparently she is the housekeeper for the Mapledurham House. The rooms were spotlessly clean, with tea making facilities and television.

In the evening all of us went to the pub and had a good meal at a great price. We were all very tired but happy!

The next morning, Linette cooked us a huge breakfast and then we went back to the Studio to create a new masterpiece - a painting of our own composition or something from a photograph.

JoeDaisy Studio has a printing studio and overnight, they had printed out our images in the size were were going to paint them. I had chosen a photograph of my garden and there was a large 100x100cm print hanging on the wall next to my easel. I had put on a first ‘wash’ of colour on my 100x100cm canvas the day before, so I gridded up my canvas to follow the grid on the print and started to draw the image in pastel. I felt totally confident today which I found very surprising.

Everyone on the course was painting something different. The young woman who had painted a lot before had composed her own painting, a very modern colourful abstract. The woman who had been here before was using mixed media and painting a very, very large canvas. The painting weekend was, I thought, sensational value and the woman painting a very large canvas had paid a small supplement for her very large canvas. Caroline was teaching her new techniques with oil sticks and acrylics.

Some of us were more cautious and paintied from photographs. I found Caroline totally amazing in that she can paint absolutely anything, from her traditional landscapes to very modern works of art. I know she is very successful and supplies paintings to houses as well as companies, hotels and restaurants.

I’d looked at her web site: www.caroline.hulse.com  and it was because of her work, my daughter said she’d chosen this particular studio for a painting course. We learnt from each other. We chatted a lot and the questions other people asked were questions I hadn’t thought of but realised contained information I needed.

The Course "Opened up My Whole Life"

Caroline was able to assist each of us and we all said what a wonderful time we’d had. I made a friend on the course and we are coming back to do an ‘Improvers Course’ and we are even thinking about going on the Overseas Painting Week the studio organise in June every year. So thank you daughter for that wonderful ‘Painting Voucher’ which has opened up my whole life and put a spring in my step.

More Information

JoeDaisy Studio Painting Courses:
www.joedaisy.co.uk/paintingcourses.html

Tel: 0118 9483155