DAVID HOWELL PRSMA
PAINTING COURSES
FRANCE 2012
The church and village centre - Angles (click to
enlarge) Watercolour painted in the tutor's rest period.
I have been teaching on courses at Angles sur l'Anglin is in the heart of the French countryside east of Poitiers for about 8 years but our hosts John and Nicole have decided it's time to retire and close Sainte Croix Painting Holidays. There still might be the odd week in 2012 and I will post details on this page of anything that will give me an excuse to head over to France.
DEDHAM HALL 2012 June 2nd - 9th
Dedham Hall in located in Constable country on the borders of Essex and Suffolk. The location offers a wide range of East Anglian painting opportunities ranging from landscapes in Dedham Vale to nearby coast and riverside subjects. This is always a very enjoyable week. This course is always booked up very early - if you want to check the current position call 01206-323027 or email sarton@dedhamhall.demon.co.uk
Pin Mill 2011
This watercolour was painted last year in the studio at Dedham from a sketch I produced at Pin Mill. The sketching was curtailed by the tide coming in but it was good opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of having sketching material to hand and to be able to produce a coloured sketch with sufficient information to be able to paint a finished version. This particular painting eventually was shown (and sold) at the Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition in London. One of the problems of being a tutor is that you see all sorts of painting opportunities but the students come first and so sketching opportunities have to be grabbed when you can. Learning to sketch quickly and with enough detail to work from later is paramount and is so much better than taking photographs.
JACK BECK HOUSE - 3 DAY WATERCOLOUR LANDSCAPE COURSE
17th - 19th July - This course will take place in the Yorkshire Dales high up near the Lancashire border. Great painting country. Further details to be found at www.jackbeck.co.uk Tel 01524-251670. I'm already looking forward to this course as I haven't worked in the Dales for some years. The course will primarily be about plein air watercolour painting and will also work on developing landscape composition, sketching skills and possibly testing the local ale. It's wonderful landscape territory, moorland colours, fleeting shadows, wind and weather - can't wait.
TEACHING
First and foremost I am a painter and the studio is always busy with gallery demands and commissions and I view a week's tutoring as a pleasant change, and an opportunity to help others develop their ability and find some of the answers.
I'm passionate about my own work and the whole subject of painting, but I recognise that for many a painting week is about having an enjoyable holiday with good food and wine, good company, and having the opportunity to paint without the distractions of normal day to day life getting in the way. There will be more experienced painters who will want to get into serious discussion, and of course there will also be beginners. I paint in oils, watercolour and pastels and therefore I'm also happy to cope with these different media as well as all levels of experience.
I'm not into the business of standing in front of the class and producing slick demonstrations. I prefer to work with students individually, or occasionally with a small group of like minded painters, and in these circumstances I'll happily demonstrate particular techniques where appropriate. This means that everyone can progress at their own speed and with their own choice of subject matter and medium. I've spent more than 50 years experiencing the highs and struggles associated with painting, and as the years go by I realise there isn't time to learn everything I still need to know. However my aim is that students have an enjoyable time and that as a teacher I can open doors, offer encouragement and challenges in equal measure, and above all that at the end of the course they feel that they have learned something.