In-person course
in Suffolk Maker & location details

Sketching and Painting at Benton End

Description

Join Carole Massey for Sketching and Painting at Benton End. This is a new initiative and an exciting opportunity to visit and sketch this historic 16th century house and its beautiful gardens, which will once more become a place for artistic and horticulture as it was in the time of Cedric Morris and Lett Haines. We will spend the day sketching and painting in the grounds. Carole will walk you round the garden, pointing out suitable painting places and views of the house, then give a short demonstration in pen & wash to inspire you with ideas! You can choose to work in sketchbooks, creating a series of pen & wash studies, or take more time over a painting in watercolour. After the demonstration, Carole will teach on an individual basis for the rest of the day. Suitable for all abilities. Travel to & from Benton End will be by minibus from Flatford Mill. In the event of rain, we will be able to work indoors. About Benton End Benton End house and gardens in Hadleigh, Suffolk is the former home of celebrated artist and gardener Sir Cedric Morris (1889 – 1982) and artist, Arthur Lett-Haines, known as Lett, (1894–1978); lifelong partners, they met on Armistice Night in 1918. Together they ran the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing – a sanctuary for a diverse range of influential artists, writers, musicians, and botanists of the 20th century. Lucian Freud and Maggi Hambling were among their students. Vita Sackville-West, Beth Chatto, Paul and John Nash, Elizabeth David, Constance Spry and Benjamin Britten all frequented the house. About the tutor: Carole Massey Carole Massey is a popular and supportive tutor who has been teaching at Flatford Mill for over 20 years. She is an all-round artist working in soft pastels, acrylics and watercolours and uses a variety of mediums and is equally at home painting landscapes or portraits and has been an independent, self-employed professional artist all her working life. After studying at St Albans School of Art and then Leicester College of Art & Design, she set up her own successful Graphic Design business which she ran for many years. Carole has written many teaching art books, her latest two being “Drawing for the Absolute Beginner” and “The Beginners’ Guide to Drawing Portraits” (published by Search Press) both of which should be on sale, signed, during the course. Carole demonstrates to art clubs and runs many workshops and courses throughout East Anglia as well as painting holidays in the UK and abroad with Alpha Painting Holidays and in Italy with Hotel Leone. She has exhibited at the Mall Galleries and regularly takes part in exhibitions in Aldeburgh and Woodbridge as well as belonging to Suffolk Open Studios. She is President of Felixstowe Art Group and a member of several Suffolk Art Societies. What to bring Pencils and Pens 2B or 3B Graphite pencil Waterproof Pens - Black or brown fibre-tipped drawing pens e.g. Pilot or Faber Castell or equivalent, sizes 03, 05 and/or 0.8 Optional: A Pentel Brushpen, black Paper A Sketchbook; I use a hard backed, casebound sketchbook either landscape or portrait format between A5 & A4 size, (210 x 150mm to 300 x 210mm) 8” x 6” to 12” x 8”approx.) containing good quality cartridge paper, durable enough for light watercolour washes. See Seawhite of Brighton Popular Portrait or Landscape Black cloth casebound sketchbook 250 x 190mm can be bought at Hobbycraft or online at www.artsaver.co.uk And/or Watercolour paper – 140lb /300gsm Bockingford, Langton, Saunders Waterford, Arches etc in a block or pad approx. 12 x 8”, 300 x 210mm Paints Watercolour paints, artists’ quality preferable as tubes squeezed out onto a palette or as a set of pans. Watercolour brushes – round Sizes 6, 8 & 12 Optional: Several wax crayons or oil pastels e.g. White, yellow, red orange, pale green, raw sienna Other materials A kneadable rubber, a pencil sharpener, kitchen roll Bulldog clips or rubber bands to stop sketchbook pages flapping in the breeze Bring a chair, water pot & painting water. An easel if you prefer to use one but I usually work with my sketchbook or pad on my knee. Suitable clothing for the weather