Painting Holidays in Andalucia
Southern Spain

Contact Us

Would you like to book this holiday ? Any questions ? We are here to help

Find out more … about

Las Alpujarras

Capileira

Map of Las Alpujarras

Granada

Whatever your preferred medium, whether its oils, watercolour, gouache or pastels, whether you are a complete beginner, an improver or an experienced artist, enjoy a relaxing one-week holiday honing your drawing and painting skills in the mountains of Las Alpujarras.

The landscape all around is truely inspirational, the quality of the light rich and powerful, the tuition expert, professional and carefully tailored to your individual needs.

Maggy is a delightful woman, patient and encouraging in equal measure with a proven track record in helping her students to realise their creative potential. Her twenty year career as Head of Art at a very successful Grammar School in the South West of England testifies to her expertise and experience.

She has also tutored adults on Life Long Learning and Outreach courses, and her gentle yet positive teaching, of both conceptual skills and practical techniques, will quickly equip you with the confidence and skills-base you need to improve and develop your creative talents.

Now living - and painting - in the little mountain village of Capileira, on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Maggy promises you a relaxing and very rewarding artistic adventure. It will be great fun, too!

The paintings reproduced on this page are all recent works by Maggy.

Our painting holidays are of one week's duration and are designed to offer you a structured teaching programme, specifically tailored to your own personal needs. New skills, techniques and insights will be quickly learned and you will return home with better work, a much improved understanding of the creative process and greater confidence. Whether you are a beginner or an improver, the course will help you to achieve more.

Accurate colour-mixing, paint-handling and drawing proficiency underpin competent picture-making, along with careful composition and the analysis of tonal values. For the serious amateur artist, extending your skills-base by means of structured tutorials will advance your techniques, saving you much time and frustration and making your art all the more enjoyable.

You may wish to learn more about art materials and their uses; which surface to use, which brushes to work with and which paints to choose. If you are confused about colour, knowing about opaque and transparent pigments will help enormously, as will an understanding of complementary colours, hue intensity and values. All will be demystified.

Knowing what equipment is genuinely useful can save you a lot of money, and understanding which techniques to apply, and when, will save you from unrewarding struggle. By advancing your skills, both your confidence and enjoyment will be enhanced.

If, on the other hand, you are simply looking for a painting holiday with a more relaxed approach, we will show you some of the best painting locations in one of the most picturesque landscapes anywhere in Southern Spain, where you can draw and paint at your own pace. There is an infinity of inspirational subjects here in the beautiful countryside and high mountain pueblos of Las Alpujarras.

The quality of light in Andalucía is rich and intense; colour is strong and clear, tonal contrasts are powerful and well-defined, the pace of life is unhurried and relaxing. Potential subjects are everywhere to be seen.

Whether you have not picked up a brush since leaving school, or have worked steadily for years to develop your skills, you will benefit from Maggy's insight and experience.

To enable you to make progress as an artist, course content is carefully tailored to your individual needs. Before your holiday starts, we ask you to complete a short questionnaire which will give us an idea of your skill levels, your art interests and objectives and your experience to date. We also ask you to bring a sample of your work with you so that your needs can be further evaluated on arrival.

Topics that could be covered might include:

DRAWING perhaps the most important core skill. Ways and means to extend and improve your abilities.

COMPOSITION balance and focus of interest, how to use a viewfinder effectively, variety and contrast.

COLOUR colour mixing, transparent and opaque pigments, their uses and applications, aerial perspective, chromatic greys, tonal values and their analysis.

PAINT HANDLING working wet-in-wet, dry brush techniques, layering and scumbling, underpainting and glazing, using masking devices and other special effects.

MATERIALS the characteristics of pigments, brushes, painting supports, choice of equipment, sketchbooks, presentation of your work.

Tuition will be offered on these and other topics in a fairly structured way, although you will be free to experiment and to find your own way, if you prefer.

Groups will be small, with a maximum of eight students, allowing plenty of scope for one-to-one attention. Advice on the choice of materials and equipment to bring with you will be provided, but it is not necessary to go to a lot of expense. A few well chosen items will serve you better than a lot of unnecessary baggage. Details of reputable mail order companies supplying art materials and offering value for money will also be provided.

We will work directly from observation on location around the village of Capileira and the inspirational countryside all around, the day being split into two sessions of approximately three hours each, with time for a siesta or a long lazy lunch in between.

There will be one free day for you to explore the area, visit the Alhambra or go shopping in Granada perhaps, or to practise your newly acquired skills on your own. Evaluation is an important part of learning how to assess your own work, and this will be offered regularly throughout the course, and in a written report at the end if required.

"I’m usually totally preoccupied with work, but I always wanted to find a hobby whereby I could express myself creatively. Not knowing what I was capable of I decided to join Maggy’s course in the beautiful town of Capileira. In particular I wanted to learn, explore and have a go. Maggy did a brilliant job and I was thrilled with my final piece, which I think is great for an absolute beginner. Best of all my laptop never opened and my mobile went unanswered as I was totally absorbed in what I was doing and the beautiful countryside around me. Thanks Maggy!"

"We had a wonderful time and you made us most welcome."

"I found you a patient and encouraging tutor and must thank you for innumerable practical tips - the product of your years in teaching no doubt; I do think your teaching experience gives added value."

Included in the price of your holiday is seven nights half board (breakfast and dinner included) accommodation at Finca Los Llanos *** in Capileira.

The friendly service offered by Gloria and Fernando and their charming daughters is appreciated by all who stay there. The twin-bedded rooms (all with en-suite bathrooms) are cosy, well equipped and comfortable. There is a full-sized swimming pool. For more information (and photos) of Finca Los Llanos, click here

The inclusive price, per person, is £ 770 (sharing a room); the single accommodation supplement is £50. Payment of the single accommodation supplement guarantees single clients their own room in the hotel.

Prices are inclusive of • Seven nights accommodation with half board (breakfast & dinner) at Finca Los llanos • Transfers to and from either Granada or Málaga Airport • Local transport • Painting Course (on five days, approx. six hours each day)

Prices do not include • Airfares • Materials & equipment • Personal or medical insurance

Clients arrange their own flights, either to Granada or Málaga Airport. See our Links Page for web sites of airlines travelling to these airports from the UK. Transfers to and from the airport are provided (this is included in the price of your holiday).

The course will be designed specifically for your individual needs and requirements. It doesn't matter whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced artist. On confirmation of your booking we will send you a short questionnaire to complete and return which will give us an idea of your skill levels, your art interests and objectives and your experience to date.

A list of the materials and equipment you will need will be sent to you with your booking confirmation, along with details of reputable mail order companies supplying art materials.

Capileira offers a good selection of cafes, bars and restaurants. Lunch is usually available between 1pm - 4pm. Prices range from 10 to 30 Euros per person for a meal plus wine. Alternatively, another very popular option is to enjoy the free tapas that many bars in Capileira offer when drinks are ordered.

There is every reason to expect the delightful Andalucían sun to shine during your holiday. However, there may be showers during spring and autumn. Temperatures range from 10C to 15C degrees in early March to 30C or 35C degrees in July and August.

We recommend that you take out adequate holiday and accident insurance in advance of your holiday. See our Links Page for web sites of travel insurance companies.

Spain has a National Health Service and it is important that participants from European Union countries obtain a European Health Card (this replaces the form E111 in the UK) from their local post office which will entitle them to free medical service while in Spain. Without this clients may be requested to pay in full for any medical treatment received in Spain.

Whilst every care is taken to ensure the safety of participants and their effects, neither Rustic Blue nor the course tutor can accept responsibility for loss of personal belongings or injury.