A PaintersOnline competition winner's experience

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A PaintersOnline competition winner's experience

Winner of last year's competition to win painting workshops worth up to £600 with Field Breaks, Janet Todd, tells of her experiences over the last 12 months.

Winner of last year's competition to win painting workshops worth up to £600 with Field Breaks, Janet Todd, tells of her experiences over the last 12 months.

'I was so lucky to be the winner of art tuition offered by Field Breaks as the result of a competition run by PaintersOnline. This introduced me to an organisation which runs excellent art courses which I know will tick all the boxes - from the easy booking process right through to the finished artwork!

'New to Field Breaks, I braved the journey to a venue in Chesterfield - what a peach! Rolling countryside, the cutest little cottage (all mod cons and beautifully appointed) looking through glass panels onto a swathe of Derbyshire fields. I was glad I brought my camera – absolute heaven. Real coffee and special biscuits in plenty – very important – next to the tuition of course. I couldn’t wait to spread my wings and try other venues.

I am an intermediate painter and was apprehensive about the level of tuition in acrylics, a medium in which I have least experience. However, I can say that in the two sessions with Steve McLoughlin I was not disappointed. I learnt something new each time.

In the first session on coastal painting he showed us how to approach a painting using a tonal under painting, something I had only read about and seen, but the demonstration and guidance given was brilliant. He took us through stages in the development of the painting, pacing the session perfectly, allowing for individual attention so no- one was stressed and the better painters were challenged. There were some brilliant tips and an introduction to green gold and opera rose (not to be mixed together of course) of which he gave everyone a squeeze from his expensive tubes. At the end of the session Steve advised and was willing to enhance certain features of paintings if individuals requested - great service - and everyone ended up with outcomes of a very good standard.

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In the second session on bluebell woods Steve took a different approach to painting, getting us to create a textured surface using sand before we began painting. Again he shared tips, not only about creating the texture but also about using it effectively when applying paint, as well as other gems on achieving perspective and contrast for added drama. There was plenty of depth of knowledge in his answers to questions. What will he teach us next?

I attended an entirely different session on mono printing which I had not done before. It was tutored by Ingrid Karlsson-Kemp who, as well as being a good teacher, was lively and captivated her audience. She brought all the materials, so all I had to do was turn up and enjoy. This course exceeded my expectations because, not only did she show us the technique of mono printing, she introduced and provided new materials in the form of crystalline watercolours which were so exciting to use. With such little effort we got amazing results, each person producing something quite unique. She also took us on to produce collages from our mono prints which has inspired me to have a go at home.

This course was such good entertainment, I learnt lots, and it was great value for money.'

Field Breaks offers a wide variety of courses for all abilities with a focus on great tuition. They run from one to four days long, and are based in great accommodation with fabulous food – quality assured. It is even possible for non-painting partners to come along. Booking is easily done either on line or by post. Visit the website for more details - www.fieldbreaks.co.uk

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