What makes a great Painting Holiday? I'm an artist and tutor ... as well as working on my own art projects, I run regular classes during term time and occasionally guest lecture on cruise ships. I've been running Painting Holidays for the last decade and I am constantly trying to perfect the Painting Holiday formula to ensure I am offering the best experience for my guests - and also for myself. So what is needed for the perfect painting holiday? Well, its a complicated recipe of ingredients including location, accommodation, time of year, number of guests, tuition, time off, price. Getting all these things to come together is a real art! Locations - well I certainly have my favourites. The place I return to time & again is Cornwall - art is part of the local culture there, with so many artists and galleries and such inspirational scenery. Having run holidays in St Ives, Penzance, St Just and the Scilly Isles over the years, I now know all the best places to make camp & paint from. When I guest lecture onboard the ships I use the shore days to "do a recce" and see if the places I visit are worth returning to for Painting Holidays. Consequently I have run holidays in Croatia and Rhodes, having been so impressed after one day visits on a cruise. I now know Rhodes town and Dubrovnik as well as I know St Ives or Penzance! A location should have scenic views, history, colour and character, it should be fascinating but make one feel relaxed enough to want to sit and paint. One needs to find quiet places to sit, with just the right view, not in full sunlight, where a group would not be in other people's way. Accommodation - must be small and bijou! No tower block hotels, I want self catering or a family run pension, with access to a room with a big table that can be used as a studio. I want interesting nooks & crannies, a characteristic building, decent furniture, comfy beds, friendly owners, near to amenities and places of interest. When I find one I return year after year and build a good relationship with the owner. Getting the time of year right is important. Out weather here is very changeable so I always book a place we can use as an indoor studio and teach I indoors if its rainy. last year I took a group to Scilly Isles in August and we had every kind of weather - hot enough for swimsuits most days, full winter kit needed on the Friday! This year we are going in May as this is when the great British weather has been at its best for the last few years. Here's hoping! On the other hand when going abroad one doesn't want it blazing hot - I'll never make the mistake of going to Rhodes in August again! 40 degrees heat and watercolour just don't work! Off season is best, September or April usually warm around the Adriatic and the Med, not madly hot and not too busy. Number of guests - I much prefer small groups so that I can give everyone plenty of individual guidance, which is what makes the difference. Small groups prevent cliquey-ness and help people relax, to bond and make friends. Its a lot easier on the tutor too! Tuition - should be enjoyable - its the guests leisure time! I try to teach the person first, the subject second. Everyone's needs are different and everyone learns at a different pace. I always get people to try drawing loosely with a pen - stops them wasting time rubbing out and helps to tighten up observation skills. Beyond that people can use whatever media they like although I give certain lessons in watercolour and acrylics. But if someone wants to bring their oils or pastels they are welcome and receive tuition relevant to that media. I don't force people to do things they don't want to do, just try to find a way of moving them further on. Everyone should go home with new skills, even experienced artists. Just for fun, I've started to teach hand made sketchbooks making and also sunprints - great fun, as long as the sun is prepared to do his bit! Aside from my teaching, guests learn from each other too, and every one of my guests will teach me a bit about tutoring so I go home improved too! Time off - there should be time to relax, browse in the shops, enjoy the beach, explore the area, visit galleries and museums. In the evenings there should be good local produce to cook, decent pubs and restaurants to eat out in, somewhere to sit and watch the sun set with a glass in one's hand, time to relax and chat. Price - what's included? I like to keep prices down! Beyond tuition and accommodation I don't like to charge for much else up front. I've learnt that people can book their own passages, if we self cater they usually prefer to make their own breakfasts, don't always need lunch, if there's a museum visit with entry fee they can choose whether to go in or not. This puts the guest in charge of what they are paying for rather than charging them in advance for meals they may not even want. Extra materials may be needed but I always make sure I know where the local art shop is if people run out or want to try something new. So, with all these things coming together at once it should be a great Painting Holiday experience for all. I'm off to the Scillies in May and Cornwall in July, lovely accommodation booked, guests sound equally lovely - looking forward to meeting everyone. Just need the sun to come out ......