Painting in Spain
studio news from Tom Brown

With such unusual activity in the night sky we were inclined to keep our eyes open for camels and kings making their way across the mountains. In Spain, Christmas presents are not brought by Father Christmas as in the north of Europe. The giving of presents is more logically associated with the arrival of the three kings who every year arrive on the 6^th of January. In some villages ‘Los Reyes Magos’ as they are known, can be quite a spectacle as the kings arrive at the church in wonderful costumes on horses or even camels.

El Restaurante de Font Blanca

The fiestas in general here are not for the faint hearted. Our nearest neighbour Fernando is a farmer who has worked the same land that his family has worked for generations. He will have a fiesta at the slightest excuse and often these fiestas can last for days. The hunting weekends are men only and sometimes last well into the following week. They hunt just enough to fill the pot. The odd rabbit or red legged partridge might find their way into the paella along with rice and home grown vegetables. The Paella is then eaten directly out of the large flat pan in which it is cooked. Six or eight hungry hombres sit around with spoons working on their own triangle towards the centre of the pan where you are rewarded by a whole garlic to finish. They grow, catch or find most of their own food and with such quality ingredients we have had our best Spanish food experiences down at Fernando’s ………

Piping in the paella

Restaurante de Font Blanca. After dinner music from Fernando and Paco de Altea on vocals, el Panedero on stringless mandolin and Paco Fuster on empty plastic bottle

At the start of a fiesta we are normally summoned by the sound of a hunting horn. One year I replied with a blast on the highland pipes and later was asked to pipe the paella in…. this seems to have guaranteed us a place at the table for ever. When the ladies are also involved and particularly at Easter time, the quality of the food is incredible. The warm welcome and the quality of the whole experience makes it feel like a village in England might have been fifty years ago.

 Font Blanca Whisky
Old Miguel is a craggy old farmer I am particularly fond of. He is in his seventies, strong as an ox and works seven days a week excepting fiestas. As well as being a hard working farmer he is also a master of all things difficult and technical ranging from plumbing to farming, local history and cooking. He makes a wicked alioli which is near enough pure ground fresh garlic with a squirt of lemon juice and olive oil and would you believe a pinch of salt to bring the taste out! He also, allegedly,  has three stills and makes a spirit from his own white wine. He flavours it with herbs and then it is drunk hot in winter….. it is wonderful.

 Pepe sampling some of Miguel’s latest batch of homemade hot spirit

 It is my privilege to be on a mission with Miguel to make the very first Font Blanca malt whisky! Even though I insist that I am only an expert in drinking it and not in making it, he considers I have sufficient Scottish connections to qualify and has enlisted my help. We will probably start by roasting the sprouting barley over the embers of almond wood to give it the special Font Blanca taste and then the studio will be turned into a temporary distillery. I emphasize that this is only an exercise in the meeting of two cultures and in no way is intended to be an illegal profit making venture although I suspect we will all drink it down at Fernando’s place no matter what it tastes like!

 Our olive
One of the nicest Spanish farmers in the valley is Paco Para. We asked him if we could buy an old olive tree from him and he came up with an olive tree both beautiful and enormous, probably between 80 and 100 years old. We dug it out with a JCB and transported it down the valley to its new home in front of Liz’s Kitchen. The problem was then that Paco, being the nice man that he is would not accept any money for the tree. We got round the problem by painting a landscape of the Ferrer mountains which are opposite the house on the east side of the valley. For about 15 minutes most evenings before sunset, the mountains turn an incredible combination of peach and purple, ochre and pink as the sun sinks over the horizon. He was pleased with the painting and we are delighted as the branches of the old olive tree have started to sprout new growth ready to take off this next spring

.
 Painting of evening light on the Sierra de Ferrer, in exchange for a wonderful old olive tree

 Paco with his goats 

Arty family

Son Philip and Katie and the three boys came to visit us in autumn. Phil and Katie are both sculptors in London and are doing very well with their business ‘Other people’s sculptures’. They worked with Rachel Whiteread for a number of years and now successfully produce their own high quality work for both top contemporary artists and designers. Phil is a great problem solver and has developed many new cutting edge techniques in the world of casting in both fibre glass and silicon. They are incredibly busy at the moment and were happy to chill here in Spain for a week in October.

Angus rock monkey                                                                                    Halloween Meanwhile young Angus makes his own mark on paper and enjoys mucking about with granddad on the rock.

Roadworks ahead!
For those brave enough to drive in Spain you are faced with the challenge of getting to know all the new road signs. Here in Tarbena we have our own.....

For ‘beware of wet concrete on road' look out for almond branches set amongst boulders.

 Art courses 2009
This year we have advertised in the Royal Academy magazine for the first time. The whole experience of running the Art courses has been a wonderful thing for us. We have made so many new friends and are very happy to see many guests returning for the New Year. This place seems to have an inexhaustible source of painting subjects not to mention endless alternative activities and distractions. I also think some people enjoy the experience of getting to know a place well and all the comfortable feelings that brings. A couple of our guests have fallen in love with the area and actually want to move here into the valley!

This year 2009 we are running the two types of scheduled courses that have worked so well for us. The scheduled courses run in June and September when the weather is most suitable.

Life drawing and painting
This is a very successful studio based course using local models of various nationalities. It is ideal for experienced artists to work in a supportive environment and is also as a great learning experience for beginners who receive all the help they need. For detailed notes on how to draw and paint the figure check out the Painters notes page.

A new look at landscape
I think the majority of people are drawn to painting landscapes at some stage but often find it difficult to develop a focus on what they actually want to paint. By looking at the elements of the picture making process we try to help people find their own direction. For more information on this new look at landscape check out the Painters notes page.

As usual on the courses we have a comfortable mix of experienced artists and complete beginners and this is never a problem, in fact the opposite is true with a lot of mutual support.

This last year I have been exploring the area even more and have found some absolute gems just waiting to be painted; hidden valleys, castle ruins and fantastic mountain views. It seems that the more places I find the more I realise there is to be found.

Custom made holidays We already have bookings in 2009 for people wanting to select exactly what they do during their holiday and when they want to do it. Guests can combine various activities like landscape painting with a little life drawing or even photography and walking all for the same price as a scheduled course. Like some experienced artists and returning guests this year you can also rent the self contained accommodation and completely do your own thing.

If you are interested in a custom made holiday like this or have any other enquiries about Art holidays in general simply telephone 0034 96588 4309
or email us at tom@paintinginspain.com

 The old man leaps into action
And about time too! After so long building the house, studio and swimming pool and establishing the courses etc. the time has come to paint. It is an interesting situation to be in. Over the last couple of years in what spare time I could find, I have dabbled tentatively and thought continuously. I originally thought that amongst such fantastic landscape I would be drawn towards painting the mountains but this has turned out not to be the case. Exploring them and standing on top of them seems sufficient. I still find the human condition the most fascinating subject. I have a two pronged attack. The Spanish face, serious and proud holds challenges of its own. I like decoration and complex surfaces and the techniques that this demands, so using the local Moros and Christianos fiestas with their fantastic costumes as a local subject seems like a logical way to go. At the moment I am trying to arrange an exhibition in Callosa den Sarría in October at the same time as their fiestas…. No pressure there then.

It is so difficult to find suitable subjects to paint……

Prong number two is a new departure and a secret. I am afraid that if I name it, it will disappear like the emperor’s new clothes. I think the next edition of the Studio News would be the appropriate time to pin a label on it and expose all……    

 Previous 2008 news items