Painting in Spain
studio news from Tom Brown

Studio news
It has been a great year for new developments.

We put the finishing touches to the infinity pool in spring and have never stopped using it throughout the summer. It is specially designed with seats so that you can comfortably sit in the water with G & T in hand and look out across the infinity edge to the mountains beyond.

In the secluded area adjacent to the studio we have built a Moroccan garden with raised beds and moving water essential to this type of garden.

We just happened to come by lots of marble tiles for the floor which make it look very Alhambra and also a black angel missing one hand from a bankrupt monumental mason. The angel has now acquired a new hand in epoxy resin and with her finger to her lips she is able to maintain quiet and keep the garden free of rowdy elements. The garden has created a great shaded area in which to relax in the midday heat of summer and also works well as an extension to the painting studio.

In September we were able to use the new al fresco space for a number of poses for the life drawing course. With the abundance of sunshine here in Spain you just need a bit of goat manure and water and the growing of plants becomes very exciting. The new garden is already full of exotic plants just raring to go.

This last year people have shown a lot of interest in being more flexible and choosing a custom made option all for the same price as the scheduled courses. Guests have booked holidays at other times of year to suit themselves and combined both landscape with a little life drawing or even photography and walking. Like some experienced 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 contact us by e mail.

Life drawing and painting
This holiday has been fully booked and is as popular as ever with a number of guests returning.

People of all abilities are drawn to the challenge of drawing and painting the figure and everybody makes significant strides forward in the space of a week.

We have some great models here which is incredible considering the small population in the area. Susanna is one of the most professional models I have had the privilege of working with and Garrick is one of the most windswept and interesting.

This year we have a new Spanish model called Eli. Eli is an artist herself and by popular request brought a folder of work to show us. It was the first time Eli has modelled and she took to it very well. However after one rather long sitting pose she announced in Spanish "Mi culo esta roto" which translates as ‘my bottom is broken’. Beryl, one of Diane’s students, is a very competent artist and loves to draw accurately. We did however manage to lead her astray down the path of abstraction to produce a painting of Eli which we have since collectively called ‘Mi culo esta roto’!

Landscape painting
You would need a lifetime to exhaust the visual possibilities for the landscape artist in this area; from mountain to coast from classic Spanish villages to old ruins, it is all there in abundance.

We do have a magic old ruin nearby which seems to capture the imagination of most people. It is the ruined house of French lady who was reputedly the mistress of Franco himself. They say he used to hide his Bentley just down the road in a building when he came to visit her. Whether this is true or not is under investigation but why let the truth stand in the way of a good story. All we need is a couple more rumours and it will certainly be a subject covered when we eventually write the book of the ‘Valley de Tarbena’. Chris produced an excellent semi abstract in February looking through several consecutive doorways of the French mistress’s house and Dave managed to capture the sunlight falling on the blue washed walls of the broken interior in September.

Unseasonal weather conditions seem to have become the norm. Rain is not usual in September and in a bid to escape it we travelled up the coast to chase the sun especially for Charlotte. As happens in these situations we visited a great new painting place. Cala de Llebeig is a small secluded bay surrounded by high cliffs and complete with picturesque fishermen’s huts making the perfect place for a days painting.

On another day out we discovered still more streets in the delightful old town of Altea………

As I write this, sitting outside in October in the sun with a glass of wine by my side, I have just noticed a golden eagle circling 100 ft above my head…. I must keep moving! I love this place!

Fiestas are an integral part of life in Spain and there is certainly no shortage of them. We have fiestas at the house to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, almond harvest plus anything else we could think of. Liz has mastered the essential art of making the Paella along with many Spanish tapas. Dare I say that her albondigas are the best I have ever tasted!

In the local village of Tarbena there are a number of fiestas throughout the year but the biggest, Santa Barbera is at the beginning of August. It lasts all week with events everyday. It culminates in spectacular fireworks followed by a party in the plaza with live bands all night.

The spectacular Moors and Christians carnivals take place throughout the summer in all the local towns. The locals spend thousands each year on fantastic costumes which are accompanied in the procession by drum bands horses and even camels. There always seems to be a fiesta somewhere… I think there is a lot we can learn from the Spanish. The trouble with all this enjoying yourself is you never seem to get a day off!

Maybe there is the potential for a Fiesta based holiday?

Winter mountain time
As the heat of the summer subsides exciting things start to happen in the mountains. After the almond picking was finished we had the first rain of the autumn and we started to get more nocturnal visits from the wild boar. Whole families of 10 or more from this year’s new brood are turning over terraces and breaking down our walls looking for the almond nuts we have missed. The crunching of nut shells by pigs outside your bedroom windows at night is a novelty for the first ten minutes only and these pigs are afraid of nothing. One night Liz was shouting at them in the darkness to leave our nuts alone but they crunched away unmoved. However when she stood on the balcony and snorted pig style, so loud that she hurt her nose, almost immediately the pigs fled. You could hear their trotters thundering away in the dark as they beat a retreat! Somebody once said that "I am frightened of no man and only a few women" …. have respect pigs!

The winter months are the best time for serious walking and mountain antics in general. This winter, along with new found climbing friend Rick, we have an exciting list to complete. The Bernia main ridge is a serious route involving ropes and climbing equipment and we have also found a few canyons in the area which are great with the addition of a spot of winter water. At Polop nearby the Via Ferrata is now finished and ready for use. This is a fixed steel cable which takes you up a relatively safe route up some fabulous cliffs. So much fun to be had and all in one place!

If anybody is keen on walking or other mountain pursuits then September to June is the best time.

This is also a great area for bird watching as 80% of European species travel through Spain as they migrate to and from Africa. Being a limestone area we also have a wonderful variety of wild flowers. May and June are probably the best times for both the birds and variety of wild flowers.

If you are interested in any of these activities just telephone 0034 96588 4309 or contact us by e mail.

New additions to this website

The website was totally rebuilt by Angus during the middle of 2008. He has made a fantastic job and many thanks to him as the best Internet magician I have ever come across.  He tells me that optimisation of web pages for search engine ranking is something he specialises in. It works for us.

Additional web pages added later in the year were:

6^th form courses
Information on courses available for AS and A level art students wishing to develop A level projects and or portfolio work for art college interview.

Painters notes
Downloadable PDF files providing valuable information as background to the Landscape and life drawing courses, plus fundamental information on colour, composition and developing your own approach to painting.

Studio news
An on going update of news of courses and gossip about experiences in Font Blanca.

To friends old and new, if you have any enquiries do not hesitate to
ring us on 0034 96588 4309 or contact us by e mail