Tutor biographies

Liz Seward Relfe S.W.A. S.F.P. F.E.T.C.

Liz Seward Relfe has been painting and drawing all her life. After an early career in scientific illustration and raising a family she qualified as an Adult Education lecturer and taught drawing, watercolours and mixed media for 24 years, retiring in 2003 to concentrate on her own work and a busy schedule demonstrating to Art Societies throughout the country. Liz also demonstrates for a number of leading companies and is an expert on artists’ materials. She has exhibited widely in many galleries and on London at both Mall and Westminster Galleries. Her work has been reproduced as greeting cards by many organizations and she has won a number of prestigious awards. Liz has contributed to several books including ‘Watercolour Plus’ and ‘The Atrists’ Sketchbook and is a regular contributor to ‘The Artist’ magazine. She was elected to The Society of Women Artists in 1993 and became a full member of the Society of Floral Painters.

Roger Dellar PS. RI. AROI

Roger Dellar is a professional figurative artist who works in oils, pastels, mixed media, Acrylics, and waterbased media. His interest in observing people in their environments has influenced him to record and interpret them, capturing light effects.

He regularly exhibits in Galleries in the UK and has had several one man exhibitions. He is represented in America by the Peninsula Gallery, Delaware USA.

Roger has had major exhibitions with The Royal Water-colour Society, at the Bankside Gallery, The Pastel Society, The Royal Society of Marine Artists, The New English Art Club, The Royal Institute of Painters in Water-colour, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, The Royal Society of British Artists, all at the Mall Galleries, The West of England Academy (Bristol) and the Royal Academy, London.
Roger is a member of The Wapping Group of Artists, The Chelsea Art Society, The Langham Sketching Club, The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour, The Pastel Society and is President of the Bramshott and Liphook Art and Craft Society.

Winston Oh PWS l www.winstonoh.com

Winston has painted watercolour landscapes and townscapes in Dedham and Suffolk for more than a decade. He was tutored by the late James Fletcher-Watson and John Yardley, and has painted with Ken Howard.  He is an elected member of the Pure Watercolour Society.  "The Artist" magazine has featured a series of his instructional articles since 1999, some of which were published in "The Problem Solver" (Harper Collins). He has had solo exhibitions in the UK, Switzerland and Singapore, and in mixed exhibitions in Sydney and the Mall Galleries in London.

His Watercolour course consists of structured slide tutorials, morning demonstrations, outdoor painting in various locations in Suffolk combined with individual tuition on site and in the studio. The subjects covered during the week include skies, trees, foreground, water, figures, tones and composition.

Paul Banning RI RSMA

Paul studdied Furniture and Interior Design at the West of England College of Art in Bristol and followed a thirty year career in Design before rerundancy and early retirement enabled him to renew his desire to paint. He is a self taught watercolourist and constantly explores the potential of the medium using a free and expressive style encompassing a wide range of subject matter.  He enjoys the challenge of painting direct from the subject, with emphasis on creativity, which gives a more sensative result.  He has had numerous one man shows, including in France and Holland and his work is hung in many galleries in the south of England. He has also had work accepted by The Royal Institute of Watercolour Painters, The Royal Watercolour Society Summer Open Exhibition, The Royal Society of Marine Artists, The New English Art Club and The Wapping Group of Artists.

David Napp l www.davidnappfineart.com

David trained at Canterbury College of Art from 1981 - 1985 and later taught there himself as a part time lecturer. Whilst doing this he started to createa niche for himself as a colourist working with Pastel and more recently Oil.  Twice a winner of the Elizabeth Greenshield Award, he exhibits regularily with The Bourne Gallery in Reigate as well as having had one man shows in London, Amsterdam and New York.  He had also exhibited with well known London societies and in many contemporary art fairs.  Fulfilling a long held ambition to experience the Italian culture he has recently purchased a house in the Abruzzo area of Italy from where he will be running 'slow art and food' residential courses.

Salliann Putman BA Hons Fine Art

Salliann studied at the West Surrey College of Art and Design.  She is a qualified teacher adn has run painting courses for a number of years.  Her work is mostly in oil or watercolour and subjects include Still Life, Flowers, Interiors, Figures and Landscape.  She has exhibited at The Royal Academy, The Royal Watercolour Open Exhibition, The New English Art Club, The Royal Society of British Artists and The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. She has had several one and two-man shows and has won a number of awards including The Royal Watercolour Society Award and The Chris Beetles Award.  Her paintings are in private collections both in this country and abroad.

Jane Evans | www.janeevans.co.uk

Jane Evans studied Chinese painting in the Far East. She exhibits and teaches in Britain and abroad. She has written several books and played a major role in popularising Chinese painting techniques in Europe and the USA. She is Honorary Co-President of the Chinese Brush Painters Society.

Chinese Brush Painting is a versatile, expressive medium which offers exciting, unfamiliar techniques and a fresh approach to composition.

Wendy Jelbert S.W.A. and Paul Robinson R.I.B.A.

Wendy studied at Southampton College of Art. She is a professional painter and has been teaching for 25 years, working in pastel, oils, watercolour and mixed media. Used with a sureness that has made her work much admired for both Landscape and Flower paintings. Wendy has travelled extensively and has had articles published on her paintings of Venice, Yugoslavia, France, Italy and Hong Kong. She has written 15 art Books and Made 5 art videos.

A husband and Wife Partnership of an Architect and Artist. How to draw and understand buildings and place them in a convincing landscape, plus ‘Tricks of the Trade in Watercolour’ , use of your sketch books and pen drawing with assorted washes.

Ann Swan | www.annswan.co.uk

Ann works primarily in coloured pencil and is well known for her fine detail, vibrant colours and strong contemporary style. She is passionate about coloured pencils believing they are easier to master, forgiving accessible so that even a complete beginner can produce work of quality. She has been awarded 4 Gold Medals by the Royal Horticultural Society. Her work in represented in the prestigious Shirley Sherwood Collection and the RHS Lindley Collection and she has recently designed the ‘Botanical’ range of china for Jersey Pottery.

Ann is an inspirational and nurturing tutor, happy to share all the techniques she encompasses in her work. She teaches around the world and is happy to work with students of all abilities.

Soraya French SFP | www.sorayafrench.com

Soraya was born in Tehran and graduated with a diploma in Natural Science in 1975, and went on to study Agricultural Engineering at Tehran University. Due to political unrest in Iran she abandoned her course and decided to live in Rome for a year. In 1977 she came to England to study English in Cambridge and went on to do Business Studies at Constable College in Tunbridge Wells.
She attended an experimental workshop with Penny Lyon and Richard Pincke RI at Cricklade College in Hampshire in the late 1980’s. A versatile artist, Soraya works in Watercolours, Oils,Pastels, Acrylics and Mixed Media in a variety of subject matters such as musicians, café scenes and African Market scenes amongst others. Many of her subjects are travel based and people in everyday life situations feature a great deal in her work. Light and colour are the two important elements in her paintings together with semi abstract passages and a sense of ambiguity where she allows the viewer to make up the story. Soraya has received numerous awards for her work in the last few years, including an award at the 2004 SWA show at the Mall Galleries.

She is a regular contributor to the Artist Magazine. The success of her first book, Thirty Minute Acrylic, has led to being commissioned by Harper Collins to write another which is due for publication in September 2009. She is a demonstrator for Daler-Rowney, Caren d’Ache and Sennelier. She demonstrates her painting techniques to art groups and societies in the south of England and London. She tutors courses at Dedham Hall, Earnley Concourse and Mas Saurine in the South of France. She is an elected member of the Society of Floral Painters and an associate member of The Society of Women Artists and is currently President of the Andover Art Society.

Soyaya’s studio is situated in Weyhill in Hampshire where she works and runs occasional workshops.

Steve Hall | www.stevehallartist.co.uk

Steve started drawing at an early age and over the years developed a love of the English Landscape and a desire to capture it’s ever changing moods and seasons on paper. He was inspired firstly by the work of Edward Wesson and subsequently by Edward Seago, James Fletcher Watson, Jack Merriott and John Yardley. So Join him and explore all that is good about fresh watercolour. It is to embark on a journey that is unending and at times full of frustration and pitfalls yet, for the determined traveller one that can be so rewarding.

Ray Balkwill SWAc | www.raybalkwill.co.uk

Ray is a well-known West Country artist who paints landscapes, particularly marine, in watercolour, pastels, mixed media and oils. He is a strong advocate of painting en plein air and his main objective is to capture the mood and spirit of a place. Born in Exeter in 1948, he studied at Exeter College of Art, thereafter making a career in advertising as an Art Director. In 1990 demand for his work led him to become a professional painter. Since then he has held numerous solo exhibitions, as well as showing in group exhibitions including the South West Academy, Royal West of England Academy and the R.I. He is a regular contributor to ‘The Artist Magazine’ and is author of four books, with his work featuring in many other books and magazines. He has also made an art instruction film with APV Films. In 2006 he was elected an Academician in the South West Academy and is also a member of the St. Ives Society of Artists.

Colin Radcliffe, NDD ATD DA (Manc)

Colin studied painting and book illustration at Manchester College of Art and spent his working life teaching Art and Design and retired as a Head of Art.

He was one of the last generation of students who went through the Academic system of training and his passion is to pass on to leisure painters the most useful basic skills of that system,  it's study of form and colour, drawing skills, composition of which is sadly lacking in today's Art System.

The course will therefore include the teaching of those skills forming a usefull base for the further development of individual creative and personal work.

His main medium is watercolour but he would be happy for students to work in other media.

Brian Oxley NDD, ATC, MA

Brian is a retired Head of Art with over thirty years teaching experience. He specialises in teaching painting in a direct manner, primarily in the study of landscape and incorporating still life and portraiture when required. He stresses the importance of good preparatory studies and structure at the underpainting stage. Freedom of expression and a bold use of colour are encouraged together with a foundation in basic drawing. Various experimental methods are demonstrated and developed as loosening up exercises and alternative ‘short cuts’ to achieve good and expressive results. He has demonstrated drawing and painting techniques and principals of composition to many Art Societies. His paintings have been exhibited widely in London and the South East. Brian’s work is in numerous collections in the UK as well as USA, Canada, Australia and in Europe.

Andrew Pitt

Andrew Pitt was born in Maldon, Essex and educated at the Gilberd School, Colchester and St Andrew’s University.

He has been painting since he was 11. Andrew paints a wide range of subjects but is particularly well known for his East Anglian landscapes in watercolour. He has had 15 one man exhibitions and contributed to numerous mixed shows. Andrew’s pictures are in many private collections in Britain as well as Canada, Holland, North America, New Zealand, Slovakia and Australia.

His work is included in “The Encyclopaedia of Watercolour landscapes” and he is a regular contributor to the “Leisure Painter” magazine.

With over twenty-five years experience as an adult tutor, Andrew is in demand as a demonstrator of painting techniques in both watercolour and oil, and frequently runs painting workshops for art clubs as well as painting courses.

Andrew’s course is for anyone who has tried watercolour and has been disappointed with their picture. There will be plenty of demonstrations to show how the elusive properties of watercolour – transparency and freshness – can be achieved using simple, direct painting methods.

Ken Paine PS

Ken studied at Twickenham College of Art and later worked with the painter R O Dunlop RA. He is a member of The Pastel Society and Societe des Pastellistes de France. He is a living example of an artist who has devoted his lifes work to social reality. Through his observation of people from all walks of life he has developed a sense of humility which is present throughout all of his work. He exhibits widely in the UK and abroad.

‘Ken Paine - his life and work’ by Michael Simonow. Published by Medchanick Exercises in 1997

John Lowry MA-Fine Art | www.jon-art.com

John enthusiastically encourages the involvement of the imagination in painting. This results in gentle but progressive steps into abstracted images which expand the mind and produce great satisfaction.

David Embry

David is an experienced tutor and his courses are for General Drawing and Painting, including pen, pencil, pastel, watercolour, oils and acrylic. Landscape, plant and still life tuition are all available and there is the opportunity to work from a costume model. David welcomes a range of ages and abilities from beginners to the most advanced students.

His work has been widely exhibited at home and abroad including Canada and the USA. He has won a number of competitions with his drawings and paintings, including ‘Kent Artist of the Year’ for historical paintings, and the ‘Kent People and Places’ competition. His commissioned work includes numerous book illustrations, landscape for the NFU and the Countryside Commission; and portraits of people and places. David considers enjoyment to be one of the key factors in making artistic progress.

David Howell VPRSMA | www.davidhowell.co.uk

David Howell is based at his studio in Somerset and paints in watercolour, oils and pastels. His subjects include landscape and marine, equestrian related to racing, shooting pictures, life work and anything else that takes his fancy. David firmly believes that irrespective of the subject the only thing that really matters is the quality of the painting and apart from the normal discussions on technique he likes to spend time with students working on composition, tone and colour. Whilst he is happy to demonstrate his own abilities he thinks it's more important to work with individuals as much as possible and is quite at home both with beginners, or being involved in serious discussion with more experienced painters.

David’s paintings are very much in demand and he supplies a number of major galleries in the United Kingdom as well as others in the USA, Dubai, and Melbourne Australia, and has had over 20 one-man shows in various parts of the world, the most recent being in Melbourne Australia in 2008. Apart from gallery demands, David works regularly to commission and his pictures hang in collections worldwide ranging from royal palaces in the Middle East to London boardrooms. He has had work published as limited edition prints, magazine articles and in book form. He also teaches regularly with groups in France and he is Vice-President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists.

Mo Teeuw l www.moteeuw.co.uk

An experienced tutor and demonstrator in oil and watercolour.  Painting on location (weather permitting) and in the studio most evenings. Mo will cover such subjects as materials and techniques with a view to improving your work.  Individual tuition and critiques given as and when required.  Beginners welcome.

John Yardley

John needs no introduction as one of the country's leading watercolour artists.  Completely self taught fe feels painting is a matter of confidence which he shows in his demonstrations during the course.

Lynda Appleby

Lynda Appleby is one of the South’s most popular art tutors. Her gift is her ability to work individually with each student, even in a group setting to give each one what they need in that moment to take their work to the next level.

Her skill in teaching art is built on 25 years’ experience of teaching secondary and further education. Lynda has tutored students from beginners to advanced, focusing on giving them a sound foundation in drawing and painting rather than furnishing them with tips and tricks. In this way Lynda enables her students to build their own expertise with confidence.

Lynda works primarily in watercolour and acrylics and has many distinguished clients in her portfolio including the BBC, Duchy of Cornwall, National Trust and The Halswell Estate.
She has recently won both the Pro Arte Prize for outstanding watercolour and the Daler Rowney Prize for work in acrylics at the National Exhibition of The Artist Magazine in Nottingham, as well as many awards at a more local level.

Her work covers a wide range of subject matter but her great love is architectural subjects both manmade and natural which she approaches with strong tone and fresh colour.
Lynda gives talks, demonstrations and workshops to art societies throughout the South of England, teaches students from her studio in Wiltshire and, due to the popularity of her classes, has been invited to tutor residential courses at Dedham Hall in Suffolk and Earnley Concourse near Chichester in 2009.