Watercolour Painting Holidays in Spain

Welcome to Watercolour Spain

Robin and Jean Browne
Casa Marron,
Frax de Abajo,
Ogarite,
Oria, 04810
Almeria,
Spain

Telephone: (0034) 637 458 679

Email, withane@watercolourspain.com

Skype phone 020 32396786 (available when our computer is switched on, usually 8am-4pm UK time).  charged to you as a call to London from any UK phone. 

All-inclusive, residential watercolour courses, ideal for groups and individuals for £545 per person (2010), including transfers from, Almeria, Granada, Murcia or Alicante Airport. No single supplement. 

With a £60 refund for non-painting partners and a 10% discount for guests not requiring transfers.

Casa Marron is the home of your hosts, Robin and Jean Browne, (plus Mackerel the cat) and has been purpose built to provide painting courses, in a relaxed and informal atomosphere.

Your holiday will include daily tuition in the studio at Casa Marron and field trips, including one day in historic Granada and one day in the picturesque Mojacar Pueblo.

The seven-day, Saturday to Saturday courses are for small groups, couples and individuals, in the mountains of Southern Spain.  Casa Marron, just outside the unspoilt village of Oria, is in the tiny hamlet of Ogarite.  Oria is on the slopes of the Sierra de las Estancias, on the northern side of the Almanzora Valley.

Robin and Jean have sought to bring something new and special to activity holidays and in designing their painting course they have discovered many painting sites, which have both artistic and cultural merits.  They have sought to provide a stimulating painting course and a holiday, which will also appeal to non-painting partners and friends.  Jean has used her experience in banquet catering to provide imaginative delicious meals, which have been enthusiastically received by all students during the Centre's first season.

Some Quotes From the Visitors Book

2009. "Lots of fun", "I didn't paint but I had a marvellous holdiay",  "Jean and Robin are superb hosts", "Very good, I'll be back", "Great", "I have been thoroughly spoilt and have learned to paint", "I loved it" and "I put on four pounds".  2010, "Many thanks to you both for a carefully structured week", "Robin's tuition has been a revelation and reignited my enthusiasm for painting", "great company, great food", "Thank you both for a very enjoyable week and for your excellent hospitality", "Wonderful!  just like staying with old friends and Robin so patient with me",  "Definitely one of the best holidays I've had",  "Like visiting very old friends", "A wonderful week, I know I shall return".

TYPICAL  ITINERARY

SATURDAY      You'll arrive at casa Marron,with time to settle in before dinner or supper dependant on your arrival time .  No work today, only drinks and chat about the course before retiring.

SUNDAY           Breakfast at 9.00 a.m. before starting in the studio at 10.00 a.m.  A brief discussion and demonstration about perspective and measuring, before a short drive into the village of Oria.  You'll have time for a look around the tiny Spanish market before starting a watercolour of some village buildings, (simple or challenging subjects have been chosen to suit each students ability and confidence).  You'll have lunch back at the Centre and then spend some time in the studio to look at mixing paints and textures before returning to the village to complete the painting.  Then you're back to the studio to prepare for your day in Granada tomorrow.  Time to relax before dinner at 8.30 p.m.    

MONDAY         A quick breakfast at 8.00a.m. before leaving Casa Marron at 9.00a.m.  Arrive in Granada at about 11 o'clock to look around the shops in the old Arab Quarter before painting till 2.00 p.m. Then a typical Spanish lunch in an outdoor restaurant in the shadow of the Alhambra, followed by some more painting before returning to Casa Marron for dinner at about 8.30 p.m.  

TUESDAY       Breakfast at 9.00.p.m. followed by some time in the studio looking at more techniques before a short drive to the village of Rambla De Oria, where in peaceful isolation,in the shade of an old church you'll make a watercolour of an old Spanish house, framed by trees, with a backgrounds of hills and mountains.  You'll return to the same spot after lunch at the Centre, to finish your painting then back to Casa Marron to relax before dinner at 8.30p/m.

WEDNESDAY    Breakfast at 9.00 a.m. and then time in the studio, trying new things and going over what you've already done before driving to the village of Velez Blanco, where you'll look around the famous castle' Castillo De Los Fajardo' before sitting in the shade of its walls trying a free drawing (trying not to measure), before a tapas lunch in the village before returning to the castle to complete your watercolour.  Then back to Casa Marron with plenty of time to relax before dinner at 8.30p.m.

THURSDAY       Chill out day when you're in charge.  After breakfast you'll leave when you're ready to be driven to the picturesque Mojacar Pueblo where you can choose to wander through its narrow streets, drawing, painting or just being a tourist.  You can choose instead to be dropped off at the nearby delightful resort of Mojcar Playa where there are plenty of subjects if you chose to do some work.  whatever you choose to do Robin will be about if you do decide to paint.  You'll be picked up at 2.00 p.m. for lunch at a seafront bar before deciding what you want to do for the rest of the afternoon.  Dinner at Casa Marron will be at 8.30 p.m.

FRIDAY            Breakfast at 9.00.a.m. before driving to the fabulous Saliente Monastery with its breathtaking views, where you'll paint a watercolour of the interior courtyard while sitting in the shade of the ancient cloister.  After lunch at 1.30 in the Spanish restaurant at the Monastery you'll spend some time free-painting some more details of the building before leaving for Casa Marron with more time to relax before getting ready for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant at 8.30.

SATURDAY       Departure day.  Before you leave for the airport you'll be given a CD-rom with personal pictures of your holiday, together with photographs of all the subjects that you've worked on during the week. 

We are pleased to discuss changes to the iitenerary with students booking a second holiday