30th and 31st May, 2026.
9.30-4.30 daily
The emphasis of these classes is to develop drawing through careful observation and intuitive seeing. In a culture that often prioritises logic, analysis and speed, the slower skills of spatial awareness, visual sensitivity and attention can be overlooked. This course creates space to strengthen those abilities through a series of structured and exploratory exercises designed to improve how we look, interpret and draw.
The human face is deeply familiar to us, yet this very familiarity makes it one of the most challenging subjects to draw. We tend to rely on what we think we know rather than what we actually see. By setting aside assumptions and returning to close observation, participants will learn how to build a convincing likeness with accuracy and confidence.
Working from both exercises and sustained studies, the course will focus on proportion, light, tone, texture, detail and expression. Through this process, participants will develop the ability to translate visual information into drawn form with clarity and sensitivity.
A range of materials will be explored, including charcoal, soft pastel and watercolour, allowing for both structural drawing and more expressive responses. The atmosphere will be focused yet open, encouraging experimentation and discovery while engaging seriously with the challenges of portrait drawing.
Suitable for beginners and those wishing to refresh or deepen their drawing practice.
All materials and tools are provided. Price includes refreshments and a daily communal lunch.
Gabrielle is a painter working primarily in oils, creating large-scale figurative works characterised by vivid colour and geometric structure. Her training is rooted in classical drawing, photography and life drawing, and she spent many years working as a portrait artist, completing commissioned portraits in soft pastel. Her teaching brings together strong observational foundations with an exploratory, process-led approach to image-making.
30th and 31st May, 2026.
9.30-4.30 daily
The emphasis of these classes is to develop drawing through careful observation and intuitive seeing. In a culture that often prioritises logic, analysis and speed, the slower skills of spatial awareness, visual sensitivity and attention can be overlooked. This course creates space to strengthen those abilities through a series of structured and exploratory exercises designed to improve how we look, interpret and draw.
The human face is deeply familiar to us, yet this very familiarity makes it one of the most challenging subjects to draw. We tend to rely on what we think we know rather than what we actually see. By setting aside assumptions and returning to close observation, participants will learn how to build a convincing likeness with accuracy and confidence.
Working from both exercises and sustained studies, the course will focus on proportion, light, tone, texture, detail and expression. Through this process, participants will develop the ability to translate visual information into drawn form with clarity and sensitivity.
A range of materials will be explored, including charcoal, soft pastel and watercolour, allowing for both structural drawing and more expressive responses. The atmosphere will be focused yet open, encouraging experimentation and discovery while engaging seriously with the challenges of portrait drawing.
Suitable for beginners and those wishing to refresh or deepen their drawing practice.
All materials and tools are provided. Price includes refreshments and a daily communal lunch.
Gabrielle is a painter working primarily in oils, creating large-scale figurative works characterised by vivid colour and geometric structure. Her training is rooted in classical drawing, photography and life drawing, and she spent many years working as a portrait artist, completing commissioned portraits in soft pastel. Her teaching brings together strong observational foundations with an exploratory, process-led approach to image-making.
