Art & Painting Holidays in the UK 2027 Courses
Residential and Non-Residential
Join us for residential art holidays and painting holidays across the UK in 2027. Our weekend art courses take place at The Blackdowns Artist Retreat in the Blackdown Hills, on the Somerset and Devon border in the West of England, combining expert tuition with the peace of a beautiful farmhouse retreat.
Whether you’re a beginner or more accomplished, our two day weekend painting holiday with professional artist tutors will help you to improve your technique. Our art classes are small and friendly, with no more than 8 people, starting around 9.30 am and finishing around 4pm, with a break for a delicious lunch. prepared by our chef.
Arrival is late afternoon Friday for those staying with us - and departure is end of the afternoon on the Sunday. Mornings will usually be spent together in the spacious Old Dairy studio learning new techniques or improving old ones.
In the afternoon you can choose from many beautiful spots around the land to paint the stunning landscape ‘en plein air’, as the tutors visit everyone in turn for further one to one tuition and guidance. Discover our award - winning Art Tutors and book now for our upcoming courses for 2027.
Painting Holidays in Oil, Watercolour & Mixed Media
Whatever medium you love, there's a painting holiday for you. Choose from oil painting holidays, watercolour holidays and mixed media courses, each led by an award-winning tutor and tailored to your level.
Hester Berry
2 Day Courses | Oils
2nd-4th April 2027 - Course Full
10th-12th September 2027
8th-10th October 2027
Shortlisted for many awards, including Sky Landscape Artist of the Year and the BP Portrait Award, Hester’s distinctive and evocative approach to oils uses brush strokes as economically as possible, exploring light, time, movement and climate and distilling the image into only what is necessary.
Catherine Beale
2 Day Courses in 2027 | Watercolours
28th - 30th May 2027 - Course Full
25th -27th June 2027
Specialising in radiant, light filled watercolours capturing atmospheric landscapes, Catherine combines juicy tubed colours with running washes using her ‘gravity painting’ technique to exploit the shape-shifting qualities of watercolour. A member of the the Society of Women Artists and a previous winner of The Artist Magazine Editor’s Choice Award, she has exhibited with the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. Catherine is also author of ‘Capturing Light’ with Search Press and has written a number of articles for The Artist Magazine.
James Tatum
2 Day Courses in 2027 - Acrylics | Mixed Media
14th-16th May 2027
4th-6th June 2027
2nd-4th July 2027
13th-15th August 2027
24th-26th September 2027
Selected as ‘Landscape Painter of the Year’ by Devon Life, James’s unique approach will help you see the landscape as a painting before you begin.
Annie Musgrove
2 Day Courses 2027 | Oils
30th April -2nd May 2027
16th July-18th July 2027
Hugely popular among collectors for her evocative oil paintings of the South West, her background as a geographer gives Annie a deep understanding of meteorology and landscape processes. Interpreting the interaction of light and the landscape provide the starting points for her work and yours.
Chris Howe
2 Day Courses 2027 | Watercolour
16th-18th April 2027 - Course Full
30th July-1st August 2027
27th-29th August 2027
Fresh and atmospheric, Chris uses bold strokes and a limited palette to capture the beautiful landscape of the South West. With a relaxed and enjoyable approach he teaches students at all levels, with interesting new techniques with materials to help improve your work.
Art Holidays in Devon, Somerset & England
Set in 32 acres of woodland and meadow where Somerset meets Devon, The Blackdowns Artist Retreat is one of England's most memorable settings for an art holiday - just a short drive from Taunton and Wellington.