PRIVATE ART TUITION
Melanie offers one to one support to those wanting to develop their drawing and painting skills. The pace is geared towards the individual, allowing them to develop their skills without the distraction of the group dynamic.
She works with students to assess their current and past work and understand their objectives for future development. She then develops a tailored tuition plan to address any issues raised and to support students to achieve their particular aims within their chosen subject matter and media.
Both established and less experienced artists benefit from individual attention and mentoring on a practical and inspirational level.
Tuition Fees
One to One: £55 per hour.
Students will need to provide their own materials (a list will be supplied).
Model fees for life/portrait are in addition to the tuition fee.
DISTANCE ONLINE TUITION
Melanie is offering distance tuition on a small group and also one to one basis, from her studio in Chipping Norton, via Zoom, Face Time , or a combination of email and telephone conversations.
For more information please call Melanie on 01608 643546.
TITLE: 'EXPRESSIVE FLOWER PAINTING IN WATERCOLOUR'
A three hour workshop
Date: New workshop dates for 2025 to be confirmed on the Chippy Flower Farm website.
Venue: Chippy Flower Farm, Little Tew, Oxfordshire
Workshop details are posted on the Chippy Flower Farm website: chippyflowerfarm.co.uk
Bookings to be made directly with Chippy Flower Farm please.
Places limited to just 6. High quality Watercolour paper is provided.
TITLE: 'Autumn Flowers and Foliage’ Watercolour workshop.
Location: Armscote Manor, Armscote, Warwickshire, CV37 8DA.
Date: Wednesday October 9th
Time: 10am to 3:30pm
This workshop is a welcome return to the stunning gardens at Armscote, by invitation of Deborah Williams. Offering the option of painting outside in the stunning private gardens, at this lovely time of year, or in the beautiful Garden Barn, where there will be seasonal flower arrangements to choose from. A sensory delight of Autumnal colour and texture
Starting with an introduction and coffee in the barn, Melanie will then give a demonstration of flower painting using expressive techniques in watercolour. How to achieve texture, exciting brushwork and mixing colour palette,s in a representational, but not botanical style.
Following this you will be painting in the gardens or barn, enjoying the ambience and the variety of subject , building a series studies from subjects such as kitchen garden, rose displays, herbaceous borders and water features, to seasonal shrubs and flower arrangements.
Melanie is on hand throughout the day to tutor and demo on an individual basis within the group. All levels of experience are welcome.
Please bring your own watercolour art materials, Also a packed lunch, if staying on for the full day.
Workshop fee:
10am to 1pm £65
10am to 3.30pm £80. With a break for an hour at lunchtime.
Bookings directly with Melanie on 01608 643546 or via email:
melaniewrightstudio@googlemail.com
Places are limited to 8.
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TITLE: SUMMER LIGHT, COLOUR AND FORM IN THE GARDEN'
A Sketching and Watercolour workshop.
Location: Armscote Manor Gardens, Warwickshire.
Date: Thursday 1st June 2023
Time: 10am to 4pm.
This year Melanie is delighted to be making a return to a favourite garden painting location, Armscote Manor Gardens in Warwickshire. She will be tutoring two one day workshops, in these stunning gardens. The first one in late Spring, and the second in mid October (see below). Spring and Aitumn dates have been chosen to show the garden in different seasons with the contrasts of light, atmosphere, colour and texture, this offers.
This early Summer workshop offers a fresh dynamic with the rose garden and the kitchen garden's seasonal displays from which to be inspired. Suitable for both keen beginners and the more experienced artist alike, this is a magical day of creating a unique visual response, to the gardens, which include herbaceous borders, a beautiful walled kitchen garden, water features, rose garden , a fern garden, nuttery and a wide range of trees.
Taking into account the weather, this workshop will have a two part structure. Melanie encourages visual exploration, mindful observation, note taking, sketching and some photography in the gardens throughout the morning, with the opportunity to develop further, a series of studies in drawn or painted media , either outside or in the light filled Garden Barn, during the afternoon. Working both directly from and then afterwards away from the subject encourages a journey into visual recall and imagination and if desired, also a journey into semi abstraction compositions, using your morning's work as a starting point. The main aim is to engage with the peaceful ambience there, and create your unique visual response. Melanie is happy to demonstrate watercolour techniques, and will be on hand to guide, inspire and provide creative feedback, both individually and to the group as a whole. She will bring a selection of her own photographs taken in the gardens, at a similar time of year, for reference material, should the weather be unfavourable. Plus a number of art books showing the works of inspirational garden painters, past and present.
Please bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee are provided. There is a large heated barn for lunch, indoors work, storage of bags, and an introductory talk.
Bookings : directly with Melanie on 01608 643456 or by email: melaniewrightstudio@
Please note, places are limited to 10, ensuring plenty of individual tuition/feedback.
Location: Armscote Manor is a private residence, not open to the public and is situated near Shipston on Stour in Warwickshire. The workshop is kindly being hosted by the owner, Deborah Williams.
Please refer to their website for directions: www.armscotemanor.
2019 WORKSHOPS
A RESIDENTIAL DRAWING AND PAINTING WORKSHOP WITH MELANIE WRIGHT, FOR AUGUST 2019, BASED AT THE BRITISH RACING SCHOOL, IN THE HISTORIC TOWN OF NEWMARKET, SUFFOLK.
A Three Day residential workshop which offers a unique opportunity for artists and racing enthusiasts to sketch at the historic heart of the flat racing world, with Melanie Wright, currently Artist in Residence at Newmarket, hosted by The British Racing School for 2018/2019. Newmarket has over 60 trainers yards, and the town is a hive of horseracing activity and history, with its racecourses, iconic gallops, training yards, and the National Horse Racing and Sporting Art Museum. Offering a fabulous array of sketching and painting opportunities, from equine and racing studies, Suffolk land and townscapes, to the spectacle of the racetrack crowds and the training activities at the school itself,.
The British Racing School is a centre of excellence for training in every aspect of the horseracing world, including the promotion and encouragement of young people who have the potential to ride as professional jockeys. The purpose built residential training school and conference facilities provide an ideal location from which to run this workshop, with their bed and breakfast facilities and training establishment all in one location.
DATES: AUGUST 8th, 9th and 10th.
Arrival at The British Racing School, Newmarket the evening preceding the first workshop day at 6pm on August 7th.
Departure after the last race at The July Course, Newmarket on Saturday August 10th.
The workshop has been designed as a residential programme, based at The BRS, which is conveniently placed on the edge of the town. The racing world's working day starts early, to accommodate both the training activities in the mornings and racing throughout the UK, in the afternoon. So we would start at 7.30am on the first two days, and later on the Saturday, completing each day at around 3.30pm, leaving ample time for relaxation and exploration of the town and the beautiful Suffolk landscape on its doorstep. Bed and Breakfast accommodation is provided at the school, itself as is a cold buffet supper on arrival (6pm), the evening of August 7th, the evening before the workshop starts.
Lunch and supper are not included in the package. These will be informal picnics or snacks, at The Racing Museum cafe restaurant, or at the Races. Supper can be either locally, with the group, or making your own plans, on the Thursday and Friday. Cambridge is only half an hours drive away and may make a nice evening out.
If you are based locally, and do not require B and B, a daily Workshop tuition fee only would be payable to Melanie by separate arrangement.
THE WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
This workshop welcomes people with varying levels of sketching and painting experience. Equestrian painting experience is by no means necessary!. And there will be a good mix of equine, landscape, racetrack, portrait and architectural subject matter, together with a sense of the history of the place, from which to explore and sketch. Numbers are restricted to a maximum of 8 students, allowing plenty of individual tuition time with Melanie, within the group as a whole. Melanie is happy to demonstrate techniques and talk of her approach to this fascinating subject and her experiences as Artist in Residence. Some time will be spent at the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art, at Palace House, where there is a fabulous collection of art and displays.
DAY 1: August 8th - THE BRITISH RACING SCHOOL
An introduction to the British Racing School with a visit to the Schools Stables and gallops and to meet the training team.
Followed by cooked breakfast at the school canteen.
Morning: Introduction to sketching at the gallops and at the stables, and tutoring from Melanie at the School Theatre Foyer, with a chance to see her Artist Residency Sketchbooks and discuss techniques and the practicalities of sketching moving subjects and at the races.
Afternoon: A racehorse portrait drawing session. One of the school's racehorses will be provided for a portrait drawing session . With tuition on basic equine anatomy.
DAY 2: AUGUST 9TH - NEWMARKET
Morning: An early start with a short drive to the famous Warren Hill gallops at the centre of Newmarket, where we watch the multiple strings of racehorses from the trainers yards, go out for morning exercise in this historic setting, which sweeps away from the town itself up to the woods at the top.
An opportunity also to do a landscape/townscape sketch with the town of Newmarket in the distance.
Lunch: At Palace House: The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art.
Afternoon: Seeing the displays and paintings at Palace House. Sketching from the collection and at the living yard at the museum.
www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk
DAY 3: AUGUST 10TH - THE JULY COURSE, A DAY AT THE RACES!
A great day out at the famous July Course, Newmarket, with the famous lovely setting with old character buildings and the tree lined paddocks. Plenty of sketching opportunities here, from the paddock scenes to the colourful crowds in the grandstand and winners enclosures.
Plus of course the fun experience of a day at the races at Newmarket, with as much or as little sketching as you would like!.
BOOKINGS:
Please make bookings directly with Melanie. Early booking is recommended due to the restricted number of places: 01608 643546
Saturday January 21st 2017
10am to 1pm
Title: Self Portraiture (Head) Mood: Studying Expressive and gestural mark making, rhythm via facial expression. Lead pencils and charcoal.
Working on large scale (A2) cartridge paper, this workshop provides the opportunity to explore the possibilities of lively and gestural mark making in pencil and charcoal. Working from the mirror, employing rapid strokes, you will create a series of lively studies focusing on mood, shifting/fleeting expression and the movement of the head. How even a change of thought can change a face visibly. We will be looking at examples of work by Rembrandt, Picasso and Maggi Hambling.
Saturday February 18th 2017
10am to 1pm
Title: Still Life: Composition and Colour (Mexican influence)
Arrangements of exotic fruits and plants. With an abundant flavour. A riot of colour and shapes using watercolour and mixed media. We start the workshop looking at the paintings and palette of Frida Kahlo as a starting point, learning how to work with rich saturated colours and powerful, compositional arrangements.
Saturday March 18th 2017
10am to 1pm
Title: Self Portraiture (Head): Rendering Texture. Mixed media, drawn and watercolour.
This workshop is all about creating surface interest. within the subject, the skin, hair and clothing, through the use of Mixed media. A combination of dry brush, loose washes, mixed dry and wet media. Watercolour, charcoal and pencil are all employed to build up richly textured areas of varied density, within the portrait. Artists work we will be looking at include Andrew Wyeth and Lucien Freud.
Saturday April 22nd 2017
10am to 1pm
Title: Still Life: Treasured /Found Object(s). Drawn and Watercolour media.
A Still life workshop where you bring your own personal 'momento' or ' found' object to explore in paint. Something with resonance and meaning to yourself. Connecting with the personal response this might bring up by rendering the given object in paint for the first time,
Following in footsteps of artists, past and present (Georgia O'Keefe, Paul Nash and of course the Surrealists), who use such subject matter as an inspirational tool. This may be in the form of a photograph of a loved one or place, an object gifted to you, an object of devotion, a piece of jewellery or china/glass, or a beautiful shoe. Or a 'found' object such as a fossil, feather, leaf, beach stones, piece of wood. Something that has struck a chord and you would like to explore further in paint. The workshop will start with note making both written and visual, then moving into a series of studies, based on either a true representation or developing further with the use of imagination connected to the associative meaning of the piece.
SPRING, SUMMER AND AUTUMN WORKSHOPS (EN PLEIN AIR) 2017
This summer programme of workshops sees a return to a couple of locations from last year, by popular request. Also the addition of two new painting workshop locations, offering a broader choice of subject matter (namely woodland and coastal settings).
Melanie has also designed a couple of two and three day courses , to accommodate participants who appreciate a more extended time period in a specific location, with the opportunity to explore them creatively in greater depth and build up a wider collection of sketches and paintings.
All levels of painting experience are welcome. Numbers of places available are limited to ensure plenty of individual attention for each participant. Melanie will be on hand to demonstrate, inspire and provide creative feedback, both individually and to the group as a whole.
Bookings: please make bookings directly with Melanie on 01608 643546 or email: melaniewrightstudio@googlemail.com
A non refundable 50% deposit is required to confirm your place.
1. TITLE: 'LIGHT AND FORM IN WOODLAND' A sketching and watercolour day in a woodland landscape.
Location: Chastleton Woods, near Stow on the Wold, Oxfordshire.
Date: Wednesday June 21st 2017
Time: 10am to 4pm
A day in the woods near Chadtleton House, sketching and painting the visual interest offered by a woodland interior: filtered sunlight through trees, strong forms and frameworks within the trees, pathways, portals and architectural formations, plus the wonderful qualities of softly diffused light and woodland textures. And additionally, on the periphery of the wood, the opportunity to look out and paint long distance views across the valley to Stow on the Wold.
Art materials: please request a list on booking.
2. TITLE: ' HORSES IN THE LANDSCAPE/STABLES' A DAY AT THE RACING TRAINERS STABLES
DRAWING AND WATERCOLOUR SKETCHING WORKSHOP.
Location: Charlie Longsdon Racing, Hull Farm, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Date: Wednesday July 26th 2017
Time: 10am to 4pm
Following her two years of being Artist in Residence at this fantastic national hunt racing yard, Melanie is delighted to be running this workshop for the second time. It is set in beautiful countryside near Chipping Norton. The racehorses will be grazing out in the paddocks or resting in the stables, on holiday at this time of year! Providing us with a stimulating variety of subject matter, such as groups of stunning thoroughbreds moving around a landscape setting, and close up observation of the individual horses for equine portrait sketches in the yard.
Melanie will have her artist residency sketchbooks at the yard, for reference.
Art materials: please request a list on booking.
3. TITLE: ' LIGHT AND FORM, A DAY IN THE GARDEN.
Drawing and watercolour workshop.
Location: Rousham House Gardens, Oxfordshire. (Ref: www.rousham.org)
Date: Wednesday August 16th and Thursday August 17th 2017. One or two day workshop.
Time: 10am to 4pm
Following the popularity of this workshop last summer, Melanie is running it again, but with the breadth of subject available in these extensive gardens, has added a second day for those who wish to explore the subject in more depth.
Rousham House and its classical landscape gardens were designed in the seventeenth century by William Kent. The gardens provide a formal classical design, with long green vistas, classical statuary and water features, cascades and grottos. At the bottom of which runs the river Cherwell through woodland. In a separate part of the gardens, a walled area with dovecote, stunning herbaceous borders and kitchen garden with fruit trees, plus wandering peacocks, provides a more colourful and informal layout.
Art materials: please request a list on booking.
4. TITLE: 'SOUTH CORNWALL, THE FAL ESTUARY (SEA, SAILING BOATS AND SUB-TROPICAL GARDENS).
Location: The Fal Estuary/Mylor Yacht Harbour and Trebah Garden.
Dates: September 5th to September 7th 2017 (3 days). 10am - 4pm each day.
Pictures and info Reference: Google:
Mylor Yacht Harbour
The Fal Estuary
Falmouth
This Course offers an extended opportunity, at a relaxed pace, to explore the interesting variety of subject matter that the beautiful south Cornish Coast offers. Melanie has enjoyed visiting and painting in the Helford/Falmouth River Estuary area for over 25 years. The peaceful, ambience, combining gentle agricultural landscape to the water’s edge, alongside the highly visual sailing dynamic, provides the perfect contrast to landlocked Oxfordshire, for plein air summer painting. Melanie has designed a 3 day course, around the places she loves to visit and sketch herself, and provides guided access to some very special locations in what this part of Cornwall is best known for; coastal vistas with wooded estuaries, sailing harbours, and subtropical gardens. All the places she has chosen, lend themselves to representational, semi-abstract or abstract study for students of all levels of experience. Melanie likes to work with the individual within the small group on their own personal interpretation and exploration of the subject matter.
This 3 day workshop is non-residential. Giving the participant the option of doing their own thing in the evenings, whether to further explore the area, meet with friends, or simply relax quietly after an intensive day of painting! The group will meet up each morning at the workshop location and work through the day in close enough proximity to enable Melanie to have focused time with each student.
Melanie can recommend a lovely local farmhouse B and B, set in stunning countryside near to all the workshop locations:
Trefusis Barton, Flushing, Mylor, Falmouth. www.trefusisbarton.co.uk.
There is also of course, a huge choice of b and b, and hotels in the area, plus cottages to rent. Check these out on the internet. Booking well in advance is advisable. This is a very popular area, though by September the school holidays and family vacations will be coming to an end.
Melanie is also happy to recommend good places locally for supper in the evenings, including the historic Pandora Inn, at Restronguet Creek.
Day 1: Mylor Yacht Harbour
This beautiful and secluded setting looks out from the harbour side across to the characteristically densely wooded shores across the estuary. With a vista of inspiring images to capture in paint. The yachts are moored at intervals, and also there is sailing in and out across the estuary creating beautifully illuminated shapes and varied patterns, set against the water and dark woodland of the opposite shore. This day provides both stunning views and wonderful close up studies of the yachts in the harbour, giving compositions using the abstract shapes and lines of the yachts themselves.
Lunch: Bring a packed lunch, or visit the excellent cafe at Mylor Harbour.
Dogs welcome.
Day 2: The Fal Estuary (Wide sea views, coastline , big skies).
This day will be spent looking out over the spectacular vistas of coast and sea from a much higher vantage point than on Day 1. We will be painting from a location either on private farm land at Flushing, or from Pendennis Point This is the perfect chance to study the changing colours and tones of both sea and sky, and the relationship between them as the light changes, throughout the day.
Lunch: Bring a packed lunch, or there are a some beach cafes nearby.
Day 3: Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth.
Trebah Garden is a sub-tropical paradise, with a stunning coastal backdrop. One of the finest gardens in Cornwall. And one Melanie has watched develop over the years from an overgrown and undeveloped lost garden, to its current magnificence. A magical space to paint, with subtropical gardens of inspired planting and colour, tumbling down a ravine to the secluded beach at the bottom. Palm trees, woods, structural gunnera plantations, banks of foxgloves, hydrangeas, lily ponds, stream water features with ferns and primula, and views across tree tops down to the little beach and sea beyond are some of the attractions. Whether you wish to work with a landscape/gardenscape large composition, or use the day to focus and capture a series of more detailed botanical style studies of the individual plants, there is plenty of choice here.
Additional: Entry fee to the gardens
Lunch: Either bring a packed lunch or there is a good cafe at the garden centre.
Dogs are welcome on a leash.
Art materials : Please bring watercolour and cartridge paper pads, drawing pencil and charcoal, watercolour paints and brushes, kitchen roll, a water container, folding stool, rug, suitable layers of clothing and a hat.
STILL LIFE WORKSHOPS (SATURDAY MORNINGS) - NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2017
Saturday November 25th 2017
Morning: 10am to 1pm.
Title: Still Life: Treasured /Found Object(s). Watercolour or Oils.
Following on from the introduction of this fascinating subject in the Spring, Melanie is running another A Still life workshop at her studio in Chipping Norton where you bring your own subject with you....a personal 'memento' or ' found' object to explore in paint. Something with resonance and meaning to yourself. Connecting with the personal response this might bring up by rendering the given object in paint for the first time.
Following in the footsteps of artists, past and present (Georgia O'Keefe, Paul Nash and of course the Surrealists), who use such subject matter as an inspirational tool. This may be in the form of a photograph of a loved one or place, an object gifted to you, an object of devotion, a piece of jewellery or china/glass, or a beautiful shoe. Or a 'found' object such as a fossil, feather, leaf, beach stones, piece of wood. Something that has struck a chord and you would like to explore further in paint. The workshop will start with note making both written and visual, then moving into a series of studies, based on either a true representation or developing further with the use of imagination connected to the associative meaning of the piece.
Saturday December 16th 2017
Time: Morning 10am to 1pm
Title: Interior with Still Life Arrangement. Watercolour or oils.
This workshop is concerned with the composition of a still life, where you will be taking into account the interior space in which it is placed. For instance, a corner of a room with arrangement, a mantelpiece, or bookshelves, or the arrangement of a group of objects on a window sill, with a view out of the window. Creating a composition that encompasses a wider view, and is as concerned with the spaces behind and around the object and the overall light source as the objects themselves. Looking at artists past and present such as Bonnard, Matisse, Mary Fedden and Emily Patrick for inspiration.
Bookings : directly with Melanie on 01608 643456 or by email: melaniewrightstudio@gmail.com.
© - Melanie Wright
