5.1.12

Way back when I was a hopeful art student – I studied Fine Art at West Surrey School of Art and Design based in Farnham with artist Glynis Barnes Mellish .

This photo was taken in 1980 on a holiday together on the west coast of the USA. A lot of painting water has flowed down our throats since then!

Glynis and Penny 1980

However, whilst I sold my soul to commerce and let my limited talent perish through lack of use, Glynis continued to develop her ability to the highest level and went on to become a well renowned portrait painter – specialising in the tricky medium of watercolour!

Glynis's prize winning portrait of Dame Kelly Holmes from BBC TV Star Portraits series

The portrait above is Glynis’s prize winning painting of Dame Kelly Holmes from the BBC TV Star Portraits series – Hard to believe that it is a watercolour isn’t it?

Glynis and I have remained friends through the turbulence of adult life – men, money and work crisis came and went – and over the years we have regularly gone on holiday together  – and in fact the germ of the idea for my current business was sown in 2002 when we organised a full week’s watercolour workshop in a watermill near Fivizzano,  a medieval village developed into a walled fortress town by the Medici in – (Well! would you believe it?)  – Tuscany!!

Fivizzano is a place which will be dear to the hearts of my dancing friends Ann Robinson and Kay Lundy as it is the home of the annual ‘Tangoworld’ festival in September – one of the largest representations of Argentinian tango in Italy!!

Below are some of the paintings that Glynis was able to create as a result of work begun on that course – most of which hang in my dining room!

Nina in Fivizzano

Rose garden at the watermill

Joyce at Posara

Watercolour painting from previous watercolour workshop

Apart from working hard on our art work our little group of ten ladies must have made some sort of impression on the local constabulary because when one of my friend’s husband arrived to collect her for a further week’s holiday in Italy together he stopped at the Police Station for guidance and was surprised when they immediately smiled and said “Si! le dieci donne pazze!” ( Yes! the ten crazy women!) and directed him right to us!!!

Glynis was therefore my natural first choice to ask to help me create a network of experts to provide the basis for my activity holidays in Florence and she has been a wonderful supportive friend both in providing her expertise and also some much needed advice.

We have now held eight weeks of workshops in Florence – and the subject matter has ranged from an olive branch,  through various landscapes in Florence and surrounding countryside, right up to the complexity of a portrait of another of my friend’s supportive, but in this case genuinely long suffering -from remaining in the same position all day – husband!

Portrait classes have been held in my apartment but other lessons have been out in the countryside in the grounds of my friends the Venturini’s beautiful villa  in Galuzzo, the grounds of the Hotel Villa Le Rondini, and various beautiful views in and around the City of Florence itself.

Glynis giving AnnaLaura some helpful advice in our watercolour workshop

Kirsten painting up at the Villa in Galuzzo

For her Art teaching books – Watercolour Workshops I & II (published by DKF) Glynis has developed a format for showing the development of a watercolour painting from base to finished painting – which most students find really helpful.

Rose base

3rd stage

Rose final step

So – to finally get to the sales point of this post!!

During  the final weekend of  February – Sat 26th – we propose to have a watercolour painting class here in London – hopefully a taster for further classes out in Florence – but I am sure it will be valuable in it’s own right!

If the take up is good and we have demand for a 2 day course – or another day later in the year – I am sure this can be arranged – so I will put the event on Facebook Beyond the Yalla Dog page and people can sign up there or e-mail direct to me at penny.howard1@ntlworld.com 

The cost will be £6o for a full day – ending around 4pm –  a working lunch will be included – with painting water (wine!) if required – and if you let me know I can also provided basic watercolour painting sets and brushes.

Glynis’s Art books are available on Amazon or can be bought from me if anyone wants to swot up before the lesson!!!!!!

I do hope we can get a good group together to give the lesson plenty of energy –  but whatever the size of group it will be fun!

Portrait class with me as model