Painting Holidays in Cornwall

Hello Everyone,

It’s midsummer although it’s hard to believe that time is rushing past so fast!

It’s now twelve years since I held my first ‘How to Paint a Mural’ course here in Cornwall and over a thousand people have created wonderful, witty and colourful ‘mini-murals’ in the studio. Although I help people produce a controlled masterpiece, I have never interfered with the choice of subject matter, always leaving that to the individual concerned. This means that they have all been different, and my library of photos taken on day five of the course shows what incredibly diverse ideas people have when simple asked to glimpse a ‘different world’ through a wall!

Over the years I have become more and more aware that what people really need to learn before getting too ambitious is some basic observation, perspective and colour-mixing skills. For this reason I now invite everyone here to spend a bit of time with me in the studio practising their drawing and painting in a light-hearted, informal but highly constructive way! Although I do have a ten day course specifically targeted at improving your trompe l’oeil painting, not everyone can afford the time or the money for this course and sometimes all you need is an occasional few days with some inspirational help.

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I teach people how to switch off their ‘left brain’ and allow the much more observant ‘right brain’ to perceive shapes and colours. I show how to see your subject on an imaginary piece of glass at arm’s length from your eye and how to control your pencil/paintbrush so that you can make realistic impressions of what you see in front of you, whether it’s a landscape, a figure, a still-life or anything else you might be looking at!

If you are interested in a few days in the studio working with me, phone +441208831926 to arrange your stay, or email for more information. Come for as long as you like, soaking up the wonderful environment of the Cornish countryside at it’s very best and spending time developing your artistic talent. For information on all the usual courses click on http://www.trompeloeil.co.uk Last minute bookings can often be made at a reduced rate! I’ve attached a picture of the final window done for clients in Spain as described over the last two issues of Artists and Illustrators Magazine (June and July). If you want to read how it was done – you’ll have to buy the magazine!

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I’m also selling so many of my airtight ‘palette boxes’ as described in the article, that we have run out of them and there may be a short wait while we re-stock! The box has a polished acrylic palette in it and, being airtight, keeps the paints on the palette workable for days at a time – a must for acrylic painters!
( Box £20.00 inc p&p to UK. Golden paints, sponge,cloth and brushes are available in a wooden box separately.)

That’s all for now, but I’m looking forward to seeing some of you soon.
Best wishes, Janet Shearer