Painting Great Dixter House and Gardens
with Nick Archer
We are excited to offer weekend art courses in 2025 with Nick Archer. The courses are based just outside of Rye in the beautiful Wealden countryside, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Painting Weekend 14 - 15 June 2025
A rare opportunity to paint at the national treasure which is Great Dixter - https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/. We have been granted permission to set up and paint in the famously beautiful gardens.
“[Great Dixter] has a vibrant, daring and impressive garden with a 15th Century house restored by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Leading the way in ornamental gardening, gardening for biodiversity, and horticultural education, Great Dixter was created by the great gardener and garden writer Christopher Lloyd, OBE, VMH.”
Great Dixter is less than 4 miles from the studio. The workshop will involve painting and drawing directly from observation in the gardens, collecting reference material through drawing and photography and using this to create art works in the studio. Great Dixter is a 15-minute drive from the studio and hotel (if accommodation is required): transport from the hotel to the gardens and studio can be provided. There are areas to shelter in the gardens including an old barn where we can set up. You will be helped to create studies using charcoal on paper, and to paint sketches from observation whilst in the gardens. You will then be assisted further to create a larger piece in the studio from the reference you have collected.
The groups are small and are tailored to all abilities from complete beginners to those with more experience. The workshop will explore ways to observe the gardens directly as well as how to collect reference material so painting can be completed back in the studio. Colour will of course be a key part to the workshop so a certain amount of colour theory will be explored.
Accommodation can be provided at the nearby Flackley Ash Hotel on the nights of the Friday and the Saturday. There is a choice of a standard or superior room and the hotel facilities such as the pool and spa are available for use. Breakfast to the value of £20 will be provided at the hotel and lunch provided at the studio.
Price includes lunches and easels, drawing boards and palettes. A full list of materials to bring will be sent out in advance of the weekend.
More information about Blackwall Farmhouse and Flackley Ash Hotel
Course Programme
Friday
6pm Meet and greet at Flackley Ash Hotel (if accommodation is selected)
Saturday
10:45am Meet at Flackley Ash and drive to Great Dixter (transport can be provided). Find and set up workstations in the gardens.
1:30pm Lunch (provided)
2:30pm Set up workstations in the studio and start the final painting.
4.45pm Tea/Coffee and group discussion of the day’s work
Sunday
10am Meet at the studio (transport can be provided).
Work on larger pieces to create artwork based on the material collected from Great Dixter.
11.30am Tea/Coffee
11.45 short presentation about relevant artists
12pm continue with artwork in the studio.
1pm Lunch (provided)
1.45pm complete artwork in the studio
4pm Tea/Coffee and group discussion of weekend’s work.