Artistic breaks in Andalucia

Kick off your painting week by making paint. Not to be thrifty but to ensure an exact match for the spectacular landscapes in Andalucia that you are about to draw and paint. Relax at a luxury eco retreat in the heart of the 'Parque Natural Sierra Maria-Los Velez near Almeria and let your creative juices flow.

The natural park is in the north of the province of Almeria in Andalucia and is straddled by the four towns and villages which make up the ‘Comarca de Los Velez’. Maria, Chirivel, Velez Rubio and the beautiful Velez Blanco, crowned with the 16th Century ‘Castillo de Los Fajardos’. The natural park is also home to two UNESCO world heritage sites.

Rainfall is an annual average of 400mm, and receiving over 3100 hours of sunshine a year it is Andalucia’s sunniest province. The eco retreat is a 'carbon neutral' guest house sitting in a valley of almond and pine. Heat and light from the sun, thermal winds and wood from the land combine in a system of solar panels, wind mills and fires to cook and create energy. Rain water is harvested from the roof. Waste water is managed and utilised through a system of reed beds and a grey water recovery system is used to irrigate the dry land.

This is a unique painting course dedicated to painting nature and representing the landscape based on direct observation in the open air - ‘En Plein Air’ hence the making your own paint. The trick is to find a fine grained patch of earth, free of organic material such as leaf litter or plant roots. This material is then put through a riddle to take out any stones that are too big.

Next it is placed in a mortar and pestle to be ground down into a fine powder. At this point, if you should so choose, you can blend your pigment with others you have collected or with bought non organic mineral powders. The binding agent useded is Gum Arabic, similar to what you would find in a water colour tube. It can be made into a paste similar in consistency to mayonnaise, the whiter the mineral the more chalk is in the mix and the more opaque is the paint. The next stage is to apply the mix as a ground for painting the immediate landscape for an exact match and a satisfying way to start your painting journey.

If you like the idea of staying in a luxury eco retreat in a spectacular setting but don’t want to get your hands dirty making your own paint then why not try one of the other unique painting courses on offer? Choose from botanical illustration, architecture painting course or why not combine walking with painting where you’ll follow the local shepherds’ paths stopping to paint when you feel inspired.

1 week painting courses are priced at £802
3 night / 4 day painting courses are priced at £297

Prices include:
- Accommodation
- All meals
- All soft drinks with meals (glass of wine with dinner)
- Painting materials
- Painting tuition

For a unique holiday combining creativity with ecology, visit GoLearnTo.com.