Take a break from drab winter days in Britain. Join Michael Weller at Casa Rosa as he guides you through his approach to abstraction. This is for artists who’d like some help exploring landscape painting, in peace and quiet – and the early Spanish sun.
The day after St David’s day is a wonderful time to take a break with a week-long artists’ retreat at beautiful Casa Rosa, in Andalucia. Enjoy the mountains behind the house, the olive orchards, orange and lemon trees, and the feeling that spring might just have sprung.
When I asked Michael what he would like to teach at Casa Rosa he said, “We’ll try a few things I find helpful with my own painting. I paint in an abstract, general way. Big shapes. A few colours. A sense of the place. Enjoying the paint”.
- Tutor, Michael Weller, NEAC
- 2nd-9th March, 2025
- £2,580 single occupancy, full board, tuition
- £2,100 shared occupancy, full board, tuition
- £1,550 shared occupancy, no tuition.
- So, a shared room, one with tuition (£2100) and one without (£1550) comes to £3650
- Taxi to and from the airport is included if you arrive at Malaga Airport by the time suggested. There are many car hire companies if you wish to travel under your own steam.
- Some experience of drawing is helpful but all levels are welcome. Help will be given.
Wednesday will be untutored giving everyone the option of a quiet day, or a chance to practise what they have been doing on days 1, 2 and 3. Thursday and Friday will be used to consolidate what has been learnt, or to try new approaches.
Please take time to read our terms and conditions. These are designed for the benefit of the whole party, students, tutors and staff.
What to Expect on Andalucian Landscape and Abstraction
This is for artists who’d like some help exploring landscape painting, in peace and quiet and the sun. Somewhere it hardly ever rains.
Michael will give demonstrations and go round to talk to artists one-to-one. Help will be given. Subjects to be considered: in the Casa Rosa garden, lemon and cypress trees, olive groves, views across the heavenly mountains, quiet nearby villages with small churches and winding lanes. You start each day by trying a few compositions – responding intuitively to what seems interesting – line drawings, colour studies. Later you’ll work more slowly, having found the compositions you really want to paint.
By the end of the week, students’ drawings will be simpler and their colours clearer. Michael’s students do really well but he doesn’t want them to paint like him and doesn’t impose his style on them. People’s work will be noticeably their own, unique, distinct.
“Let it be felt that the artist was here (in the painting)”, as Bonnard said.
Materials
Michael uses oil paint. Recommended for Oil Painting
paint
60ml tubes, or bigger, and at least twice as much white. Jacksons Artists Colours are affordable, good quality.
- Zinc white. (225ml is good value)
- MW prefers Jacksons Artist Oils Lemon yellow – but if not, cadmium yellow light.
- Rose madder or Alizarin crimson.
- Cobalt blue hue.
other stuff
- Low-odour oil-paint solvent. Casa Rosa will provide low odour solvent if necessary.
- Brushes and palette knives. Have some bigger brushes too.
- Ink (for drawing)
- Cut-down cardboard primed with white acrylic primer. 13 x 18cm to 25 x 30cm.
If you have a surface that you like to work on, such as canvas pads, oil painting paper, canvas boards, stick with that. Please bring lots supports – you will get through more than you think - Palette or mixing surface. Paper tearaway palette is great. Wooden palette fine.
- Kitchen paper or rags. A plastic bag for rubbish.
- Plastic disposable gloves are great.
- Apron is good.
- Newspaper for blotting the paint and testing the colours.
Bring a sketchpad or some paper.
Casa Rosa has studio easels. If you have field easels/pochard boxes please feel free to bring them with you – they may be easier to carry further afield.
