Using the sea and sky as inspiration for incredible watercolours

Starting October 3rd, you can join Alison Cotton in Kalymnos, Greece, for a one-week painting holiday in the island sun. Alison focuses her painting courses on helping artists gain confidence and find their creative voice no matter their level of experience, and she’s extremely excited to be doing it in such a stunning setting:

I’m excited to be teaching a in Kalymnos this coming October. Liz and Maria invited me to join them after hearing about the painting holidays I’ve run on the island of Alderney for the last few years.

I am a painter who loves to walk, and have found that watercolour is my favourite medium for taking with me on trips. A small set of paints, a block of paper or small book, one or two brushes, and you’re away. You really don’t want to be dragging an easel, folding chair and box of oil paints on a long hike. Having said that, students are welcome to use their favourite media and I will offer guidance, as I have experience in many kinds of art making, and love to mix them up.

Watercolours also enable a unique approach to painting the elements of land and seascape – water, earth and air. It’s those accidental effects as the water and pigment settle into the paper that mirrors the elements and our responses to them. And don’t be intimidated: often the freshest and most exciting work is produced by beginners.

So come and join us on beautiful Kalymnos this Autumn, when the temperature should be perfect for outdoor painting, and the sea warm for bathing!

Alison’s experience helps others to develop their own skills, and her excursions allow you to wander the island and capture the soft nuances of sea and sky for souvenirs you won’t have to buy. You can find out more details about the island, accommodation and inclusions on the painting course itinerary.