Brambles Art Retreat

Painting holidays
Guardian reviewTimes review

introducing Art-Beat Our new Abstract Art weekends

Abstract mood – Dartmoor

Capturing the energy of the rainy days.

Brambles Rooftops

Planar recession | Acrylic & Charcoal

India Tree

Drip Painting | Charcoal emulsion

Sunset Energy

Dramatic shapes, energy and colour.

Recurring Dream

Altered glass over acrylic.

Sculpted Skye

Found objects collage

Memories of Tokyo

Collage and dropped paint

Butterfly phobia.

Dripping ink, and running acrylic

Croagh Patrick

Mixed media

Be careful what you wish for.

driftwood, seaweed and tied on wishes

Mining Obsession

tin and acrylic

Cherry Blossom Pagoda

hosed acrylic, dripped and peeled.

At Brambles Art Retreat

A weekend to explore expressive, experimental abstract art.

Step out of the box and reshape what art can mean to you. An opportunity to discover your unique creative voice, feel free to experiment and play. Endless creative opportunities.

Tutors Peter Davies and Janet Brady have been teaching painting for over 20 years. We teach all the core skills for your medium of choice, but we like to focus our teaching in a way to benefits each individual creative journey.  Painters can work and develop their favourite medium or maybe try another.

“We focus our teaching to benefit your individual journey”

 

We like to stretch and challenge each painter, assessing their strengths and weaknesses and begin by putting into action a flexible plan for their time at Brambles. 

“step by step you gain confidence and flourish”

Based in the beautiful county of Devon there are plenty of locations to choose from. We like to work in our garden studio and sit out in our rambling garden too. There are several locations in our tiny hamlet of Sprytown, and many more in the wider Devon landscape.

“Thank you so much”

 for a really inspiring weekend learning about Sketchbooking, plus the lovely warm hospitality and food and company!

Katherine G - Aug 2023 Brambles

“I arrived here wanting to enjoy a little time off my hectic life.”

I leave full of new knowledge and love of painting, having experienced the warmth of Janet and Peter in this beautiful corner of the UK. I promise to be back and spread the word to people who believe they have enjoyed everything in life. They haven’t! Thank you, J & P, my beloved friends : )

Thanassis P - From Athens - June 2023 Brambles

“Gill and I have had such a rewarding five days “

learning so much. Your welcome has been superb, such comfort and wonderful measls and company. Many many thanks to you both & of course Jupiter and Baloo

Wendy M - Dec 2023 Brambles

Courses in Devon

We have been hosting residential courses at our home in beautiful Devon since 2003. Enjoy a painting break and getaway from the hustle and bustle of a busy life, relax, retreat and totally emerse yourself in art.

Read More Book A Course FAQs

Art Academy Cornwall

Take it up a level and enjoy a week on a beautiful estate in Cornwall.  Calamansac is a stuning luxury location, our secret hideaway, Its not too far from Brambles and close to Falmouth. This location affords us the luxury of access to many iconic sites in Cornwall and to paint in amazing light in the south west.

More info – click here

Art Academies Worldwide

Since 2005 we have hosted painting holidays at beautiful location all over the world. We partner with companies that have in-depth local knowledge, tailoring our trips to suit our needs. Japan, India, France m Italy,  Spain, and Morocco are just some of places we’ve enjoyed visiting.

More info – click here

-In 2020 we all experienced a pandemic, the face to face teaching world stopped. Peter and Janet learnt to film and edit videos, we created a set of skectchbooking tutorials.

The birth of Sketchaway.

Sketchaway - Online Tuition

Sketchaway was launched Jan 2021 – enjoy learning to create beautiful sketchbooks from the comfort of your own home.  By using pen and watercolour washes you can create beautiful sketchbooks. Its a fabulous hobby for holiday journaling and an absorbing pastime recording life and fantasy in a small book.

More info – click here

Day workshops and Demos

Local groups often ask us to lecture on painting, drawing and sketching. We spend a day with them teaching any of the following media: Oil,  Watercolour, Acrylic and Sketchbooking.

More info – click here

The golden touch 1-1 learning

Continue your learning with a monthly programme of study. Online tuition and written reviews. Develop your skill, focus your talent, improve your style. An in-depth learning experience planning and reviewing projects.

More info – click here

Peter Davies & Janet Brady

Artists and Teachers – Watercolour, Oil, Acrylic, Charcoal, Drawing & Mixed Media.

“We have been teaching at Brambles Art Retreat for over 20 years.”

We host courses in Devon we welcome you into our home. Our 17th Century cottage is a place to relax, forget your busy lives for a few days and immerse yourself in a creative, nurtuing space.

Enjoy Janets delicious food around the kitchen table, relaxing chatter meeting new faces and making new friends.

Take a well earned stroll with Peter and Jupiter to stretch your legs after a fruitful day at the easel.

“Draw what you see not what you think you see”

“Stay in the loop”

Contact

Phone

+44(0)790331908

Email

janet@bramblesartretreat.com

peter@bramblesartretreat.com

Address

Brambles, Sprytown, Lifton, Devon, PL16 0AY, England, UK.

Brambles Blog

The Golden Section or Golden Ratio

The Golden Section or Golden Ratio

Golden Section or Golden Ratio is the special ratio found in nature in things like the distribution of leaves on a stem, or the formation of a snail shell. It has long been held that this ratio is especially pleasing to the eye and has aesthetic qualities when applied...

You Don’t Have to Paint the Telegraph Poles

You Don’t Have to Paint the Telegraph Poles

But sometimes the telegraph poles are THE THING! Inspired by driving along the Devon lanes in late summer early evenings, with the light splashing onto the telegraph poles. The effect was created in acrylic on canvas board by first painting the sky and cloud wet into...

Desaturation, brown and grey

Desaturation, brown and grey

To make a brown add any two opposites in the colour wheel. Ie. red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple. To make a grey add blue to brown and add some white. This is particularly useful In practice when you want to take the edge off a colour or grey it out...