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Painting holidays in Spain

Painting holidays in southern Spain offer a splendid selection of countryside, coastline and whitewashed villages to ensure brush strokes are as broad as the summer is long. The regions of Extremadura and Andalucía exemplify the Spanish approach to art with everything from alfresco picnics and swimming pools, to wild pigs and beautiful beaches, encouraging artists to explore their craft one laidback day at a time.

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Painting holidays in Andalucia

Is the muse calling you? Then spend a week in the Andalucian sun under the watchful tutelage of professional painters, drawing inspiration from a wealth of subject matter, and all framed against idyllic scenery in Spain’s Moorish heartland. This is the land of Velazquez and Picasso, where whitewashed villages, pueblos blancos, sit amid wild, rugged countryside and mountains rise up behind blissful Mediterranean coastline.

You’ll be painting al fresco as part of a small group, in a relaxed, supportive and above all fun atmosphere, on an itinerary that is as suitable to experienced painters wanting to hone their talent as well as beginners looking to release theirs. It’s best to think of it as a bucolic holiday, the painting is a pleasant distraction: you will take daily excursions to the beach, rural areas, the city and those famous Andalucian villages where it can feel as though life has slowed to a blissful crawl.

Working with acrylics or sketching, you will have opportunity to capture a rich variety of scenes: on the coast, rolling Mediterranean sea, fishermen and their boats, golden beaches; in the countryside, olive groves and wildflower meadows; in the villages and towns, sleepy street scenes, hidden nooks and corners, beautifully restored architecture. You might spend a free day travelling into Granada to explore the majestic Alhambra for inspiration, wander mountainside gardens or the narrow streets of Malaga.

Throughout, you will be accompanied by guests tutors from around the world, escorting you to different locations each day that will enable you to find the real Andalucia, its flora and fauna, culture and architecture. Tuition is entirely not compulsory, but supportive feedback will be available throughout along with advice. You will have time to paint or sketch each day, on an easygoing itinerary designed to let you move at your own pace.

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What does painting in Andalucia entail?

You will need to bring with you your own brushes and paint, a decent selection of 75ml tubes, and it’s also advisable to bring your own retarder in order to slow down the drying process. As well as this, you’ll want a supply of acrylic paper, rather than heavier canvases. If you prefer to sketch, you will need to bring the appropriate materials.

Little else is required as easels, drawing boards, sun parasols and lightweight folding chairs are all provided by the organisers. You will be sent a materials list before departure to ensure you don’t miss anything that you may need.

Accommodation will be shared with your fellow guests at a house with pool in Torrox Pueblo, a lovely village set just inland from the Costa del Sol in the foothills of the Sierra de Almijara, around four kilometres from the sea. Solo travellers are of course welcome, with no single supplement to worry about, and non-painting friends or partners are free to accompany you. Another trip sees you stay further inland in Frigiliana, once voted prettiest village in Andalucia, in a handsome, Moorish-style villa.

Expect lashings of delicious Spanish food too, whether dining at traditional inns, taking al fresco lunches in the garden, or on a picnic beneath a grove of olive trees. If you doze off under your parasol in the afternoons you’ve no one to blame but yourself!

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If you'd like to chat about Painting or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.

01273 823 700

Call us tomorrow after 9am

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

01273 823 700

Call us tomorrow after 9am

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Best time to go on a painting in Andalucia

Spain painting holidays promise convivial weather for much of the year, but in Andalucia you will be travelling in May and June, September and October, thereby avoiding the worst of the summer heat. These are popular times to holiday in Spain of course, but you will be in the countryside, a world apart from the crowds on the coast and in the cities.

Andalucia basks in year-round sunshine and superb light, with some 320 days of sun annually. In late spring you may catch the last of the wildflowers, while the cusp of spring into summer, or summer into autumn, can present very appealing scenery.

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I would recommend taking minimal painting supplies. I took too many and it slowed me down!

- Cheryl Hamel

“Be prepared for a week full of inspiration, fun, friendliness, good food and wine and the chance to bounce ideas off each other. Some prior knowledge of how to paint with acrylics would help.” – Sue Chroston on a painting holiday in Andalucia

“It is possible to enjoy this holiday whether you are a beginner or serious painter but you need to remember that there will be different levels of skill and some people will require more attention from the tutor and her assistant than others. Most people travelled on their own and the painting provided a mutual interest. “ – Patricia Diango on a painting holiday in Andalucia

“I would recommend taking minimal painting supplies. I took too many and it slowed me down! Paintings can be started on site with minimal materials and completed at home in studio. Weather: first week of June but needed a sweater or jacket in the evenings.” - Cheryl Hamel on a painting holiday in Andalucia