Just some entries from our guestbook
I’d wanted to learn watercolour painting for a while and what better opportunity than plein-air painting in Barcelona with expert tuition. I initially intended to do 3 days of painting but was enjoying it so much I completed the full 5 days. I met some lovely fellow painters and the hospitality from Angela and Paul was fantastic throughout. Paul took us to paint in some beautiful parts of Barcelona which I otherwise wouldn’t have visited and the sessions took just the right amount of time to complete fully finished paintings followed by a relaxing picnic lunch. Not only did I come away from this course having enjoyed a fabulous week of painting but I have a lovely collection of watercolour souvenirs to take home with me, along with the new skills I’ve learnt to keep on developing this craft. I would highly recommend this course for anyone interested in learning about watercolour or simply as a fun thing to do when visiting Barcelona.
Mandy Langton – Sydney
Everything we’d hoped and more!
My sister and I recently completed an excellent 5-day watercolour painting course with Paul Raymonde in Barcelona. We chose the course because of Paul’s structured approach to teaching (as explained on his website) and its location (I’ve been wanting to visit Barcelona for years). The course was well thought-out (thank you Paul), and well-organised and catered for (thank you Angela).
We were apprehensive about painting urban landscapes, expecting the subject matter to be complex and unforgiving for amateurs, but in fact it proved key to what we got out of the course. Paul started us off with a drawing lesson so we could tackle buildings with enough understanding of perspective to make them look convincing. This is the first time anyone has explained vanishing perspective and eyeline in a way I understood! After that the emphasis was on painting with tone, and then on introducing colour progressively. It was very helpful that every day Paul painted the same scene we were painting, so we could watch and learn from how he simplified and edited the real life scenes to produce paintings with a sense of place and drama. We had a mixture of outdoor painting in fine weather and studio painting when it rained, and we enjoyed both.
Paul is ‘old school’ in his feedback style so don’t expect to be told you’re doing brilliantly when you’re not. Given the current fashion for unremitting positivity this can be a little startling on occasion, but also amusing! Rest assured that Paul has your best interests at heart – he’ll step in to steer you away from disaster, and you won’t finish the day with a painting you never want to see again. It worked for us and we felt the course brought on our painting abilities in leaps and bounds.
To our minds the 5 day course offers a delightful balance: up and out for a concentrated morning of painting, then a light and tasty lunch (tortilla-filled baguettes if you’re lucky), and afterwards you’re free to explore Barcelona for the rest of the day. Highly recommend!
Katherine – Brighton
Fantastic workshop with wonderful people
My husband and I participated in the one-day “plein air” workshop with Paul, though if we had had time we would have loved to do his full week-long workshop. Paul was an amazing teacher, managing somehow to be both patient and efficient. He helped us learn the basics in a very short amount of time, and he helped us execute paintings whose end result we could be proud of. He is a very skilled instructor, and we learned enough in one hour that we felt confident coming home and trying watercolors again on our own. His wife Angela is also extremely kind and generous, and we were treated to a delicious lunch with wonderful company. We felt like we had found friends and a home base in Barcelona, and we will be looking them up again next time we are in town.
Alex – USA
The highlight was the painting which given we stay in one of the most beautiful cities in the world is really saying something. I visited in July in soaring temperatures even higher than normal, such that the brush had barely touched the paper before it had dried. Learning to apply washes in these conditions makes the technique so much more important and by the end of the week that technique will be truly cemented. Paul is a great teacher. I will always have memories of washing brushes “Give it a manly wash Tim! Imagine you’re making a cappuccino!” and his aversion to green which I agree can ruin so many paintings. It was a wonderful week of painting enhanced by both Paul with his tremendous humour and Angela with extraordinary organising and cooking skills. She will have your tour to the Gaudi sights, tapas bars and flamenco evenings booked before you know it. I have no hesitation in recommending it. 5 stars for me.
Dr Tim March – Melbourn
What a wonderful vacation! Angela starts taking care of guests before they arrive, seeking to get to know them a little to determine how best to make the week more enjoyable. She is also a versatile and terrific cook, accommodating food preferences and allergies. When they say that you don’t need experience in painting in watercolour, they really mean it! For the daily painting outings, Paul provides all the supplies, and instructs, demonstrates, guides, oversees… and fixes where necessary, either a lot or merely upon request. And so we leave with finished products, and practical painting experience. Angela and Paul are thoughtful and gracious, informal and flexible so as to accommodate preferences, helping guests maximize their stay in Barcelona with useful tips, and even transit passes. Highly recommended!!
Deborah G – Toronto
The one-week watercolour painting course I did last week was immensely enjoyable. Paul was a very dedicated instructor who ensured I got maximum value out of every session. His instructions were consistent and precise and style of teaching encouraged both discipline and self-expression. I could not have had a more productive time! I would highly recommend a week with Paul and Angela!
Rie Rumito – Singapore
