I have been asked to make a list of these as we often get notified of holidays that are available. Listing them here is no guarantee of quality of either tuition or accommodation. RADAS takes no responsibility if you book one of them but hopes you have a good time!
Capture Life: A Portrait Retreat in Italy Awaits! With Mick McNicholas
I’m excited to invite you to join me for a very special Portraits from Life retreat at the stunning Hotel Leone in Le Marche, Italy, from July 10th – 17th 2026.
This week-long retreat is all about immersing yourself in the art of portraiture while enjoying the best of what this breathtaking region has to offer. You’ll spend your days painting in a fully equipped, light-filled studio and your evenings relaxing in luxurious surroundings with like-minded creatives.
Beyond the enriching artistic experience, the base for our journey is a private luxury boutique hotel nestled in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains in an authentic medieval hilltop village. This historic palazzo, dating back to the 16th century, seamlessly blends history with modern comfort.
All meals are included – breakfast, lunch, and a choice of up to 4 courses from a daily changing gourmet evening menu and includes delicious local wine served with both lunch and dinner.
You can find out more information here:
https://hotelleonemarche.com/en/portraits-from-life-with-mick-mcnicholas/I’ll do my best to answer any questions you may have, but the website will probably hold all the answers.
Cheers,
Mick
Fully inclusive Art Retreat in North Devon with Melanie Cambridge
16th to 20th June 2025 (painting days 17th to 19th)
Westcott Barton, Middle Marwood, Barnstaple, North Devon, EX31 4EF
I am delighted to be returning to Westcott Barton in 2025. “From Sketchbook to Canvas is a fully inclusive Art Retreat at this wonderful “secret” location in North Devon. Spend time sketching both around the grounds and out on location along the North Devon Coast, before returning to the Orangery Studio to paint.
£765.00 per person, full board, for single room occupancy with own bathroom (Non-painting partners welcome at reduced rate). Traditional oil paints and low odour mediums included so just bring a few canvases, sketchbook and a willingess to “have a go”.
Maximum of 12 participating artists (3 spaces gone already!).
Peter Keegan
*LAST CHANCE TO BOOK*The Magic of Light: 4 week online painting course. Every Monday from 10am – 1pm (including the rewatch link to watch again as many times as you need if you can’t watch live).From dappled light to contre-jour; warm interior light to cold northern light; direct light or defused light; light has been a preoccupation for artists for centuries. During these painting classes, we will explore a range of successful painting techniques (suitable for oils or acrylics) and approaches to capturing, not just a landscape, but light itself. For more details or to book on, click the picture.Vibrant Still-Lifes – 2 x Mondays in February.Taking inspiration from the vibrant and bold still-life paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne, join me for these 2 lessons where you will paint 2 different still life paintings of flowers, each in dazzling bright sunlight. Like the above class, this online, painting course is suitable for artists of all abilities, looking to improve their skills in this genre.Find out more here. I’m delighted to be joining the Broadway Arts Festival this summer from 6 – 15 June. I will be one of the exhibiting and demonstrating artists in the artBEAT marquee showcasing some of my latest portraits. I will also be leading a very special 2-day portrait painting workshop teaching the working methods of the great John Singer Sargent who lived and worked in Broadway. And finally, I will be judging the very first “The Great Broadway Paint-Off Portrait” competition.The festival promises to be a wonderful, inspiring couple of weeks with so many other workshops, talks, tours, events and much more. To find out about the festival click here or below for the events I will be involved with.6 – 8 June: artBEAT Exhibition11 – 12 June: John Singer Sargent Workshop15 June: The Great Broadway Portrait Paint-OffMigraine Painting ProjectSome of you may know that I suffer from migraines. I have done for as long as I can remember and if I experience a serious attack, it can put me out of work and in bed for days afterwards. Migraines impact 1 in 7 people in the UK and it’s been estimated that people in the UK lose a total of 43 million days from their work and education each year because of migraine. Fortunately, I am in a position where mine are mostly managed (although I do experience flare-ups from time-to-time) and I’m able to continue to work.This year I’m pleased to be working with the Migraine Trust and the National Migraine Centre by working on a project of painting people who either suffer with, or support those who have, migraines. I recently put out a request via social media for migraine supporters or sufferers to put themselves forward if they would be willing to have their portrait painted by me. I was overwhelmed with the responses from people all over the UK who are willing to be involved. I’m pleased to say I will be starting this project this year, fitting around my teaching and portrait commissions, over the next couple of years.If you are, or know of anyone, who is a migraine sufferer and would be interested to learn more about this project or even to participate by visiting me at my studio and posing for me, helping to bring more awareness to this condition, I would love to hear from you.What’s on the Easel Every year I paint a self-portrait and have done so since the age of 17. One of the very last paintings I did in 2024 was this portrait of me and my son. Painted from life by painting our reflection in a mirror, we are each holding onto our childhood cuddly toys, which coincidentally are both black and white pandas. This large painting is the accompanying painting to the portrait of my wife and daughter I shared in my last newsletter. In this painting I wanted to convey a vulnerability and intimacy between us, as well as showcasing everything I love about loose painterly expressive painting.Oil on canvas, 120 x 100 cmWishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2025Peter, Kimberley and family |