BOBBY BRITNELL

TEXTILE and ART 
courses offering unique learning opportunities for all, delivered by highly renowned 
ARTISTS and TUTORS

Moor Hall Farmhouse 
Bettws-y-crwyn, Newcastle on Clun
Shropshire, SY7 8PH 
 
01547 510664
www.bobbybritnell.co.uk
NEWS FROM MOOR HALL STUDIO

In my last newsletter I spoke of changes to my courses at Moor Hall and this time I am back with a couple more.

Never before have we had to be so flexible and tolerant, but it is the nature of the game and we are in it altogether, but we will all be winners in the end.

In this spirit of optimism I have put on the programme, at the beginning of October, one new 3 day course from Polly Pollock and a day's water colour painting workshop with Ruth Kirkby. Details of these are further on in the newsletter.

Matthew Harris's course has now been moved to the later date of 12/13/14 July, so if this course is of genuine interest do book a place, but do also check on the flexibility of the B and B's that you use. 

Further courses will be assessed as we draw nearer to them, but at the moment all tutors from early July onwards are still hoping to teach at MOOR HALL.
These include:
Alice Fox
Amanda Clayton (full)
Dorothy Tucker 
Sue Brown
Matthew Harris

This brings me now on to a bit of very sad news for us at Moor Hall and for fellow students. Please read on.

DAVID TRESS

As a great admirer of David's work I decided to see if I could get him to teach at Moor Hall. My first two attempts were in vain, when out of the blue I had an email from David saying he had some time available and did I still want him to come. Well you will all know my answer to that.


Moor Hall has gone on to benefit from David's teachings, his generosity of spirit, his abundance of knowledge, his good humour and his ability to get up and see to his own breakfast!!!

The fact that David will be giving up much of his teaching away from home to focus on venues closer and more particularly on his own work, will be a huge loss to Moor Hall, to me and Martin and to all the students.



MESSAGE FROM DAVID

Dear lovely and enthusiastic students!
I've had the great good fortune - not to mention fun and jolly times - to have been a tutor at Bobby and Martin's wonderful art school for several years. Even with the tough times that Covid has thrown at us all, it doesn't surprise me that Bobby is energetically bouncing back by running a series of online courses - which characteristically are booking up as fast as she can publicise them.
What a beautiful house, garden and surrounding countryside at Moor Hall Farmhouse - a great place to gather for courses, and a real welcome for us all from Bobby and Martin when we are there. But courses are about students, and it's been just great to meet you all, to find out what everyone is particularly interested and involved in, and to - hopefully - provide some new experience, information and vigour that will inform the painting and drawing, or work with textiles, that you are all doing.
Well, now I come to the reason that I am writing this - because I have made the decision to reduce the number of courses that I do and very sadly I won't be tutoring any more courses at Moor Hall Farmhouse. This, of course, means that I won't be meeting any of you again at Bobby and Martin's. I will miss your liveliness and energy - not to mention the gossip and the fun. I've had some great times teaching you all, and I'm sure you have had some good times exploring new possibilities. So, for now, paint vigorously and enjoy making the images - and spare an occasional thought to remember the classes that we enjoyed together.
Very best wishes to you all,
David

David you will be sorely missed, but thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I am very sorry to read David's terribly sad news. I am too gobsmacked to say any more at this juncture.  David was such a great draw. 
 
I wish David so much joy and delight in painting and look forward to seeing his work. Would be wonderful to hear of any shows he is doing to be able to see the paintings in the flesh. I have a couple of books but it is absolutely not the same thing at all.  

Thank you for the message, which is a sad one�� I really enjoyed David's course, a few years ago. Such a nice, funny man as well as an inspiring painter and teacher. 
ON-LINE COURSES 2021

These four courses will now all be running as on-line courses. The term 'on-line course' can be confusing and can mean different things. What these tutors will be delivering is as near an experience as is possible, to face to face teaching in the studio. It will not be just a handout, but the tutor will be with you through the full duration of the course. Numbers will be limited to a maximum of 12 students on each of these courses.

Bobby Britnell
Watch this Space
22/23 May 2021
Introductory presentation on 21st May

TWO PLACES LEFT



Mary Sleigh
Mind the Gap
24/25 May 2021
Introductory presentation on 
23rd May

WAITING LIST ONLY

Ruth Issett
Exploring Colour with  Paper, Fabric and Stitch
10/11 June 2021
Introductory presentation on 
9th June

TWO PLACES LEFT




Sarah Burgess
Chasing Shadows
24/25 June 2021
Introductory presentation on 
23rd June

WAITING LIST ONLY
PLEASE NOTE

I shall be assessing further courses as we move on through the year, but will give you ample warning if further changes need to be made. All future tutors are currently hoping to run their courses face to face. Thank you for your continued support and patience with this.

Click HERE to book on any of these courses.
RUTH KIRKBY
15 September 2021
'Flowers made Easy'
£70 for the day

Ruth has kindly reconsidered what she can offer this Autumn so her previously advertised course will now no longer run, but this wonderful day of painting flowers in water colours cannot go amiss.

Ruth Kirkby trained as a botanical artist, but has spent the last few years trying to make flower painting easier - trying to imply detail without painting every single sepal, stigma and stamen.  In this one day workshop she will share some of the best ideas she has learnt along the way. Using watercolour, she will demonstrate techniques, then give tips on composition, so that by the end of the day participants will go away with some great flower paintings!

Here is a LINK to her website where you can research her work further and here is a LINK to connect directly to her course booking form.




POLLY POLLOCK
1/2/3 October 2021
'A Group of Similar Things'
£220 for 3 days (includes materials)

I am thrilled that Polly has agreed to come to Moor Hall. She had hoped to come last year, but that wasn't to be. This will be a slightly different approach to the normal run of courses but one with strong links to the world of textiles. Polly is a recently new member to the Textile Study Group and further evidence of her background and work can be found on her WEBSITE

This workshop will look at 'Coiling', a unique basketry technique that's stitched not woven. It can be used for making anything from beautifully simple basketry forms through to free-form experimental structures - there are very few rules, just some basic techniques.

Many materials can be used and very little equipment is needed for exploring materials, textures, colour, pattern, form, surface; coiling can be worked on a scale of tiny to huge.

You'll be introduced to the basics:  ways of starting, stitches which produce different textures, creating form, and approaches to finishing.   You'll make a few samples to get a feel for material(s) you like working with, moving on to making a collection of exploratory samples or small baskets which relate to each other to form a group, or cluster, of objects.
Coiling is a slow technique, so possibly you might not complete your work, but you will go away with enough materials and knowledge and ideas of how to finish it.

You can book HERE


FINALLY it just remains for me to wish you a creative month and stay well and safe wherever you are.
Bobby