Staithes group revisited

Local seamen spoke of sailing up the Amazon or negotiating the Bay of Biscay, and houses in Staithes might be furnished with smatterings of Chinese silk or even be inhabited by a Portuguese sailor's wife.

The village had been home to the "Turner of the North" George Weatherill, and towards the end of the 19th century, when the railway opened up this dramatic coastline, the village became a magnet for both adventurous tourists and a number of other artists known as the Staithes Group. Also called the Northern Impressionists, they were part of the wider "plein air" movement, which set up artistic colonies in France in the Forest of Fontainebleau and Brittany and dedicated themselves to outdoor painting.

Among the artists who regularly came to Staithes to paint, or even lived there for long spells, were Dame Laura Knight, Frederick Jackson and Charles Mackie. They mounted their first exhibition in 1901. The brother and sisterhood was dispersed by the First World War, by which time Staithes's artistic credentials were firmly established. The village has continued to draw artists of all kinds, with Lilian Colbourn, Eric Taylor and Fred Williams taking up residence. Today, there is an artistic community flourishing in Staithes, with some like Rob Shaw living locally or regularly visiting holiday cottages there.

Al and David Milnes from York opened the Staithes Gallery in an elegant building on the High Street a few years ago, providing a focal point for the work of artists inspired by the village and its surrounding area. More recently, Staithes Art School was founded, with renowned artists like David Curtis and Robert Brindley tutoring on residential

weekend courses.

These are organised over three days with accommodation in rooms above the gallery or in cottages nearby, breakfast is provided, as is a delicious three-course dinner each evening. The art course is

not only a great mini-holiday in a place where time has to a large extent stood still, but is also a great way to push

your technique and your artistic ambitions a stage further with the help of a master craftsman.

I was the last to arrive on a blustery Thursday evening, rather apprehensive that one year of night school classes had not equipped me with enough basic knowledge to build on. My nerves were calmed somewhat by the time we'd got to a third glass of wine and pudding. Yes, the dozen other people in the group did appear to have been doing art as a hobby for many more years than me, but there was no hint of oneupmanship.

Everyone had different artistic interests, all were up for squeezing as much juice as possible out of the weekend, and no one seemed to see it as a competitive exercise. Phew. All were deeply thrilled to have secured a place on a course led by David Curtis, one of Britain's foremost marine artists.

The pattern of our three days began to emerge the next morning, as we all turned up with easels, bags, boxes and canvases. The rain pelted down, so we spent the morning in the spacious studio room above the gallery, first of all observing David's technique as he beautifully – and staggeringly quickly – captured in oils the scene of morning activity in the winding High Street viewed through the window.

His running commentary covered making first marks, capturing the major large shapes in a scene, measuring and perspective, the importance of shade and just enough highlight, and tiny tricks to capture the blur created by rain.

Still waiting for the clouds to pass, we set about either attempting our own version of what he had done or using one of the dozens of photographic references he had brought with him to practise some of his teachings.

By lunchtime we'd all more or less finished a painting, with David passing by regularly and stopping to discuss a point of technique or making helpful suggestions to correct mistakes. Oh, to have the assured deftness of his hand and eye. He consoled me that concentrated observation and sketching, sketching, sketching at any and every opportunity, are as important as talent.

My poor little sailing boats looked like they were starched then stuck in the water on a pole, but David showed how a couple of adjustments in the basic drawing would put them at the right angle. After finding our own lunch in pub or caf we reconvened under blue sky, free to find a spot outdoors. So many nooks and crannies to choose from, but the group basically stayed together, attempting different perspectives on the view towards cliff and sea.

Saturday dawned bright. One of the group had been on the cliff tops since first light, knocking out a couple of small canvases of views down over the village. We took up position, learning a great deal about watercolour washes and how to create depth of perspective, as we looked inland towards cottages built in different eras and at all heights and angles, with a distant backdrop of green hills. As the day wore on, tourists found us and it could have been unnerving, but luckily they stood at a polite distance. And anyway, everyone was too absorbed to notice. For me, the day was a massive revelation in how to load up the palette with the right building blocks to cover most eventualities. Knowing how to mix colours was so crucial but so difficult, and made the difference between a result that was nuanced and confident, and one that was "clunky" and primary school.

Before breaking up each day for a free time before a delicious dinner and easy conversation, we shared our work back at the studio and David gave a constructive but kindly critique.

Sunday brought more good weather, and we painted in smaller clumps in different spots, with David still leading the way in terms of a quickly-executed "how to" session focusing on a large moored boat. The light was ideal, the ripples in the water sublime, the breeze and seagulls providing a soundtrack to epic concentration and the odd easy, relaxed conversation.

The only shadow on a perfect day was the thought that it would all be over this afternoon, breaking the spell and enforcing a return to the real world. But, as a result of a weekend of top-notch tuition and good company, the real world seemed brighter and sharper, and I came away determined to improve my painting by first of all becoming more confident at drawing.

Comfortable accommodation is provided above Staithes Gallery and in cottages nearby in the village. Dinner with wine, prepared by award-winning chef Lisa Chapman is served each evening in the large private dining room above the gallery.

The cost including accommodation with breakfast, dinner and three full days' tuition is 350 per person. Non-painting partners also welcome.

Staithes Gallery open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays:

10am-5pm.

Staithes Art School, Staithes Gallery, High Street, Staithes, North Yorkshire, TS13 5BH. Tel 01947 841840, email: [email protected]