2 Day Drawing Retreat

Join expert professional artist and tutor Vicki Norman for 2 days of exclusive access to the incredibly beautiful house and grounds of Acton Scott Hall in rural Shropshire. Take advantage of a rare opportunity to visit and draw this unique and historic house, rich in fascinating architectural features with ornately carved wooden panelling in many of the rooms. Home to the Acton family since it was built, the Hall remains full of interesting objects and artifacts from its 400 year history – and we get the draw them all!

Fittingly, you'll gather around the log fire in the oak-panelled ‘Drawing Room’ for lessons and demonstrations to build your drawing skill and accuracy. Then you'll find quirky objects and characterful corners to sketch in a variety of dry media. You'll experiment with techniques and materials so that by the end of the course your sketchbook will be bulging with happy memories of time spent in a very special place.

Vicki Norman: "I’m truly honoured that Francis and Alison Acton have invited us to share their incredible home for this course, their generous warmth and hospitality make us feel like we’re visiting friends. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to develop your skills or a more experienced artist looking for an opportunity to practice in a fantastic location I’ll tailor my tuition to suit your level and Acton Scott Hall will offer inspiration for everyone!"

Your fee includes two days of exclusive access to the beautiful houuse and grounds, morning coffee and afternoon tea, and comprehensive tuition and support in drawing with a different theme and demonstration each day to inspire you. 

What you should bring:

• A packed lunch – please note there are no catering or retail facilities on site so you should bring whatever you would like to eat/drink for lunch.

• A good quality cartridge paper sketchbook, anywhere from A5 to A3 size is fine, minimum 120lb paper will allow you to make corrections and shade as you wish without buckling the paper. Pencils, charcoal, conte, graphite sticks or drawing pens will all be fine, just bring whatever material you would like to use for sketching. A pencil sharpener, eraser and a ruler may also be useful.

• Several layers of warm clothing and waterproof jacket and trousers – even if the weather is dry the waterproofs are great for keeping the wind out when you’re standing around outdoors!

• A folding stool or chair if you prefer to sit than to stand when sketching.