The Poetry Of Place | A Journey Of Intuitive Landscape Painting, August 6th-9th, 2026

Capture nature's essence through intuitive painting techniques in this inspiring workshop designed for artists of all skill levels, including complete beginners and those new to oil painting. Led by acclaimed artist Elaine Speirs, you'll explore the stunning beauty surrounding Hunter Moon Homestead, while building confidence in your creative voice. Beginning with initial sketches and quick captures using watercolor, acrylic, and pencil, you'll learn through gentle, step-by-step demonstrations how to plan compelling compositions using foreground, middle ground, and distance. We'll explore color mixing fundamentals, working from base colors to complementary palettes that reflect the rich, seasonal hues of our natural setting. These exploratory studies will build your foundation before transitioning to oil paints for two larger-scale works on matte board. Elaine's supportive teaching approach makes oil painting accessible to newcomers, while offering fresh insights for those with a more practiced hand. Her expertise in capturing fleeting moments and intimate connections with place will guide you in discovering your own poetic interpretation of the landscape. Whether you've never held a brush or are looking to explore new mediums, this workshop offers a nurturing environment to experiment, learn, and create beautiful finished paintings that celebrate both technique and personal expression. Gain confidence using a variety of painting medium Translate your quick sketches and studies into larger scale works Explore colour mixing fundamentals Discover the play of using your brush as a drawing tool Capture the fleeting moments of nature's changing palette NEW CLASS TECHNIQUES WE’LL EXPLORE Quick studies using watercolour, acrylic and pencil to build up our confidence to create interesting compositions Step by step demonstrations showing how to plan our compositions using foreground, middle ground and distance Colour mixing from base colour to complimentary colours to create depth and the beautiful colours surrounding Hunter Moon Homestead Use our studies to create larger scale paintings on matte board WHAT IS INCLUDED 2 day guided instruction in the Bee House Studio, with free time to explore and be inspired in nature. Most required class materials will be provided. An additional materials list will be sent prior to class. Gourmet farm-to-table meals throughout your stay, using seasonal, organic produce grown on site. Rustic luxury accommodations for 3 nights. A welcome cocktail party Evening camp fires. WORKSHOP SCHEDULE Thursday Check-in starts at 12pm. Join us for a welcome cocktail party! Heavy apps and cocktails will be served. Friday Breakfast and coffee in the Bee House Studio Sketches and studies in the studio and on the grounds Picnic lunch Colour studies and continued sketching Break for relaxation Farm to table dinner served in the garden gazebo Saturday Breakfast and coffee in the Bee House Studio Translate your sketches into larger scale works Picnic lunch Continued painting sessions outdoors or in the studio Break for relaxation Farm to table dinner served in the garden gazebo Sunday Farewell brunch served in the Main House THE ARTIST Elaine Speirs @elainespeirsesme Elaine Speirs was born in Johannesburg 1967 and moved to Scotland as a child. Her childhood experiences in and between these two places spurred an interest in the themes of fragility, contradiction and reinvention that recur throughout her work. Speirs explores the stark contrast she observes between the rich contours of female personhood and the depersonalised portraits of women that appear in the public sphere. Referencing a variety of imagery - ranging from nineteenth century literature to contemporary photography and film - the work reclaims the fleeting moments of humanity Speirs glimpse in these images, establishing a tentative connection between the distant and the intimate, between the universal and the personal. Speirs attended Edinburgh College of Art between 1989 and 1993, and completed her MA at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1995. She lives and works in Edinburgh with her three daughters. A regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Scotland, Mall Galleries in London and represented by the Andgallery in Edinburgh. Her awards include, Caron Keating Memorial Award, John Purcell Drawing Award. She was shortlisted for the National Open Art Competition, The Threadneedle Prize, W Gordon Smith Award and selected for the BP Portrait Award. In 2021 she was elected as Professional Member for Visual Arts Scotland. Her works are included in private collections worldwide.