Past Events
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The Zorn Palette: painting without blue
Saturday 9th October
11.00am to 4.00pm
Face to face at;
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead SL6 4PP
The Zorn Palette: paint a still life or portrait in watercolour or acrylic. The Zorn palette is black, vermillion, yellow ochre and white. Painting without blue is both a challenge and a revelation of the subtle colours that can be achieved. You are invited to bring a couple of objects for still life or a portrait photo. Some objects for still life studies will be available.
Bring your own materials and equipment as outlined in the information sheet.
Tickets from the Box Office at www.nordenfarm.org or Tel. 01628 788997
Watercolour Landscapes: back to basics, learning from the masters
7th September to 19th October
Six Tuesdays: 12.30pm to 3.30pm
No session Tuesday 5th October
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead SL6 4PP
Each week exercising a basic technique will be followed by discovering how one of the great watercolourists used it to stunning effect. The artists for reference will include, Lorrain, Cotman, Girtin,and Turner. Please bring your own watercolours and equipment as indicated on the information sheet.
Tickets from the Box Office at www.nordenfarm.org or Tel. 01628 788997
Paint a Meadow in Watercolour and/or Pastel
Saturday 17th July
11.45 am to 3.45 pm
Online Workshop for Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
Inspired by Renoir’s landscapes we‘ll paint a flower meadow. Renoir painted several paintings that included meadows or gardens with meadow like plantings.
You may choose to work in watercolour alone or to make a watercolour underpainting before adding soft (chalk) pastel. A watercolour under-painting or coloured paper can make a great surface to develop a landscape further in pastel. Some photographic reference will be supplied ahead of the workshop or work from your own reference.
Ticket price £30 available from the Box Office at
Collage and Mixed Media
23rd June to 21st July
Collage and Mixed Media
An online course for Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
Five Wednesdays 11.30am to 3.00pm
This fun course will introduce you to pure collage techniques using only prepared and found papers, and also collage techniques where the collaged elements are worked over with other drawing and painting media to a greater or lesser extent. Abstract, landscape, still life and either portrait or surreal subjects will be explored.
Information on the materials you will need are on the Norden Farm website or contact Jo
Tickets are available from Norden Farm Box Office at
www.nordenfarm.org
Colour and Pattern in Still Life: acrylic with optional collage elements
Saturday 12th June
11.45am to 3.45pm
Online for Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
In this workshop we will be inspired by the colourful still lives of Bernard Cathelin and Sue Fitzgerald, painting in acrylic and perhaps adding a collage element. Fitzgerald’s work reflects her travels round the world and you are very welcome to include collected objects in your painting. To view Cathelin and Fitzgerald’s work either Google their names or visit Jo’s still Life Pinterest Board at
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jhall1282/still-life/
Ticket price £30: available from the Box Office at
Butterflies and Odilon Redon
Saturday 15th May
11.45am to 3.45pm
An online workshop for Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
Odilon Redon is best known for his imaginative symbolist paintings but he also developed a keen interest in natural forms and life revealed by the microscope encouraged by his friend the Botanist Armand Clavaud. Butterflies were included in several mythological paintings and also fluttering amongst his vases of flowers. However his singular imagination led to the creation of works including fictional flowers and butterflies as well as those we would recognise.
Inspired by Redon we will create paintings including butterflies which we may treat loosely or in a more detailed way using watercolour, pencil and/or pastel. A mixed media approach is totally in keeping with the artist’s later works. To find some relevant reference look out for butterfly illustrations and for Redon simply Google “Redon butterflies” or go to Jo’s Pinterest board;
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jhall1282/butterflies-in-art/
For tickets and materials information visit the Norden Farm Box Office at
Into the Garden: Watercolour and coloured pencil
Wednesdays 12th May to 16th June
No session 2nd June
11.30am to 3.00pm
An online course for Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
This course explores painting and drawing five different gardens; an exotic garden with aloes and cacti; a formal garden; a garden with a gazebo or summer-house; an allotment or cottage garden and a garden with a water feature (fountain, pond or lake).
Using watercolour as the main medium we will experiment with with using coloured pencil for adding texture and additional drawing elements.You will need watercolours and a handful of any coloured pencils. This course will explore some coloured pencil techniques.
Some photo reference will be sent in advance of each session but you are welcome to use your own.
Tickets are available from the Norden Farm Box Office at
Starting with Pastel
Wednesdays 14th April to 5th May
11.30am to 3.00pm
A short course of four sessions to be held online for Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead, SL6 4PF
This will be suitable for anyone starting with pastel or wanting to refresh their practice of basic techniques for soft (chalk) pastel. The variety of soft pastels and surfaces suitable for pastels will be explained. We will explore mark making, overlaying, hatching, blending, dry wash, broken colour and also the use of light, mid-toned and dark papers, fixative sprays and storage of works.
Tickets available from the Box Office at www.nordenfarm.org
Watery Reflections: a watercolour workshop
Saturday 13th March
Carpets, Kasbahs, Domes and Desert: POSTPONED
Thursday 5th March
Sadly this event has been postponed due to Covid restrictions
10:00 – 4:00
At Micklems Farm, Knowl Hill RG10 9YD
Jo’s watercolour workshop explores the colours of Morocco that left a lasting impression on her. We will reference the works of Paul Klee, and August Macke, derived from their famous journey to Tunisia with Louis Moilliet in 1914, simplifying shapes, and experimenting with loose grids of colour.
Please bring your own watercolours, brushes and paper, a sketchbook for working out ideas and if you would like to bring your own, a reference from North Africa.
Book your place at:
Buildings in the Landscape; course
24th February to 31st March
Structures in the landscape often owe their existence to the land they are built on, whether to protect the terrain, to farm it or simply occupy it. In the same way it is good to consider the contours of the landscape before embarking on a painting inspired by man-made structures. Over six weeks we will draw and paint some of the following; a bridge, viaduct, stone wall or cairn, a derelict or deserted house, a castle, mine buildings, or fishing hut or barn. This course will include drawing, mark making and painting.
Suitable materials would be any drawing media (ink, charcoal, graphite) and for painting, watercolour or pastel. For texture have some candle wax or a couple of wax crayons or oil pastels to hand for use as a resist with wet media.
Please book your place at www.nordenfarm.org
or by phone Tel. 01628 788997
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead SL6 4PF
Imagine like Chagall
12th December
11.30am to 3.30pm
at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead, SL6 4PF
Reference the works of Chagall to make a dream like fantasy in watercolour and/or pastel, inspired by memories of a familiar place or event, or choose to make your own version of a Chagall painting. Please bring your own materials: sketch book to work out ideas, pastels and/or watercolours, watercolour paper and/or pastel paper. An information list will be available.
Book your place at the Norden farm box Office: Tel. 01628 788997 or online at
Paint a Topiary Garden in Watercolour
Saturday 14th November
11.30am to 3.30pm
at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead, SL6 4PF
Topiary gardens are often a wonderful mix of organic and geometric forms, providing a great opportunity to depict forms tonally and also for mixing green hues. In addition to watercolour we may add texture with a few coloured pencils, ink or oil pastel. Please bring your own materials and reference of a garden you would like to paint. An information list will be available from Norden Farm.
Book your place at the Norden Farm Box Office: Tel. 01628 788997 or online at
Six Artists: very different Flowers
4th November to 9th December
Wednesdays 11.30am to 3.00pm
at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Maidenhead
This six week course in watercolour and/or pastel explores floral works by a very different artist each week and you are invited to create your own version of one of their works or your own composition, but in the spirit of the artist. Live flowers or photographic reference will be available. The chosen artists are; Manet, Odile Redon, Van Gogh, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Emil Nolde, and Georgia O’Keefe
Please bring your own materials; information sheet available from Norden Farm.
Places may be booked at the Norden Farm Box Office: Tel. 01628 788997 or online at
The Power of Colour
Wednesdays 16th September to 21st October
11.30 am to 3.00pm
A six week course to be held at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Maidenhead, SL6 4PF
Working in watercolour and/or pastel we explore the impact of colour and a little about colour interactions. Starting with red we will build compositions with red as the main player, finding the properties of the red pigments you have in your paint box and working only with reds, black and white perhaps with hints of orange and purple. The following week we will explore red with its complementary colour green. By working in the same way with yellow and blue pigments you will gain a better understanding of the colours you have and how tiny accents of certain colours or small areas of very contrasting tones can punch way above their size in a composition.
Reference to include works by: Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, Josef Albers, Bernard Cathelin, Patrick Heron
Please bring your own materials; information sheet available from Norden Farm.
Please book at the Box Office: Tel. 01628 788997 or online at
CAMAT Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September
The Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail is now in its 7th year and provides a unique opportunity for the public to meet artists in their studios and exhibition spaces. For information on all the local artists taking part, map and the group show at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts go to
All artist venues will be open 10.00 am till 5.00pm except Norden Farm. Opening times for the group exhibition can be found at
On the trail you will find painters, sculptors and artists working in glass, ceramics, textiles and jewellery.
CAMAT Group Exhibition at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
9th to 19th September
The Artists of this year’s Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail will be showcasing their work at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in a group exhibition. Jo is proud to be taking part in this show alongside some of Maidenhead and Cookham’s most talented artists. For gallery opening times please visit
For the arts trail information visit
Castle and Countryside 2020 A Painting Holiday in Italy
Wednesday 13th May to Wednesday 20th May
Jo is again visiting Emilia Romagna to tutor a painting holiday.
Bring your watercolours and sketching materials to paint and draw in the beautiful countryside in and around the picturesque town of Bardi with its medieval fortress on a spur of red jasper towering over the Ceno Valley. In May the Casa Bezzia studio at Pietracervara opens out on to a meadow of wild flowers overlooking the River Ceno, with a backdrop of the Parma Apennines. Our itinerary will include Bardi’s colourful market day and castle, delightful river locations, and a cheese factory in this area renowned for Parma cheese and ham. There will be plenty of time to draw and paint both in the vicinity immediate to the studio and at each location we visit.
Price £950.00 includes tuition, accommodation, meals, excursions and airport transfers. For information on accommodation visit www.bbpietracervara.it The holiday will soon be published on the Casa Bezzia site www.casabezzia.com from where you can contact Sylvia Bell for more details about the venue.
Do contact Jo at E-mail: johall@mhstudios.co.uk with expressions of interest and/or enquiries about tuition and materials.
Paint a Decorative Cup and Saucer in Watercolour
Saturday 4th April
Workshop 10.00am to 3.00pm at
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Maidenhead, Altwood Road SL6 4PF
Make a watercolour painting of your favorite decorative cup and saucer, and finish the painting with imitation gold watercolour. Decorative cups and saucers will also be supplied for the workshop. Please bring your own materials and equipment.
For booking and detailed information on materials please visit:
www.nordenfarm.org or Tel.01628 788997
Watercolour Mediums
Saturday 7th March
Workshop 10.00am to 3.00pm at
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Maidenhead, Altwood Road SL6 4PF
Create a still life or waterfall painting using watercolour with Aqua Shine (pearlescent effects)and/or Aqua Modelling Paste (textural effects). These mediums will be supplied by the tutor at a small cost. Please bring two small lidded jars (individual jam pots ideal) and watercolour paints and equipment.
For booking and detailed information on materials please visit
www.nordenfarm.org or Tel.01628 788997
Contact Jo by e-mail: johall@mhstudios.co.uk for more details of any of these events.