Atelier Montmiral - painting and printmaking courses in South West France

Atelier Montmiral is a small, independent art school set in a magnificent location in South West France. Situated in the medieval bastide of Castelnau de Montmiral, the school offers a great breadth of facilities for drawing, painting and printmaking. We accommodate a wide level of ability, from the complete beginner wishing to learn about the creative process, to those who want to refresh their knowledge, through to more experienced artists who might choose to work more independently. The emphasis of all our courses is for students to be able to broaden their creative skills through learning and developing their approach and exploring the variety of techniques and materials the Atelier has on offer. Whatever your area of interest might be - landscape, townscape, still life, figure or abstract - Atelier Montmiral focuses on the individual and offers a personalized program for all levels of ability in drawing, painting and/or printmaking.

Courses 2012

22-29 May - Seven days
12 - 19 June - seven day
8 - 15 July - seven days
29 July - 8 August ten days
2 - 9 Sept - seven days
23 - 30 Sept - seven days
7 - 14 Oct - seven days

Mick and Bunny Newth are both practicing artists who have exhibited widely in the UK, and have undertaken many public commissions both in the UK and abroad. They are both fully qualified tutors, and have over 30 years of professional teaching experience within Secondary, Further and Higher Education. Mick is a printmaker, and Bunny is a painter. Together they offer a broad provision of creative approaches within a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Your art holiday includes: * French style breakfast with fruit and yogurt every day * Light lunch with fresh fruit * Three-course evening meal with wine for five evenings (7 day course) * A spacious twin bedroom either in the school or gite * Use of sitting/ study room with a well stocked library of art books * Tea and coffee-making facilities and a fridge for cold drinks (in the atelier): kitchen facilities (in the gite) * Art tuition from 10am – 5pm (except afternoons free) * Use of studio and equipment* * Transport to and from Toulouse airport within specified times * Location visits

Originally the ‘Ancienne École' of Castelnau, the atelier occupies a dominant position within the heart of the hilltop village. The rooms in the atelier are spacious and light with cool terracotta floors. They have great views of the surrounding countryside, but also overlook the pretty pantile roofs of the medieval village. There are also two gites very closeby in the village which are hugely popular for their medieval charm character. The original school courtyard looks out over the Foret de Gresigne, and is the perfect place for breakfast or a cool evening drink after a days work in the studio. The famous place des Arcades in the village is also very popular for group get togethers, coffees and of course the odd drink after work.

The medieval village of Castelnau de Montmiral is set high above the rolling hills and vineyards of the Tarn, and is renowned for being one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is ten minutes from the celebrated wine centre of Gaillac, and only forty minutes from the beautiful city of Toulouse . The village is enclosed by ramparts with spectacular views over Tuscan type valleys and the glorious Foret de Gresigne and have some of the most spectacular painting spots in the area of the Tarn. From sunrise to sunset there is a constantly changing light and landscape.

We are located in the Tarn area of South West France and are easy to get to with good communication by road, rail and air: * It is close to main motorway links to Paris and the rest of Europe * There are rail links from Gaillac to Toulouse and the TGV network * Toulouse Blagnac airport is only 45 minutes drive, and Rodez and Carcassonne are approximately 90 minutes.