PAINT SAFARI / March
Here in the region of Los Vélez we live in a painter’s landscape. The naturally occurring forms and rhythms, pigmented earth and clear blue skies are already imbued with the rich gestural qualities of abstract modernism. The landscape invokes memories of the paintings by David Bomberg, Ivon Hitchens, Paul Nash and Georgia O’Keeffe.
And there is a drama in this space, as the sun’s shadow cuts the mountains, the tangible sense of wilderness, the sense of history, the feeling of awe, all inspire emotive responses to the landscape redolent of so many artists before us. Caspar David Friedrich, John Sel Cotman, J.M.W Turner and John Robert Cozens.
Cortijada Los Gázquez is offering the opportunity to be a painter’s pathfinder. Your guide, artist Simon Beckmann, with his intimate knowledge and love of this landscape, will take you to the special places here, places inaccessible by conventional means and unknown by any other. This is a unique opportunity to understand the sights before your eyes and to have the space and time to paint and draw them.
For although we are accustomed to separate nature and human perception into two realms, they are in fact, indivisible. Before it can ever be a repose for the senses, landscape is the work of the mind. It’s scenery is built up as much from strata of memory as from layers of rock.
Simon Schama ‘Landscape and Memory’
This is a creative and cultural holiday that will leave your senses stretched and fulfilled and your artwork scaling new heights.
In the morning you will be taken by Land Rover to one of the numerous, fabulous and virtually unknown locations to spend the day painting. As you ’set up’ for the morning’s work one of our team erects the awning above the table and chairs, and prepares a delicious lunch. Afterwards you can return, uninterrupted, to your art work. Advice and tuition is at hand should you wish, otherwise you will have the time and space to explore your own creative endeavor.
Early evening will see you returning to Cortijada Los Gázquez with your days work. Here you will have the opportunity to rest, freshen up, and enjoy an evening meal amongst our small community of professional artists responding to this environment in similar ways as part of Los Gázquez’s Joya residency. Evenings are convivial and stimulating and represent an equal part in your personal growth as a landscape artist.
Paint Safari is a unique creative break and numbers are limited to a maximum of three at any one time. The price is all inclusive, with collection from the airport and carriage to Cortijada Los Gázquez eco-guest house. Here there are cool and comfortable bedrooms with attached bathrooms, an art library and large sitting room linked to a walled garden as well as fifty acres of almond orchards at your disposal.
The kitchen at Cortijada Los Gázquez creates meals from locally produced food. It’s style is simple and hearty, it’s origins migrate from India, across North Africa, through the Mediterranean and settle in Andalucía.
In addition you can enjoy small and informal talks from our Joya: arte + ecología resident artists in the evenings and have access to their studio. They in turn will be happy to impart their knowledge and experience as artists, making, curating and exhibiting their work.
For more information contact Simon
