Drawing & Painting Birds and Landscape in Orkney

Two consecutive days, EITHER Thursday 29^th and Friday 30^th June, OR Monday 3^rd and Tuesday 4^th July.  Participants can join us for one day only if required.

Visitors and locals often remark on the quality of light in the North Isles.  The wonderful landscapes have inspired artists throughout the ages.  Why not book a day or two sketching and painting the wildlife and landscapes of Orkney with Tim Wootton (SWLA) www.tim-wootton.blogspot.com.  You will receive friendly and encouraging personal tuition for artists of any (or no) experience. 
A full day with tuition – £125 per person / Maximum of 5 people (packed lunch included)

Day 1 – The Uninhabited Isle; Birds, Flowers, Landscape and Silence.
Spend a day on one of Orkney’s remotest islands in a small, informal group sketching and painting the wildlife around us. 
Expect to see wonderful birds such as puffins, guillemots and razorbills; skuas and gulls – learn a little of their anatomy and how this information can be used to draw them.
The day includes small boat travel and an additional cost of £20-£30 depending on location.

Day 2 – Moorlands and Tidelines; A day of Two Halves.
This day will be split into two sessions; sketching the upland birds; arctic skuas, curlews and short-eared owls (hopefully).  This can be tailored to suit depending on the participants, from a brisk coastal walk to a gentle upland stroll; either will get us close (enough) to where the birds are.
We will then head for the beach!  Waders and gulls all congregate on rocky and sandy weed-strewn beaches to feed, preen and stretch, bathe and doze.  And we will be there to watch and sketch them.
Travel around the county and a packed lunch is included.

Contact: tim.wootton@tiscali.co.uk           01856 851470 (daytime)
                                                                        01856 751454 (evening/weekend)
                                                                        07812 483123 (mobile)

Dale Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast - Up and Running!

Finally - Sally and I have finished the renovations to the house and open for business next week (2nd April).  Bookings have already started coming in so it looks like a busy time ahead for both of us.  
We will also be running Art Courses and Wildlife Watching Tours from the house, although it isn't essential to be staying with us to take advantage of these excursions - details below;

Drawing & Painting Orkney

Visitors and locals often remark on the quality of light in the North Isles.  The wonderful vistas and seascapes have inspired artists throughout the ages.  Why not book a day or two sketching and painting the wildlife and landscapes of Orkney with me.  You will receive friendly and encouraging personal tuition for artists of any (or no) experience.

Choose from:

Plein-air Landscape Painting and Sketching or Drawing Birds – or book for an extended visit and incorporate both.A full day with tuition – £125 per personThree days with tuition – £300 per personFive days with tuition – £450 per person

Wildlife ToursA typical day would include a moorland walk for hen harriers and short-eared owls, possibly merlin.  We will certainly see curlews and common gulls and also the iconic Arctic skua and Bonxie (Great skua).  Meadow pipits, skylarks and stonechats may also be encountered.

We have some fabulous seabird colonies around the coast with guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and gannets breeding and puffins and tysties (black guillemots) are easy to see.Add a supporting cast of red-throated divers, eiders, wheatears, grey and common seals, porpoises, dolphins and even orcas – there’s plenty to see!

Tours can be structured to suit the individual; half-day trips start at £50 per person (max of 6 people), full-day tours £90 per person and extended excursions taking in wildlife and archaeological and historical sites are also available.

All excursions include transport around Mainland Orkney and packed lunch (maximum of 6 people).

Accommodation
Of course we would love to have you stay with us at Dale Farmhouse.  We offer a private suite with large double bedroom, sitting room with uninterrupted views over Eynhallow Sound and Evie beach and private bathroom.  The sitting room is equipped with tv, DVD player and a selection of reading material, plus a high quality bed-settee which can provide extra sleeping accommodation.
Please visit our website for further details:  www.dale-farmhouse.co.uk

2016 into 2017

Recent work has been a reflection on the early winter in Orkney - from the much anticipated arrival of the waxwings from Scandinavia tot he weather-whipped landscapes of the isles.