We had a wonderful week in Olhao - my 2nd week leading the holiday though I had done a recce in May 25. The weather was amazing - no storms to dodge, and perfect evenings for dining outside - we even had drinks in a rooftop bar with a panoramic view of the town. We had ferry trips to 2 islands - Culatra and Armona - with a lovely fish lunch and plenty of colourful sketching opportunities. We took the train to Tavira and had a few blissful hours sketching in the shade, both in the park and the castle, then some time sketching the roman bridge while a waiter brought us cold drinks. There was time in the studio to consolidate and create some watercolour paintings, and to go through a few techniques and ideas. The group got on very well and by the end of the week we were all firm friends. On the last evening we had a look at everyone's work, accompanied by a glass of fizz to celebrate a great week. The hotel was lovely as always - exclusively for our group, with very welcoming and helpful staff. And Olhao itself - the more I go the more I like it, such a beautiful old town with an authentic feel, the restaurants full of local people and great finds like the icecream shop which makes many unusual flavours. We're back again next June - maybe you could join us?
In November I'll be teaching watercolours on a month-long cruise to the Mediterranean and the Adriatic on Ambience - a great chance to escape our grey skies and explore this beautiful area. As I've never been to Croatia it will be a great adventure! There will be plenty of sea days to explore different techniques and colours, it will give everyone a chance to create some wonderful memories of the cruise I was given a last minute booking for this cruise to the Canaries and Madeira in February '26 - I was skiing in Austria when I received confirmation from the agent and I had 4 days to turn around when I got home. A bit frantic but it was worth it. Luckily it was an itinerary I had done before so I had the teaching materials, it was just a case of getting it all together! We set off from Tilbury on February 4, a rough passage across the Bay of Biscay but thank goodness the Stugeron worked. I got to know the lovely people in my class (most of whom came to every class, sometimes twice a day!) and began with a gentle introduction to techniques. Before long they were all really into it and creating some beautiful paintings. Through the sea days we explored colour theory and rescue remedies as well as landscapes of the Canaries and Madeira - by the end of the trip there was a fabulous exhibition of all the work they had done. Well done everyone, thanks for being so enthusiastic and hard working! I had some lovely comments at the end, with one person saying it was the highlight of their cruise. It's so rewarding!
What a wonderful week we had in Olhao, a gem of a town in the Parque Naturelle de Ria Formosa! Only 30 minutes from Faro airport but a world away from the golf courses of the Algarve. It's a major fishing port supplying the whole of Portugal, with a large market and a beautiful old town. We took ferries to the islands, walked to the Tide Mill in the nature reserve and took the train to Tavira - considered the Pearl of the Algarve, with its castle, old town and roman bridge. We were wonderfully looked after by the staff of the Casa Rosa hotel and spent some time painting in the studio there. Added to all that we had some amazing meals, good wine and lots of fun! 
I'll be exhibiting and demonstrating at this fun event on May 11, do come along if you can, it's a great day out with lots to see and take part in. A few weeks ago I took part in a new exhibition organised by Herts Visual Arts - I was exhibiting recent paintings - it was good to see them displayed and there were a lot of visitors as it was market day.  Here's a link to my youTube channel www.youtube.com/@helenhalliday383 I've been doing some video editing - a great activity for the winter weather! Quite a few teaching videos up there so have a look |
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