Ann Swan Colored Pencil Workshop

My travels to England!

I arrived in London on Friday, April 6th and then hopped on a train for an hour to Dedham, England.  To give you some history, Colchester near Dedham is the oldest recorded town in England, it was such a magical little town, located in the South East part of England not far from the English Channel. 

The workshop and accommodations were held in Dedham Hall which is a 15th century Manor House with a wonderful restaurant called The Fountain House.  The proprietors, Jim and Wendy were amazing.  Jim picked me up from the train station and got me settled before dinner.  Wendy amongst other things is an amazing chef.  All the meals were works of art and utterly delicious, I ate very well when I was there.

Saturday before meeting with the rest of the students I ventured off on one of my walks and discovered the foot paths that cover all of England.  You can literally walk across England on these paths meandering over green countrysides, thru farms and villages of England.  I had a fun time taking pictures of some of the amazing Doors of Dedham.

I was lucky enough to spend a week with one of the best Botanical Illustrators in the world,  Ann Swan.  She is not only an amazing artist but a wonderful person, I am so fortunate to have been able to attend this workshop.  Traveling all the way to England from California, I didn't know what to expect.  But, from the moment we all met at the workshop, it was like spending a week with my best friends.  All the students from beginners to advanced were so friendly and willing to share their knowledge.  I have never felt so comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings half way across the world.

Thank you ladies! 

Every morning, there was four of who loved to walk.  So, at 7:00am we all took off on the footpaths of Dedham for an hour or so.  Luckily, they all knew where to go and we always made it back in time for breakfast.

Thank you Jill, Sandra & Helen for including me in your walks!

Some days we would walk on footpaths that were clearly marked, other days the footpaths were thru a heard of cows but always, the paths we took were so beautiful.

Flatford Mill, Dedham Valle where the famous John Constable painted may of his famous paintings in the early 1800's

I spent all week working on one picture of Hellebore, Christmas Rose. I'm still not finished with it, but will working on it in the next couple of weeks.

Check back for the finished product.

Botanical Artist Ann Swan & aspiring artist Lori Vreeke

Thank you Ann for a wonderful time.  Look forward to many more workshops with you :)

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