Havana with Peter Brown NEAC

  Peter Brown is a member of the NEAC and in 2006 became the first Artist in Residence at the Savoy Hotel, London.   In 2008 he won the Prince of Wales Award for Portrait Drawing. Popularly known as “Pete the Street” from his practice of working on location in all weathers, he has developed a vigorous en plein air style, and happily interacts with passers-by while at work.     He is best known for his detailed and atmospheric depictions of street scenes in Bath, London, Oxford, and India. He recently travelled with Ken Howard and Patrick Cullen to paint in India.  Publications include My Indian Travels and Brown’s Bath and Oil Sketches, APV DVD.  To find out more about Peter Brown     Peter has chosen Havana for its endless layers of colour and culture, it’s wonderfully diverse and dynamic street scenes, and the faded grandeur of its lavish Baroque architecture.  He wants to discover and paint the cities multi layers and so this holiday will be based all the time in the heart of Old Havana. Cuba’s time-warped allure, colourful African roots and relaxed Latin American atmosphere fuelled with rum, salsa and cigars that so inspired Hemmingway and Greene have not diminished. Added to this there is the fascination with the great revolutionaries; Che Guevara and Castro.  Old Havana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and much of it remains intact and unadulterated by modern skyscrapers or gentrification. There is something to inspire all painters – crumbling stone facades, peeling paint, rusting filigree work and washing draped over balconies, the old port and fortresses, statues, Plaza de la Revolucion with its evocative mural of Che Guevara, Plaza de Armas with its glorious baroque architecture, as well as everyday street scenes with horse-drawn carts, pastel-coloured vintage cars, old men sitting in doorways smoking cigars and woman wearing multi-coloured dresses.   Every day will be spent painting in old Havana. The hotel is in old Havana so you can paint from dawn to dusk without a set timetable or the need for transport. A local guide will be with you for the first few days to help you locate the best painting locations. Peter will be giving plenty of encouragement and you will gain much from working alongside him. Peter will be working in charcoal, oil and pastels.  The informal style of this holiday will not include tuition, demonstrations or critiques and so is most suitable for painters with some experience.

Number of students: 8 – 12 Price per person: £3,995.00 Single room : £ 385.00 Inclusive price: direct flights, 14 nights luxury hotel, all dinners, guest artist, travel escort and local guide. Synopsis 24 February  Fly from London Gatwick to Havana.  Transfer to the Hotel Santa Isabella, a beautiful old colonial hotel. Formerly the Palacio de Santovenia, the hotel has 27 very comfortable ensuite rooms, a restaurant and a central courtyard with a fountain.  The hotel has one of the best locations in Old Havana on the Plaza de Armas.   Dinner in the hotel and welcome introduction by Peter Brown.  25 – 28 February  A local guide will be with each morning to help you find the best square and streets within walking distance of the hotel. The streets of Old Havana, declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1982, are diverse and dynamic. There are crumbling Hispanic mansions, abandoned convents, simple Cuban houses, old forts, grand Baroque churches, large piazzas, hidden courtyards, local markets, cigar factories and working docks.  Spend each day painting alongside Peter Brown or other members of the party.  Lunch not included.  Dinners in the hotel or local restaurants. 1 – 9 March  Nine full days to capture the endless layers of colour. Dinners in the hotel or local restaurants. 10 March   Final morning painting in your favourite location in Old Havana.    Closing talk by Peter Brown. Depart Havana 11 March  Arrive London Gatwick. This holiday is offered in association with the The Artist magazine for whom we have been organising overseas painting holidays since 1990 with renowned artists and professional tutors.