Weekly on Thursdays 10am to 5pm
THIS CLASS IN NOW FULL
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Judi Dench by Alessandro Raho Oil on canvas ©National Portrait Gallery London
Term 2: 12 January to 23 March 2017
Painting People – Ideas and Photography (Limited Places) – Please contact school if you are joining after the start date for a prorated calculation of the fee you will be paying.
Term 3: 27 April to 6 July 2017
Portraits: A moment in time – the power of storytelling through paint. (Limited Places)
This course aims to explore the elements of Portrait painting and drawing in both systematic and creative ways.
Andy Murray by Rosemary Beaton
Taught by brilliant artists, namely Sandy Moffat OBE RSA, Alison Harper, David Caldwell, BP National Portrait winner Rosemary Beaton, BP National Portrait winner Allan Ramsay and visiting tutor Alessandro Raho. All are established and prize winning portrait painters who have exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and/or the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Three of the five tutors have their work permanently in the National Portrait collections. The course will include a slideshow and talk by each tutor on their portraiture work, their ideas and the methods they use.
COURSE IN DETAIL:
This course is suitable for all levels if in doubt please get in touch by phone or email admin@theesop.com . You can also send images to help us advise you on which course to choose. For course timetable and in-depth details click here
The end of the academic year in July 2017 will culminate in an exhibition of student work.
“..technique can set you free, imagination will let you fly…” Alison Harper – Artistic Director The Essential School of Painting – 2016
THE TUTORS
Sandy Moffat OBE RSA:
Timothy Hyman RA by Alexander Moffat
Sandy Moffat is a painter, author, philosopher, teacher and master of the drawing of the fine arts. A Royal Scottish Academician RSA and an OBE, Sandy’s works can be viewed in numerous galleries and public spaces including The National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Arts Council of Great Britain and in The Yale Centre of British Art. Former Head of Painting and Printmaking at the Glasgow School of Art Sandy Moffat is highly credited with encouraging and steering the resurgence of figurative painting at The GSA…read more…
Rosemary Beaton:
Alan Sinclair by Rosemary Beaton
Rosemary Beaton studied at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art graduating with a 1st Class BA Honours degree in 1985. In 1984 at the age of only 20 Rosemary became the first Scot and the youngest person to win the prestigious (John Player) National Portrait Award )now known as the BP Portrait Award). As part of this award Rosemary was commissioned to paint a portrait of Sir Robin Day OBE for The National Portrait Gallery in London…read more…
Alessandro Raho:
Alessandro Raho was born in the Bahamas, he settled in London and attended Croydon College and Goldsmiths graduating in 1994, in 1995 he exhibited Brilliant at the Walker Art Center Minneapolis in the Young British Artist showcase, in 1996 he was hailed as one of Britain’s great promises and he hasn’t looked back since. He has participated in many shows since then including Unseen Landscape in 2002, his critically acclaimed exhibition at Cheim and Read Gallery on New York in 2003 and 2004 being commissioned by National Portrait Gallery to paint the now renowned portrait of Dame Judi Dench, a portrait that presents her as a wealthy urban housewife. Recently in 2014 he was shortlisted for the John Moore Painting Prize.
David Caldwell:
John Amabile by David Caldwell
David Caldwell was born in Helensburgh in the West of Scotland in 1977. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Drawing School. He has won several awards and residencies for painting including the prestigious Bulldog Bursary from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and The Founder’s Purchase Prize at the ING Discerning Eye (adjudged by the late Brian Sewell). He recently displayed 77 small portraits at the BP Portrait Awards at the National Portrait Gallery…read more…
Alison Harper:
Bhupen Khakhar by Alison Harper
Alison Harper Alison is the Founder and Artistic Director of TheESOP. She studied at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art and as one of “The Glasgow Girls” was part of the resurgence in figurative painting which emerged at that time. Alison has exhibited in the BP Portrait Award and has won several prizes for her portraits including third prize for her drawing of Bhupen Khakhar from life, in the prestigious Cheltenham Drawing Prize (now known as the Jerwood Drawing prize)…read more…