Being primarily a studio artist, I rarely find myself painting outdoors exposed to the elements and abrupt changes of weather. However last August I felt I should compromise because at stake was the rare opportunity to paint in the garden with the great artist Kathy Anderson who was visiting the United Kingdom. The other attraction, of course, was the fact that he workshop was taking place in Rosemary's garden (Rosemary of "Rosemary's Brushes") in Skipton, West Yorkshire, so I couldn't resist the temptation to take part.

It turned out such a great experience on every level: from meeting many new interesting people to learning new techniques. Kathy is a very experienced and encouraging instructor who always chooses the least invasive way of teaching, I learned a lot from her, mostly by just watching her paint which was amazing. We didn't spend all our time painting in Rosemary's garden, but were also taken to different locations to paint, and it's not that everything ran smoothly because we were indeed exposed to the elements and once there was a real downpour when we had to run and hide in the shelter abandoning all our gear in the garden and later finding out that ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING got soaked through but it was a minor drawback compared to all the benefits. I enjoyed my time in the friendly Skipton, the kindness and care of our hosts and all the great conversations I had with other artists, as well as watching them paint in their own unique ways. Great experience!