Art and Mixed Media Tutors

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Your Painting, Sketching and Mixed Media Tutors

Art and Craft Retreat Art and Mixed Paint Media Tutor Bios (more coming soon!)

Gemma Lane

Sketching + painting

Gemma Lane is the founder of Green Fox Workshops and a trained secondary school art teacher with over 15 years of experience. Since launching her business in 2016, Gemma has worked across the Bath, Bristol, and Somerset area in inspiring venues such as Bishops Palace in Wells, Tyntesfield National Trust in Bristol, Hestercombe House in Taunton, and the SS Great Britain.

Driven by a passion for making art accessible to all, Gemma teaches a wide range of materials—from pencil and pen to more challenging mediums like oil paint and clay. Her nurturing and calm teaching style focuses on step-by-step guidance with constant encouragement, helping students build confidence while enjoying the process. Many of her students return again and again, drawn not only to her teaching methods but also to the social interaction and community her classes foster.

Since 2022, Gemma has been supporting the home education community, tailoring sessions to spark curiosity and creativity in young learners. In collaboration with the Bristol Streams Hub, she helps students explore, experiment, and enjoy their artistic journey.

Green Fox Workshops now offers a diverse range of experiences, including online sessions, hen dos, children’s parties, one-to-one tuition, sketching tours, and gift vouchers—bringing creativity to people of all ages and skill levels.

Denise Allen

Watercolour + Acrylics

My work is divided into many creative areas. My first love is painting, so that is what I do. I really enjoy painting plein air. It is the only way to absorb the atmosphere of a location. There are challenges with changing light, and of course the weather. This was especially noticable when I took part in Sky Arts landscape artist of the year as a wildcard. If there is not time to create an entire painting outside, then some sketches will be enough to bring back to my studio and be worked into a full painting. Studio work allows for additional creativity and experiments. This is when I work on my deconstruction and reconstruction collages and acrylic pouring or mixed media.

As one half of The Travelling Brush Dippers I get to paint plein air, visit lovely places and spend time with my friend, Sharon Hurst. We travel, visit, paint and have a great laugh. To see what we get up to visit youtube.com/TheTravellingBrushDippers.

I am a member of The Artist Demo Days team. This is a group set up during lockdown to bring people together who had lost their access to art classes and groups. It has now evolved, and we are all good friends and run events and painting holidays together. For details see artistdemodays.co.uk

I have been demonstrating to Art societies and groups for many years. I am invited to a group and over the course of a couple of hours I will demonstrate a particular subject or style. Contact me if you would like more information. 

I also demonstrate on TV shopping channels for art materials suppliers, and at large shows such as the NEC.

I am based on the  Norfolk Suffolk border and have regular open studio days at my home. See deniseallen.co.uk/events for details..

Susan Yeates

Sketching + Painting

Susan Yeates is an award-winning artist, author, and creative mentor on a mission to get absolutely everyone sketching more. Known for her warm, encouraging teaching style, Susan believes that creativity should feel playful, personal, and pressure-free. She’s not your traditional art tutor—rather than telling you what to do and how to do it, she guides you gently through your own creative journey, helping your inner artist grow with confidence.

Susan champions the idea that a sketchbook is a private, liberating space for exploration. Her approach invites students to embrace messy marks, spontaneous doodles, intuitive sketches, and joyful experimentation—creativity simply for the love of it. With her, you’ll pick up new skills, discover hidden talents, and reconnect with the simple pleasure of making art without rules or expectations.

Her passion is simple: to inspire creativity, encourage playfulness, and help every student fall in love with their sketchbook.

Charle Evans

Watercolour

Charle Evans is a versatile artist and educator known for her expertise in watercolor, mixed media, and plein air painting. Based in Wales, she has built a reputation for her ability to capture the dramatic landscapes and changing light of the Welsh countryside with remarkable sensitivity and skill.

With formal training in fine arts, Charle has developed a distinctive style that balances loose, expressive brushwork with careful observation of natural forms. Her work often features coastal scenes, mountain vistas, and intimate garden studies, all rendered with a palette that celebrates the subtle colors of the British landscape.

As a teacher, Charle offers workshops and painting holidays throughout the UK, specializing in outdoor painting techniques and color theory. She is particularly skilled at helping students overcome the challenges of painting on location, teaching methods for capturing rapidly changing light and weather conditions.

Charle has exhibited widely in Welsh galleries and has work in private collections internationally. She contributes to art magazines and has appeared on local television programs discussing landscape painting techniques. Her approachable teaching style and deep knowledge of traditional painting methods make her a sought-after instructor for artists of all levels.

Jeremy Ford

Watercolour

Jeremy Ford is a lifelong professional painter working in all mediums and former President of the Society for All Artists. As a favourite TV artist, art writer, and illustrator of popular best-selling DVDs and books, Jeremy brings decades of expertise to his teaching. At retreats, he focuses on watercolour instruction, helping painters improve from beginner to experienced levels.

Ali Hargreaves

Sewing and Textiles

Ali Hargreaves is a UK-based artist and educator celebrated for bold colour, texture, and mixed media work. Based in Cheshire, her artistic journey began through her grandmother’s influence, an oil painter who exhibited at Derby Art Gallery.

After earning BEd (Hons) from Ripon College, Ali founded Alisart in 2003. Her diverse portfolio spans watercolours, acrylics, mixed media, and textiles, characterized by experimental techniques and boundary-pushing creativity.

Teaching regular classes in Poynton (often with waiting lists), Ali also conducts workshops and painting holidays. In 2019, she became tutor for SAA’s Ready Steady Paint children’s subscription. During COVID-19, she successfully transitioned to digital platforms, expanding her reach globally.

Sharon Hurst

Watercolour and silk paint

Sharon Hurst specialises in watercolour but also enjoys colour pencils, beading, and silk painting. As a TV artist and author, she brings media experience to teaching. Partnering with Denise Allen as “Travelling Brush Dippers,” they explore the country for their YouTube vlog. Sharon focuses retreat teaching on watercolour techniques, sharing her diverse artistic background with students.

Matthew Palmer

Watercolour

Matthew Palmer is a celebrated British watercolour artist, best-selling author, and tutor with over 25 years’ experience. Known for fluid, expressive landscapes, seascapes, and animal subjects, he balances detail with looseness beautifully.

Self-taught from age ten, Matthew has taught workshops across the UK since 1997. A key SAA artist, he’s hosted TV shows including Paint Along with Matthew Palmer and presents regularly on Hochanda arts channel.

He founded Watercolour.TV, featuring over 250 step-by-step lessons and live streams. His nine Search Press books include the bestselling Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide. Total book sales exceed 200,000 copies globally.