Watercolour workshops
St John’s Church, Cambridge, CB2 8RN. Free Parking.

Current workshops include Painting Summer Flowers and Painting Animals with guest tutor Jake Winkle.
The programme for further workshops will be available in July when you will be able to choose from a variety of workshops where you learn new techniques and improve your painting skills. Demonstrations, photos and step by step written instruction handouts provided.
Book for yourself or gift a workshop to a friend, gift certificates now available.
Day Workshops 10am - 4pm at St John’s Church, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8RN. Free Parking.

Testimonials
Improving Beginners workshop "The workshop built so well upon the Complete Beginners day. A great mixture of demos plus painting projects that covered an exciting set of new techniques. I was delighted with the work I achieved and went home energised and enthusiastic! thank you so much Denise!"Una March 2023
Colour Theory workshop "Excellent!, Engrossing, highly informative and enjoyable" Bob March 2023
Colour Theory workshop "Amazing as always: I learnt so much and discovered my hidden abstract Watercolourists through granulation! Thank you so much Denise" Christina
Colour Theory workshop "V.good! Granulation technique and people very helpful for me" David
Complete Beginners Workshop February 2023 "A hugely informative and above all encouraging days course! A great learning experience" Jenny
Complete Beginners Workshop February 2023 "Lovely day-great explanations. Surprised how much I achieved" Jac
Complete Beginners Workshop February 2023 "Pitched just right for beginners - more intense re concentration than I was expecting but I felt I learnt a lot!" Nat
Complete Beginners Workshop January 2023. "Excellent intro to fundamental techniques in watercolour and insider tips and knowledge to apply and practice at home. This covered all the aspects I'd hoped for including materials as well. Well structured with personal attention. Thank you" Marianna
Complete Beginners Workshop January 2023."A wonderful introduction to watercolour painting! Denise explains everything and gives you confidence to paint! Many thanks" Chris
Complete Beginners Workshop January 2023."Great Course, felt I learn't a lot. Also very enjoyable." Roz
Complete Beginners Workshop October 2022. "Thank you so much Denise! It's been a brilliant learning experience. Your explanations have been crystal clear and your guidance extremely helpful and encouraging." Maggie
Complete Beginners Workshop October 2022. "Amazing course - thank you so much Denise! Perfectly paced, so patient and helpful and I learnt lots. Not so terrifying anymore!" Christina
Complete Beginners Workshop October 2022. "Wonderful class. Really enjoyed your step- by- step approach and not having too many colours to think about" Emma
Complete Beginners Workshop October 2022. "Great fun, surprised myself by what I could achieve in a few hours. Thanks!"Johnathan
Painting Flowers September 2022 " I really enjoyed the workshop. Learn't something in the first 5 minutes! Denise's very approachable, enthusiastic and very constructive about how you can continue to work on something to produce a final piece and retrieve mistakes" Gill
Complete Beginners Workshop September 2022. "A very constructive days painting in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, thoroughly recommend it" Stephen
Painting Flowers September 2022 " Thank you Denise. I felt I learnt a lot. Your instruction was easy to follow and the day had a lovely atmosphere" Judy
Painting a Rusty Car September 2022 " As always, a full day's workshop, in a safe environment, professionally delivered with excellent tuition at all levels and very well prepared. I look forward to the next one!' Cherry
Painting a Rusty Car September 2022 " A most enjoyable day with excellent teaching and demonstrations, taking a painting through by stage by stage. Many Thanks Denise" Caroline
Painting a Rusty Car September 2022 " Denise always has a wonderful workshop. I learn a lot every time!' June
Painting a Rusty Car September 2022 " Thank you Denise. I learned lots of new techniques from you as always" Joanna
Complete Beginners Workshop September 2022. "Very interesting learning all the techniques. Well presented, really enjoyed the day-thank you! Sian
Painting summer blooms July 2022 "A lovely day. Lots of delightful people. Denise you always inspire and help everyone... even to be out of the comfort zone! The result was a great selection of varied styles and choices of what to paint. Huge choice of flowers to paint. Thank you!" Liz
Painting summer blooms July 2022" Highly recommended! I am a complete beginner and Denise was an amazing instructor, patient, calm and gave spot on guidance. I enjoyed the course very much and will surely come back for more, Thankyou!" Christine
Painting summer blooms July 2022 "Excellent day, very relaxing. Lots of individual guidance" Nicole
Painting Spring Blooms workshop March 2022 " As an apprehensive novice I was full of trepidation- no need whatsoever. This workshop was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and have learned many skills and made new friends. Denise is a really patient and knowledgeable tutor. Thank you so much for a wonderful day, I have already signed up for my next workshop with Denise! Diane March 2022.
"I would like to say how much I enjoyed the workshop. It was perfectly paced and I learned a huge amount. I really liked the different projects and appreciated your advice on the one I chose (which I am working on more now!). Thank you for your generosity with ideas, notes etc and contribution of bits of paint and equipment. The group was a nice size, and I felt that we all got individual attention, as and when necessary. The demonstrations were also really helpful. The room is ideal - comfortable and well equipped for a day’s painting.
I look forward to the next one, when there is one, and in the meantime will enjoy the rest of the Friday afternoon class.
Thank you so much,"
Anne 2022
"Thank you so much for a wonderful workshop. You gave amazingly detailed demonstrations with so much advice & inspiration. I came away with a much better understanding on how to create interesting & varied textures to put into the doors projects you prepared for us. You encouraged me to go larger for this workshop, it was brilliant to work on a much bigger areas for the washes. ‘Practice makes perfect’ they say, we certainly came away with a lot more ideas & skills we can work on." Janet 2022
Beginners workshop Jan 2022. "Great day, Denise! Thank you so much. It was good to cover so much. I might have appreciated more time to practice the different techniques but one can always do that at home!'
Ruth
Beginners workshop Jan 2022. "Thank you very much Denise! that was lovely. I have learned a lot of techniques and really enjoyed the workshop!" Ulrike
Beginners workshop Jan 2022. "Lovely day- I wanted it to go on for longer! Very informative and not intimidating at all. I was very nervous to start with but soon relaxed and really enjoyed the day! Lovely group too!
Sunset workshop 10th September 2021 "Thank you for a lovely day Denise. Super venue, perfect summer or winter I would think. Good light. I've learned lots which is always a bonus! I would love to join a course" Lynda
Sunset workshop 10th September 2021 "Such a wonderful day to be all together painting again! thank you for a very well- thought out and thoroughly interesting workshop. It was brilliant" Sally
Sunset workshop 10th September 2021 "Brilliant workshop Denise, Many thanks for all your guidance on colour mixing washes and brush techniques. I thought this was going to be easy - wrong! However your help, patience and guidance was greatly appreciated and I was pleased with the final results". June
'Thank you so much for all the hard work that you had put into the lovely couple of art days that we have just had, it was wonderful to be back at St Johns and particularly to be with everyone again.” Bea- July 2021
"Just a quick email to thank you for the workshops last week, and to let you know that they provided me with the "kick start" I needed to get painting again, to start new projects, and to try some new subjects." Cherry- July 2021
"I found the advice on use of colours particularly helpful, especially simplifying by working with only three, plus the detail on when to use a dry brush and a wet brush and the effects they create, ie. if the brush is too wet a 'cauliflower' will appear. It was lovely to have a large table with ample space to work and the opportunity to purchase high quality paper. Most of all, during the current Covid situation, it was good to spend time with other people rather than via video call." Helen Starling -October 2020
"A welcoming atmosphere with focus to deliver high end tuition across "Clear" communication interactions specific to each learner. Pre-preparation of information emails, additional supplies and materials offer a great value service of concentrated information delivery within a shorter face to face contact time. Amazing swift feedback with constructive guidances to aid further skill development after my work was submitted at a later time for review!" Flora Brumby -October 2020