paintbotanical

I am delighted to be returning to Transylvania, this time to the Saxon village of Copșa Mare.

At the invitation of James de Candole I shall teach a masterclass on local stone fruit. I have a passion for painting plums! The common local name for the plums here is Bistrita Plum or the ‘thin plum’, because it is long, not round.

Rachel & James de Candole are a founding subscriber to the Transylvania Florilegium, with over 100 illustrations of local plants drawn by 35 artists, each presented with John Akeroyd's text giving scientific details. The books will be available for study during our stay.

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From the UK Low-cost carrier Wizz Air flies once daily direct from London Luton (LTN) to Sibiu (SBZ)

From the USA or other long-haul destinations if you wish to travel on a national carrier, we suggest you fly via Vienna with Austrian Airlines or Munich with Lufthansa

Both have good connections to Sibiu.

Our base shall be the faithfully restored home of the de Candole family, a former townhall built in the 1890s. As well as bedrooms in the house itself there will be an opportunity to stay in the ‘BEE’

BEE started life as a mobile home for 70 bee hives. Now it provides simple, elegant accommodation for two people. The bedroom is equipped with two full size single beds, linen sheets, feather pillows and duvets and handmade sheep wool blankets. White wood panelling and good insulation throughout makes it bright, spacious and cool in the hot weather.

BEE has its own bathroom with shower, basin and lavatory. BEE lives beside the house in a shady spot which catches the morning and evening sun. Imagine a barge or a shepherd's hut but wider and with more headroom.

Each student will have their own desk and painting slope. Classes will focus on creating study sheets of local fruits. We shall explore this unspoilt landscape together and in the company of a local guide, learning about the plants and finding samples on which to work.