Whilst a similar format to previous painting holidays, this is a whole new take on the concept...
...the idea is pretty simple, but bucket loads of fun.
The more I fall in love with painting and sketching outside, the more excited I am about this particular week!
THE DATES:
5 Days from Monday 7th - Friday 11th June 2027
£350 per person
ALL experience levelsand a wide variety of meidums are very welcome! (limited to small group of 10)
Mid-Pembrokeshire(details below)
Each morning, I’ll be set up at a fantastic coastal spot where you can come and join me for some big, bold and experimental painting and sketching.
The idea here is less about carefully recording what’s in front of us, and much more about responding to it. Simplifying, exaggerating, abstracting, playing with colour, shape, line and mark making, and seeing where it takes us!
I’ll kick things off with a short demo and a little prompt to get you started, perhaps working with big brushes, acrylic, watercolour, inks, pens, pastels, sticks or whatever else we fancy!
Then we’ll settle in and play. Splash, scrape, scribble, draw, paint over things, make big marks, change direction and generally have some fun with it.
I’ll be around to give one-to-one guidance and tuition for anyone who’d like it (you’re totally free to use your art time however you wish, and I’m just there to help, guide and hopefully inspire as needed 🙂).
Once the morning session wraps up, I’ll head off, leaving you with the rest of the day free to explore, relax, carry on painting or spend time with partners or family. It’s a holiday, after all!
We aim for four painting mornings and one full painting day in the middle of the week (ideally the Wednesday).
The exact plan will depend a little on the weather and tides, so things may shift around as we go.
I’ve got loads of fantastic spots in mind, and I’ll finalise the itinerary closer to the time.
The locations may be familiar to anyone who has joined me on previous Pembrokeshire weeks, but the way we approach and respond to them will be completely different!
I love this format as it's the perfect informal and fun way to get a group together for some painting and sketching, with just enough structure, plus plenty of guidance and tuition for those who’d like it.
At the same time, it leaves you free to actually have a holiday!
You might want to bring a partner, spouse, or family along… or maybe just enjoy some solo creative time.
Whatever you choose, there’ll be lots of free time to relax, explore, or carry on painting if you fancy. (I’ll be more than happy to recommend extra spots or activities if you’re up for more.)
You’re also free to choose your own accommodation based on your budget and preferences, and set your own rhythm around meals - what you eat, where you go, and when you do it is entirely up to you.
Pembrokeshire is a big old place, so to reduce the amount of travelling each day, I’ve chosen to focus this week around St Davids and Mid Pembrokeshire, roughly from Porthgain in the north, down to Nolton Haven and Little Haven in the south.
St Davids makes a fantastic central base, with loads of accommodation, facilities, cafés, pubs and places to eat. From here, all of our potential painting locations are within easy reach.
There are also plenty of other lovely places to stay throughout the area, from coastal villages and campsites to cottages and B&Bs, so there’s loads of choice depending on what suits you.
In short: bring whatever you like!
For this week, I’ll definitely be leaning towards flowing acrylics, inks, pastels, pens and plenty of mark making, but watercolours, pencils and whatever other random bits and bobs you enjoy using are all very welcome too.
Think flowing under-washes, bold quick captures, texture, scribbled lines, big shapes, intuitive marks and plenty of experimentation. We’re not trying to carefully reproduce what’s in front of us, but use it as a starting point and see where it takes us.
After running a few of these weeks, I’ve found that keeping things fairly lightweight and simple is usually best, but that means different things to different people.
However, most of our spots are very close to car parks too, so there’s plenty of freedom to bring a bit more if you fancy it 🙂
I’ll be demoing with a real mixture of materials, particularly acrylics, inks, pens, pastels and watercolour, often combining them together.
But there’s absolutely no need to work in mixed media if that’s not your thing. You can explore exactly the same ideas using just acrylic, just watercolour, just pens and inks, or whatever you enjoy.
Whether you want to work in a big floppy sketchbook, on loose sheets of paper, or simply bring along whatever you already have, it’s all good.
Whatever your current ability, the emphasis is on responding, experimenting and having a go!
I’ll touch on specific techniques as we go, but much of the tuition will focus on how to look, simplify, abstract, exaggerate, make interesting marks and respond intuitively to what’s around you.
Any particular techniques or approaches can then be explored further during one-to-one time.
Along with great views and lots of painting inspiration, things like loos and a decent cuppa are very important..right!?
All of the spots I’ve planned for the week tick those boxes.
Demo and painting locations are all easy to access, with very short walks from nearby car parks.
That said, each spot has plenty of scope for anyone who fancies a longer stroll, maybe a little adventure along the coast path or even further afield.
There might be the odd location that isn’t right next to facilities, but we won’t be there for long, and I’ve planned things so we’re always close to toilets, refreshments, or a café when needed.
I’ve done my best to make the week suitable for a range of mobilities, and no walks longer than 5 minutes are involved.
That said, this particular week unfortunately isn’t suitable for those with very limited mobility (see below for future weeks)
If you’re unsure or have any questions at all about accessibility or the walking involved, please feel free to drop me an email at tom@tomshepherdart.com and I’ll be happy to help.
You’re coming to coastal Wales in June! We might have blinding sunshine all week, we might have nothing but rain and wind, and everything in between! Generally though we do incredibly well on these weeks :)
Pembrokeshire is stunning in all weather, especially through an artist’s eyes, but having a realistic expectation definitely helps. I’ve got a few back-up spots that are a little more sheltered or have some cover if the weather’s against us.
And if it turns really bad, I’ve got access to a couple of rooms and village halls in good locations. They might not all have amazing views, but they’re close enough that we can nip out, snap some photos, and head back in to work.
You’ll be sorting your own accommodation for the week, but I can absolutely offer a bit of guidance if needed.
There’s a huge range of places to stay across this part of Pembrokeshire to suit all budgets and preferences, so rather than recommend specific places, I’d suggest having a quick search and browse to find something that suits you.
St Davids makes a fantastic central base for the week, with loads of accommodation, cafés, pubs, restaurants and everything else you might need.
Within the range mentioned above, there are plenty of lovely villages and accommodation options throughout the whole area. In and around St Davids is probably your best bet, though, with Solva being another great choice (particularly as we’ll most likely spend our one full painting day in and around Solva!).
One lunchtime, I’ll book us a spot at a local pub for lunch for anyone who’d like to join. It’s completely optional, of course, but a lovely chance to get everyone together midweek before carrying on with some more painting! Non-painting partners and family are very welcome too.
Just to be clear: the price of the week covers my demoing and teaching time only.
Please also budget for accommodation, meals and any parking costs at our painting spots.
As mentioned earlier, this particular week is unfortunately not suitable for those with limited mobility. While a few of the locations are accessible and wheelchair-friendly to some degree, the overall nature of the terrain, paths, and logistics means it wouldn’t be fair or accurate to describe the week as fully accessible.
That said, I strongly believe that this should never be a barrier to painting in such a beautiful part of the world. With that in mind, I’m currently working on developing a fully accessible painting week designed specifically with mobility needs in mind.
The planning and logistics involved are a little more complex, so this is taking some time to get right—but I’m hoping to have something in place for 2028. I know that may feel like a long way off, but I want to make sure I can offer something genuinely enjoyable, safe, and workable for everyone involved.
If you’re interested in a future accessible week, or have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch—I truly appreciate your patience and interest.
The essence of this holiday is that I’m not acting as a tour guide. Instead, I’ll simply let you know the spot I’ll be at each morning and afternoon, and you’re free to join me for a relaxed, lightly tutored painting / sketching session.
While I am first-aid qualified and will always take sensible precautions, I cannot take full responsibility for your actions or for any accidents or injuries that might occur. This is very much a private arrangement, and all attendees take part as individuals responsible for their own safety and choices.
For that reason, everyone will be asked to sign a short disclaimer to acknowledge this. It’s not meant to sound heavy—it’s simply to make clear that by joining the holiday, you accept that you’re participating at your own risk and that neither I, nor anyone associated with me, can be held accountable for accidents or consequences arising from your actions.
In short: this holiday is about enjoying sketching and painting together in a wonderful landscape, but always with each person taking full responsibility for themselves.
