Led by Julia Blaker, Painter, with life-observation support from Pitcombe Rock Falconry and historical insight from Asterion & Co. Framing by Studio Art & Frame.
Spend Thursday 23rd April 2026 creating in our reimagined 16th-century Somerset farmhouse, where tradition and creativity meet, with a seated three-course lunch included.
During this one-day painting workshop, you’ll paint an original artwork inspired by the bird of prey.
This is a unique experience to safely get close to a bridge of prey and create a portrait that will be framed for you to keep or gift a loved one.
Within a week of the class the framed artwork will be ready for you.
Engage with the quiet, powerful presence of a bird of prey in this immersive one-day painting masterclass, set within the gardens and studio of The Old Vicarage. Rather than striving for technical illustration, this course encourages expressive portraiture grounded in direct observation, curiosity, and the act of attentive looking. You’ll spend the day learning how to see — noticing gesture, light, form and character — and translating that vivid encounter into an A3 painted portrait that feels alive and personal.
Work alongside Julia as she gently guides you through materials, composition and confidence-building approaches to painting from life — supported throughout by slow, respectful interaction with our visiting bird handler and falconer.
Across the session, you’ll witness the bird at rest and in short flight, explore photographic and carefully curated reference materials, and discover how to balance the unpredictable energy of a living subject with painterly calm and intention. Julia will show you how to begin with broad shapes, refine through observation, and use paint in bold, expressive ways that reflect what you truly see — not what you think you should.
During this one-day course you will:
Explore how artists have portrayed birds of prey in history, myth and natural observation
Learn to read gesture, silhouette and gaze as foundations for expressive portraiture
Work with live, slow-paced observation supported by a falconer’s handling
Capture movement, weight and presence through bold composition and tonal modelling
Develop an A3 artwork that reflects both subject and your own visual instincts
The day unfolds with a warm welcome, morning orientation and Creative Inner Child warm-up to release fear of “making mistakes.” After a falconry encounter and studio demonstrations, you’ll progress through structured painting sessions with individual guidance from Julia, interwoven with moments of reflection, photography, reference making and compositional planning.
At the close of the day, you’ll refine and sign your piece and join Asterion & Co. for a short framing conversation — covering proportions, finish choices and how to carry this work forward once home.
What you’ll leave with
A finished A3 expressive painted portrait on paper — signed, thoughtful and distinctly your own — plus a deeper trust in your observational eye, a framework for continued expressive painting, and memories of a rare encounter with a bird of prey up close.
Workshop Details
Date: Thursday 23rd April 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Pricing: £295 per person (a 10% discount is available for two or more guests booking together with code TWOTOGETHER2026)
Includes:
All painting materials, expert tuition, a guided falconry observation session, printed photographic references, refreshments and a seated lunch.
Places are limited to eight guests.
This course draws on Julia’s unique approach to expressive portraiture from life and Asterion’s heritage-inspired learning philosophy — an unhurried, supportive day of craftsmanship, curiosity and quiet focus.
About Julia Blaker
Julia Blaker is an artist attuned to form, presence and the poetry of seeing. With a practice rooted in observational painting, she helps guests move beyond surface likeness to capture gesture, spirit and moment — encouraging painters of all levels to work with openness, courage and effect. Her teaching emphasises play, presence and thoughtful decision-making at every stage of the work.
Read more about Julia in The Asterion Journal.
Our Bespoke Framing Partner
For courses that include professionally finished artwork, we work with Studio Art & Frame, an established, independent framing workshop based in Frome, Somerset. Known for their meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful eye for proportion and materials, Studio Art & Frame create bespoke frames that quietly elevate each piece, allowing the artwork to speak for itself.
All framed works from our art courses are finished by their experienced team using high-quality, conservation-minded materials.
Discover more about their work at Studio Art & Frame.
Your Hosts at Asterion & Co.
This course is hosted by the Asterion & Co. team at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip — a beautifully reimagined 16th-century farmhouse and working studio where heritage, making and shared learning shape the rhythm of the day.
This workshop forms part of Asterion & Co.’s Heritage-Inspired Learning™— an approach developed by founder Neil Crump that places contemporary practice within its wider historical, cultural and material context. Rather than separating making from meaning, the framework weaves lineage, research and hands-on learning into a single, grounded experience.
Asterion & Co. brings together artists, growers and craftspeople to explore traditional skills through contemporary practice, supported by research-led context and thoughtful hospitality.
Throughout the day, the team will be on hand to offer guidance, care and insight, ensuring the experience reflects Asterion & Co.’s commitment to craftsmanship, regeneration and doing things well.
Led by Julia Blaker, Painter, with life-observation support from Pitcombe Rock Falconry and historical insight from Asterion & Co. Framing by Studio Art & Frame.
Spend Thursday 23rd April 2026 creating in our reimagined 16th-century Somerset farmhouse, where tradition and creativity meet, with a seated three-course lunch included.
During this one-day painting workshop, you’ll paint an original artwork inspired by the bird of prey.
This is a unique experience to safely get close to a bridge of prey and create a portrait that will be framed for you to keep or gift a loved one.
Within a week of the class the framed artwork will be ready for you.
Engage with the quiet, powerful presence of a bird of prey in this immersive one-day painting masterclass, set within the gardens and studio of The Old Vicarage. Rather than striving for technical illustration, this course encourages expressive portraiture grounded in direct observation, curiosity, and the act of attentive looking. You’ll spend the day learning how to see — noticing gesture, light, form and character — and translating that vivid encounter into an A3 painted portrait that feels alive and personal.
Work alongside Julia as she gently guides you through materials, composition and confidence-building approaches to painting from life — supported throughout by slow, respectful interaction with our visiting bird handler and falconer.
Across the session, you’ll witness the bird at rest and in short flight, explore photographic and carefully curated reference materials, and discover how to balance the unpredictable energy of a living subject with painterly calm and intention. Julia will show you how to begin with broad shapes, refine through observation, and use paint in bold, expressive ways that reflect what you truly see — not what you think you should.
During this one-day course you will:
Explore how artists have portrayed birds of prey in history, myth and natural observation
Learn to read gesture, silhouette and gaze as foundations for expressive portraiture
Work with live, slow-paced observation supported by a falconer’s handling
Capture movement, weight and presence through bold composition and tonal modelling
Develop an A3 artwork that reflects both subject and your own visual instincts
The day unfolds with a warm welcome, morning orientation and Creative Inner Child warm-up to release fear of “making mistakes.” After a falconry encounter and studio demonstrations, you’ll progress through structured painting sessions with individual guidance from Julia, interwoven with moments of reflection, photography, reference making and compositional planning.
At the close of the day, you’ll refine and sign your piece and join Asterion & Co. for a short framing conversation — covering proportions, finish choices and how to carry this work forward once home.
What you’ll leave with
A finished A3 expressive painted portrait on paper — signed, thoughtful and distinctly your own — plus a deeper trust in your observational eye, a framework for continued expressive painting, and memories of a rare encounter with a bird of prey up close.
Workshop Details
Date: Thursday 23rd April 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Pricing: £295 per person (a 10% discount is available for two or more guests booking together with code TWOTOGETHER2026)
Includes:
All painting materials, expert tuition, a guided falconry observation session, printed photographic references, refreshments and a seated lunch.
Places are limited to eight guests.
This course draws on Julia’s unique approach to expressive portraiture from life and Asterion’s heritage-inspired learning philosophy — an unhurried, supportive day of craftsmanship, curiosity and quiet focus.
About Julia Blaker
Julia Blaker is an artist attuned to form, presence and the poetry of seeing. With a practice rooted in observational painting, she helps guests move beyond surface likeness to capture gesture, spirit and moment — encouraging painters of all levels to work with openness, courage and effect. Her teaching emphasises play, presence and thoughtful decision-making at every stage of the work.
Read more about Julia in The Asterion Journal.
Our Bespoke Framing Partner
For courses that include professionally finished artwork, we work with Studio Art & Frame, an established, independent framing workshop based in Frome, Somerset. Known for their meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful eye for proportion and materials, Studio Art & Frame create bespoke frames that quietly elevate each piece, allowing the artwork to speak for itself.
All framed works from our art courses are finished by their experienced team using high-quality, conservation-minded materials.
Discover more about their work at Studio Art & Frame.
Your Hosts at Asterion & Co.
This course is hosted by the Asterion & Co. team at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip — a beautifully reimagined 16th-century farmhouse and working studio where heritage, making and shared learning shape the rhythm of the day.
This workshop forms part of Asterion & Co.’s Heritage-Inspired Learning™— an approach developed by founder Neil Crump that places contemporary practice within its wider historical, cultural and material context. Rather than separating making from meaning, the framework weaves lineage, research and hands-on learning into a single, grounded experience.
Asterion & Co. brings together artists, growers and craftspeople to explore traditional skills through contemporary practice, supported by research-led context and thoughtful hospitality.
Throughout the day, the team will be on hand to offer guidance, care and insight, ensuring the experience reflects Asterion & Co.’s commitment to craftsmanship, regeneration and doing things well.
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