Painting Watercolour Nocturnes in York

Nocturnes of York. Join us for watercolour painting en plein air by streetlight in the ancient meandering streets of York.

Watercolour Painting Workshop: for all abilities

Wed 14/01/26

6-9pm

Nocturnes of York.

Join us for watercolour painting en plein air by streetlight in the ancient curving cobbled streets of York. Following in the footsteps of great watercolour painters who have visited York, such as John Varley, J.M.W Turner. For all abilities.

On the workshop there will instruction and demonstration in painting a loose expressive style of watercolour, inspired by the nocturnes of James Whistler and the free painting of John Singer Sargent.

• We will start out from Coles Gallery, my exhibition space/come studio at Kings Court at the head of the Shambles.
• After a demo and a look at a series of techniques we will find compositions to work from in the streets nearby, perfect for capturing the evening .
• Finally returning to the studio to look over the work made.

Night Poem.

I WANDER all night in my vision,

Stepping with light feet, swiftly and noise-
lessly stepping and stopping,

Bending with open eyes over the shut eyes of
sleepers,

Pausing, gazing, bending, stopping.

Walt Whitman

Watercolour painting has a rich history from Chinese landscape painting, Indian miniatures, Victorian British painted records of, ‘The Grand Tour,’ across Europe, to expressive experimentation in the 20 Century and beyond.

We will be treating Watercolour painting as the opposite to camera phone photos taken like everyone else.

You will bring back records of scenes, people, places with delicate touches, unique expressive marks of the brush, images felt by you and no other, no need for likes.

Materials available and needed for the workshop

Paper: Saunders Waterford, rough watercolour paper will be available.

along with camping micro chair for ease on location

Colour: My basic palette includes the following bright colours: please bring any colours you like to use for your own personal palette; some Wallace Seymour vintage watercolour paint will be available to use.

Cobalt blue, Alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow, lemon yellow, Viridian, Cadmium scarlet, Ultramarine blue, Cerulean blue, Phthalo blue, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, van dyke brown.

Palette:

I recommend a good size watercolour plastic palette I use a John Pike one also a few ceramic saucers are very useful for extra washes, some will be available.

Brushes:

Keeping things simple for the course these are suggested brushes but please bring any extra you like to work with, some extra brushes will be also available

flat brushes: 2”, 1”, I suggest the inexpensive synthetic type, but you may like sable

round pointed brushes, size 6 and 10-12

A wooden board cut to the size your paper, this will be available for 30-20 cm

So, if you wish to work to a larger size bring your own board.

Other materials:

Paper tower, or a sponge, a soft graphite pencil (B-6B).

Joss Cole is a painter interested in the threshold between literature and visual art specialising in watercolour painting.

He received his MA from Wimbledon College of Art, University Arts London in 2011 and he has exhibited regularly with the Royal Watercolour Society's open exhibitions.

By

Joss Cole

contact number

07737495681

Cole’s Gallery 8, 5-6 kings Courts, On the Shambles York

Yo1 7LD

Read more

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Cole’s Gallery: Leeds