Danish couple Henrik and Ingo open the doors to the first art students in their idyllic finca in the small Andalusian town of Melegís. Here you can express your creativity in beautiful surroundings with the Sierra Nevada as a backdrop.
Annonce fra Garden of lemons
Do you dream of being able to immerse yourself and work creatively with painting on a luxurious finca, surrounded by a landscape of olive, orange and fruit trees under the Andalusian sun? In that case, your dream can come true. From autumn 2017, The Danish couple Henrik Vilain and Ingo Schauser will invite professional artists to hold courses for art lovers in their fully renovated luxury finca, Garden of lemons, located on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Melegís, where they also live. The village is located in the Andalusian valley, Valle de Lecrín, south of Granada in one of the most beautiful and lush areas of southern Spain.
Watercolour and acrylic painting inspired by nature
All art courses take advantage of the beautiful Andalusian climate by painting outdoors. In autumn 2017 you can choose from the following art courses:
1. Watercolour with Lars Eje Larsson (20 to 27 September)
With the theme of “contrasts”, Swedish artist Lars Eje Larsson will teach you how to add as much excitement as possible to your images. It focuses on the drama of light and shadow in the beautiful landscape, which can elevate your paintings to a new level. The course will also include lessons in theory.
2. Acrylic painting trip with Inger Benningsen (10 to 17 October)
Take inspiration from the beautiful and lush Valle de Lecrín, a treasure trove of motifs. The colours are everywhere: bright yellow lemons, mandarins and oranges, a red tomato, a violet plum or a fig, green in all shades and the ever changing blue of the sky. Especially the bright light sharpens the artistic senses.
3. Watercolour painting trip with Uffe Boesen (29 October to 5 November)
We go on walks in the varied and lush nature that surrounds the area, immerse ourselves in creativity, and find peace and self-awareness. There will be opportunities to practice different watercolour techniques such as wet on wet, landscapes, sea, objects, light, shadow, clouds and flowers. In the morning you will be introduced to different watercolour techniques and methods, which you can use in the creative process in the afternoon.
Cultural experiences, conviviality and delicious food
The courses don’t only focus on working with painting. If two of you want to travel together, but only one of you wants to paint, you can both have a great and substantial stay.
Henrik and Ingo have created a luxurious retreat at Garden of lemons, where you can relax with a good book in the garden, jump in the pool, go for walks in the area, or go on excursions to, among others, Granada, Sierra Nevarra and Costa Tropical.
Henrik and Ingo also attach great importance to the food and the togetherness surrounding it. The couple are former musicians who lived in Denmark and France for many years before settling in Andalusia, where they fell in love with the country and each other 28 years ago. Just before they moved to Spain, they ran the shop Heaven in Copenhagen, where they sold gastronomic products from Spain, among others. The love for local products is now reflected in the delicious food Henrik prepares for the students. In the kitchen, he has experience from courses at Michelin restaurants and as a wine merchant, and he uses local and on-site products such as olive oil in his dishes.
Stay at Garden of lemons or at a local hotel
During the art courses, you can choose to stay either at the local hotel or at the Garden of lemons. The refuge consists of two houses – the detached finca where the courses are held, and the unique village house, which is close by. Both houses were completely renovated in 2016. Here you can stay in elegant surroundings that Henrik and Ingo have designed and decorated themselves with the help of local architects and craftsmen. The couple’s sense of quality and beautiful detail is reflected in everything from the choice of local tiles and marble to the carefully selected furniture, which is a mix of antique and modern.
Formation journeys, hiking and yoga for body and soul
Henrik and Ingo want to create a cultural refuge at Garden of lemons, where, in addition to art, space is also created for philosophy, literature, religion and music. That’s why they are planning several courses that will focus on current issues or authors. So in the future you can also go on educational trips with philosophers, writers and journalists, as well as on courses in yoga, mindfulness and hiking.
Find out more about each art course, accommodation and prices on the Garden of Lemons website, where you can also keep an eye out for upcoming courses. You can also read more about accommodation at the Garden of Lemons finca here.
