A special offer - Almost time to pack for our painting holiday week next month on wonderful Exmoor. We expect to repeat the delights to be found in the gardens of Shorland Old Farm as well as breath-taking moorland views and unforgettable scenery we discovered on the north Devon coast. Our tutor is John Kay (www.bookplate.demon.co.uk) an old friend of Painting Activities who led our weeks in Tuscany and France from our very first courses nearly ten years ago. Although principally a watercolourist John, like all our team of tutors, teaches all mediums and all abilities. Remember we pick you up, if necessary, from the station. Christine's meals, served in her very comfortable home are outstanding. What's more, for late bookings we are now offering £75 off the £550 price for the week. So why not contact us and book your place. And get a friend to contact us for a place also?

What a week we had at Chateau Ribagnac last month - Patrick and Colette did us proud and even recruited their very amiable parents to ensure our artists had a great time. Sylvia Paul (www.sylviapaul.com) our tutor proved her professionalism when the weather turned against us - yet the days we spent exploring the beautiful Limousin countryside were bathed in sunshine. The lake above Ambazac stayed sky-blue and the fascinating medieval town of St Leonard de Noblat yielded its picturesque character.

No need to envy us the comfort of the chateau or the great food we enjoyed there - contact us now to make a booking for our second visit to Chateau Ribagnac in September where our tutor will be the celebrated Devon South West Academician and portraitist Ann L. Roe (also known as Ann Jones, thanks to her Welsh husband!) Ann is currently busy at Longleat, painting Lord Bath.

Meantime the autumn gold of the forest clothing the slopes of the French Alps above Morzine is again attracting artists to Au Coin du Feu. The cuisine in the Haute Savoie is very special to the area as the friends who have painted with us there know. But Francesca, who ran her own catering business in London before she and Paul settled with their young family in their comfortable tailor-made chalet-hotel, approves the wonderful dishes produced by chefs from all over the world, keen to create gastronomic treats. We're taking bookings for the October week now so don't hesitate - contact us.