Our Philosophy

Hugo Grenville is a visionary painter working in the Romantic tradition, and this informs and influences the content and structure of all his teaching. Hugo dares to tackle the great weight of Western painting rather than be phazed by it. His huge knowledge of the philosophy, technique and struggles of the great masters of the past has helped him to resolve and shape his own development and remains fundamental to both his paintings and his teaching.

He encourages his students to embrace and adapt this knowledge so that they can move forward as painters in their own style. Students are taught to broaden their powers of interpretation and visual expression through engaging with the subject matter both emotionally and intellectually. The combination of thorough practical advice embedded in a deep and thoughtful approach gives students the confidence to develop their own ideas, to experiment with how to express them, and to grow as painters.

In its ten years of existence, Studio Hugo Grenville has taught a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Initially at the Red House in Suffolk, and more recently in London, the summer school programme has attracted a rich diversity of students - from recent graduates to people at the height of a successful career, from teenagers to octogenarians. A remarkably high proportion of the students return each year. The courses are designed to attract serious painters but they embrace every imaginable level of ability. The key requirement is a sense of commitment, and the painters that advance most on each course are the ones that are most committed. An open mind and the courage to embrace change will help each student to make progress and to paint well. Good painting, like music, is essentially an expression of feeling, and students who are bold enough to attempt to unearth the core of the subject are often pleasingly surprised by the strength of their work.

Our Courses

Our courses are aimed at committed painters of all levels and abilities. Each course is designed for different stages of experience, knowledge and understanding. The courses can be taken individually or in groups but when taken together, the courses lay the path for a continuous journey into the world of painting.

Hugo Grenville has designed and structured each course. He is highly regarded by his students, many of whom believe him to be one of the best teachers in the country. His inspirational teaching is embellished by his enormous knowledge both of the historical context of painting but also of the rigorous mental and physical challenges of being a painter. Passionate, articulate and irreverent, he communicates his great enthusiasm for the subject with a lightness of touch.

Hugo’s much valued assistant tutor, Lisa Freeman, will work alongside him on all of his courses and will lead the beginner's course. Lisa graduated in 2005, has been nominated for a ‘new artist’ prize and exhibits extensively. She is an excellent tutor in her own right and is admired for her calm and gentle manner by the students with whom she has worked.

Lisa shares with Hugo a great passion for teaching, and the same resolute commitment to help each student, irrespective of their starting point, to make progress on their individual painting journey.

The UK based courses are run from Hugo’s Studio in North London. The Chocolate Factory, converted to house a group of artists’ studios, is tucked away at the end of a cobbled lane just minutes from the vibrant and exotic mix of Turkish baths, African textiles and food from every continent. The studio itself is bright and welcoming and full of Hugo’s colourful, visionary paintings. His reputation as a painter has now spread across the Atlantic, and he is becoming known in the United States as one of Britain’s most serious painters.

Please click below to see details of Hugo's 2010 courses:

• An Introduction to Oils
• The Nuts and Bolts of Picture Making
• Understanding Colour
• Colour in the Landscape (Portugal)