"Jill  and Pete you both are great! So accommodating, helpful and entertaining!  Thank you!!"
Lin Sun - Vegetarian Restaurateur - Atlanta,Georgia,USA

photo by painter Anne Miller from Canada

When Peter Evans and Jill Fellows met they found that they shared a mutual interest in all forms of art, and especially in the creation of images.

"Pete and I believe that the disciplines of painting, photography and the moving image are, in principal, very similar," says Jill. "All three require an understanding of the same concepts: light, shape, form, tone, colour and composition." 

Peter agrees, "I doubt there is any photographer or cinematographer worth their salt who has not been inspired by, or learned something from, the great painters of the past," he says.

"For example, not many people are aware that the celebrated  photographer  Henri Cartier-Bresson studied painting and the arts for four years before ever he picked up a camera, and that he eventually returned to it, putting down the camera and picking up a brush for the last 30 years of his life." Indeed, the disciplines are so closely related that Peter likes to argue that, "Johannes Vermeer was the first photographer" and this suggestion is sometimes the subject of light-hearted debate during one of Jill's memorable picnics: freshly baked baguette and pain céréral, delicious fresh produce from the local market and a refreshingly cool bottle of our excellent local rosé.

"Even though Pete goes off for the day where he chooses with his photographers and I take my painters to my own favourite spots, we always meet up together at least twice during the week for a big picnic lunch," Jill explains. "Pete's photo below shows painters and photographers picnicking together at King Henri IV's towers in Barbaste, near Nerac."

When organising their very first Painting Photography France season, Jill and Peter realised that some people, especially beginners, might feel a little nervous and intimidated being part of a group of other painters or photographers. They therefore planned the holidays they offer to take account of this, and the format they adopted has proved to be very popular with their guests. So much so that some people have been twice or even three times!

Rather than facing the daunting  prospect of a week of rigidly constructed tutorials, guests find themselves enjoying a fun holiday in a beautiful part of France whilst receiving five days individual guidance in the development of their hobby - and the comments they leave behind at the end of the week certainly reflect their appreciation of this.

Read about Jill Fellows >

Read about Peter Evans >