Rose Frantzen Masterclass Workshop

Manor Estate near Arbroath, Scotland, July 15 – 23, 2024

We invite you to join us for a rare opportunity to spend 9 days in a historic Scottish Manor Estate with contemporary master painter, Rose Frantzen.

Rose Frantzen returns to teach with Workshops in France after her unique and inimitable 2021 workshop in southern France. Now she joins us in Scotland to teach and share her insights on painting the figure, portraits and paint some of the most iconic sights of Scotland.

The workshop takes place in and around the magnificent Manor estate, where you will be painting both models and the natural world on the extensive grounds. Expect to become fully immersed in Scottish life and the surrounding countryside. Scotland boasts pristine waters and a fertile landscape that remains under the watchful stewardship of local farmers, landowners, and the National Trust of Scotland, to ensure that the land is unspoiled and managed sustainably. Be prepared for a sensual feast that encompasses stunning color, flora, and fauna while you connect with the countryside and Scotland’s heritage.

The workshop includes figure painting and portrait painting with models. We also venture out and you will be able to paint some of the most stunning scenery of the area. You will see Rose in action as she demos on the estate and on the excursions. Rose is a master painter and you can look forward to her sharing the vital information of how she approaches her subjects and breaks down the painting process.  Together we will tackle some of the most romantic landscapes in Scotland. You will be able to watch demos and get individual help.

After the stimulating and energetic painting workshop around the estate, we will venture out and try out our new painting skills in the beautiful landscape, fishing villages and historic sites in Scotland. Evenings are spent on the estate for ongoing painting demonstrations, discussions, and art-related activities with the instructor and your fellow attendees.

Other activities include visiting Glamis Castle, where both King Charles’ grandmother and aunt, Princess Margaret were born. Other destinations include the dramatic Dunnotter Castle overlooking the North Sea, as well as hills and glens, a whisky distillery for tasting, and of course, the village pub. These excursions are also painting locations. It should be noted for our golf aficionados who arrive as non-painting partners, Scotland is the birthplace of golf, and booking time on the links can be arranged.

Rose Frantzen

A native of Iowa, Rose Frantzen returned to her home state after she graduated from the American Academy of Art and Palette and Chisel Academy in Chicago where she was mentored by Richard Schmid. Next, she attended the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut to study anatomy. 

Rose is committed to life in Iowa. With family members, she purchased the Maquoketa City Hall and transformed it into the Old City Hall Gallery.

She undertook a large project to portray the people from her area. Rose Franzen’s Portrait of Maquoketa comprise 180 portraits of the townspeople. Throughout 12 months in 2005 – 2006, she painted anyone who would show up and sit for a painting without regard to their position in the town.  The project was a bona fide gesture to give back to the community. She said that “Together, we could democratize portraiture, allowing anyone to be painted just by showing up and participating”. The show was exhibited at the Smithsonian. Later, the Figge Museum, in Iowa showed the collection hung on the reverse side of vertical panels, on which a large landscape of Maquoketa was painted in sections. The segmented paintings, when hung in a specific arrangement, align from a single position within the exhibition. The designer who engineered this remarkable installation is Chuck Morris, artist and Rose’s husband. This collection was acquired by the Figge Museum where it is either being shown or arranged as a traveling installation.

As a respected figure in the art community, she serves as a frequently sought-after panelist, guest lecturer, and demo-instructor. Her work has been displayed in prestigious museums such as the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, and the Denver Historical Museum.

“Rose Franzen is an effective and very inspiring teacher, as well as an incredible artist.

Her method of starting a painting is full of life, both on and off the canvas…   
I learned so much from Rose about drawing a figure so that its proportions are anatomically correct.

Her workshop is one of the best of the many I have attended.  I highly recommend it”

– Marion Howard.