Who we are

Surrey Art School was founded in May 2016 by Artist-Teacher Ellie Green. We are a seasonal art school, inspired by nature with a teaching philosophy rooted in Mindfulness. Over the years the school has evolved, shifting with the times and now delivers most of our regular classes online with seasonal in person events in beautiful venues in the stunning Surrey Hills and beyond! We also have a beautiful Art Shop!


Ellie teaching in the woods at The Salt Box in late 2021

SAS Founder : Ellie Green (MA Ed.)

A highly experienced Arts and Education specialist , Ellie has been teaching, lecturing, organising events working in gallery education for over 10 years - working with major institutions including the IOE, the Southbank and the Whitechapel Gallery.  In July 2015, Ellie left the big smoke for the rolling hills of Surrey and in May 2016 founded Surrey Art School. And the rest is history..


Ellie says: “Tired of stuffy, airless classrooms, Surrey Art School was my chance to teach in a way I’d always dreamed of - teaching small groups in a calm and non-competitive atmosphere with a focus on individual growth. I now design and teach to my own curriculum, inspired by nature and the seasons, rooted in mindfulness. Founding Surrey Art School has been life-changing in terms of my sense of personal freedom and improved quality of life - I’ve felt a huge shift in my mental and physical well-being. Nature is classroom, my temple, my teacher and the finest of all Artists, if you ask me.”

You can follow Ellie’s evolving artistic journey at Elliegreenartist

Ellie is the lead tutor on Sketchbook Club and Learn to Draw course as well as support tutor on Print Club.


Sketchbook Club :


Lead Sketchbook Club Tutor : Ellie Green

As well as being captain the good ship Surrey Art School, Ellie started running our regular Art class - Sketchbook club classes 6 years ago and takes the lead in ensuring that all our classes are tailored to meet the needs of both developing students and complete beginners.

Ellie has a gentle and relaxed style of teaching that makes her students feel at ease. Her teaching experience means she’s always got a few tricks up her sleeve in terms of technical approaches to Art and this helps her students build both confidence and skill.


Print Club :


Lead ‘Print Club’ Tutor : Paul Wye

Paul Wye (BA Fine Art, PGCE Further Ed, MA Visual Arts: Printmaking) is both Artist and Educator - with his own practice encompassing a diverse range of techniques including printmaking, textiles and sculpture.

Paul has been teaching at Surrey Art School for around 5 years now and is just such a fantastic teacher! As lead tutor on Print Club he is truly Ellie’s wing-man in all things print!

Being inclusive of both two and three dimensions, his approach to printmaking is to use it as a developmental tool as well as an artistic outcome in its own right - breaking away from some of the conventions of printmaking and allowing for a broader and more experimental perspective.

Paul brings this developmental approach to our newly founded Surrey Print Club as well as to the range of experimental workshops and day-courses he teaches. You can also check out his ongoing creative practice here:


Workshop Venues and Collaborations

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success - we are proud to work with other local businesses and venue who uphold, extend and promote our values of community, well-being, creativity and preservation of the local environment.


The Salt Box

Beckie and Christian aka The Salt Box are sustainably minded cooks dedicated to curating unique and unforgettable feasts over fire and cookery workshops in their woodland glen and cosy barn in South Nutfield, Surrey. These dear friends of mine are a breath of fresh air and I have been ever so honoured to be invited back to the woods time and again over the past year to deliver ‘Art’ to their nature inspired food events. You can have a look at our ongoing collaborations here or click the link below for their full events menu and more!


The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden

Heralded as one of the first of its kind in the UK, The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden has been proudly exhibiting contemporary sculpture in a unique and magical environment for over 35 years. This stunning secret garden sits in a quiet glade just shy of the village of Ockley. We are delighted to be collaborating with Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden on some fun summer events inspired by the venue itself.