KARLA DAROCAS, B.A. (Hons)

Photography Training Testimonial

"Absolutely excellent. I was given a lovely camera as a present two years ago but had no idea what to do with all the complex options it came with. So I had hardly used it.

After just a couple of hours on this course I had learnt so much that I am planning trips just to take my camera out. There was lots of personal attention from Karla and loads of ideas of simple things to try that were really effective.

Karla Darocas's teaching style is easy to understand but inspiring. Lots of personal attention in a small group.

I would Absolutely recommend Karla Darocas teaching and events to others and I already have!"

* Christine Wood of Javea

Photography Training Testimonial

After seeing an advertisement on the internet promoting a photo walk in Jalon with Karla Darocas, I immediately signed up to go as I am very interested in learning how to take better photos.

It was a fantastic sunny day and Karla was very friendly and informative. She taught with enthusiasm on how to take photos by looking at the beauty of things around us and applying the principles of harmony, colour, form, texture and lighting, etc.

We first walked through the old town of Jalon taking photos of buildings, churches, ornate objects, etc to name a few. We then walked on in to the surrounding countryside taking pictures of the beautiful views of the Jalon Valley where we were also able to capture some of the beautiful almond blossom, which Jalon is renowned for.

I would certainly recommend Karla’s photo walks as it is a great way to meet other people and a fun way to learn how to take better photos.

I feel I received some great photography tips and my photo taking has much improved only after a few short hours.

Shirley Renouf

Orba, Alicante

2014 LECTURES AND TRIP

“I saw an advertisement for Appreciation of Spanish Art in the Round Town News. The course was based on the Spanish Masters including Sorolla, who painted here in Javea. I love visiting art galleries but I had no understanding of how to interpret the paintings.

Karla's classes opened up a whole new way of looking at art. Karla is a enthusiastic teacher and her enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you Karla for making the course so enjoyable.

RE: Madrid & Toledo Trip 2014

Wonderful trip, great experience and good company. Take 7 women who do not know each other but have a shared interest in art and put them on a minibus van to Madrid and the journey is going to be noisy, full of laughter and take no time at all. Karla even provided the nibbles and water.

The walking art tour was informative, quite hectic as Karla ensured that we were kept fully occupied but it was great fun.

Everything was well organised and all we had to do was enjoy ourselves, which we did.”

Maureen Luxton * Javea

2014 MADRID & TOLEDO TRIP

I recently had a great few days in Madrid and Toledo with a lovely group of women. We were enjoying the fine art galleries of Madrid and it was so nice to have everything arranged for us by Karla Darocas.

There was so much packed into each day not just to see paintings but all sorts of other places of interest and interesting historical facts. It really felt like a week worth of events and a great way to get to know Madrid and Toledo.

Karla Darocas, fine arts educator and tour guide was so entertaining and enthusiastic, it was quite contagious. Trudi van Dorp - our van driver - was wonderful as well, keeping the group together with her own injection of energy and fun.

I can't say I that I have done so much and seen so much in such a short space of time for years!

Gaynor Crighton

2014 MADRID & TOLEDO TRIP

Having attended Karla’s very informative series of lectures, I was delighted to be able to join the trip to Madrid to see some of the masterpieces “for real".

The trip was so much more than just art.

We had a very comfortable drive up to Madrid and the hotel was in a very central location.

There was lots of walking, lots of museums and enough stops for coffee and cake to keep us all going.

We were fortunate to see two Sorolla exhibitions as well which was amazing.

The return trip via Toledo was very interesting. Lots of different things to see there as well as art .. the marzipan was a bonus!

Thoroughly fun and educational few days away and I would recommend any art lover/city break lover to go.

Thanks Karla and the other ladies for making the experience such a happy one.

Rebecca Kerr
Javea (part-time)

2014 LECTURES

The reason I joined the course was my love of art, although not really knowing anything about it. Also Salvador Dali was included in the list of Masters to be studied so I had no option but to sign up, did I!

The first day was an overview of the course, and already I felt out of my depth, but each week Karla explained things so clearly and in a 'down to earth' manner that I began to appreciate just how amazing these artists were. The paintings really came to life and I feel that in the six weeks of the course I have learned more about art than I have in the whole of my 66 years!

Karla's enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject is outstanding and captured the imagination of the whole class.

Eileen Jackson

Tech Training Testimonial

I have known Karla for over 16 years, having met her through the Women in Business Club. I am always amazed by her wide variety of knowledge in subjects including art, marketing, and technology. She has supported and helped me with her computer expertise.

In 2009, she built me a website for my business and taught me how to manage it. Thanks to her great tutoring skills and advice, I am able to make tweaks to it myself. However, she is always on hand to help me if needed and has done so on numerous occasions when I had ‘brain fog’ on what to do.

Her creative skills are amazing; she always seems to be popping up with new ideas. I am sure her Digital Marketing tutoring will enhance anyone’s business and expand their general knowledge and ability.

She has been and is a great friend. I happily recommend her technology skills and wish her every success in building her client base.

Carol Lockhart – Lliber, 2024

Tech Training Testimonial

I just wanted to drop a note to thank Karla Darocas so much for all of her help and support teaching me all about the principles of PhotoScape and setting up a website.

In the limited time that I spent with her, I felt that I learned a huge amount. Her own knowledge and expertise were very evident, and it was so reassuring that she was willing to share that so openly with me – and at an extremely competitive hourly rate.

She was very patient with a computer novice and went at a pace to suit my learning. Her style was very relaxed and friendly, and informative, and she guided me very gently through what was originally a very frightening maze. She was adaptable and prepared to work to my own agenda, rather than a rigid and overly structured regime.

I know that my business partners have been extremely impressed with what I have learned and achieved, and I would have no hesitation recommending Karla to anyone!

With best wishes, Ann Mather

Tech Training Testimonial

I first met Karla in February 2010 when I joined her business class in Benitachell. I then went on to having private computer lessons with her in order to learn to design my website and web pages.

Several months on and I am still going to lessons. I have learnt lots of different things about the Internet and websites that I had no idea about before.

I would recommend Karla to all my friends and clients now and in the future.

Laura Isaacs, Pedreguer, Costa Blanca.

Tech Training Testimonial

It could be pouring down with rain with hurricanes and tornadoes lashing at my front door, but I don´t care because I´ve got a website which is absolutely perfect for my business and I couldn´t have done it without the much appreciated help of Karla Darocas.

If you need a website (and if you´re in business, you DO need a website!), then I urge you to look no further than Karla. You simply don´t need to spend hundreds or thousands of euros getting a web designer to create a site which you´re not fully happy with and having to wait for the web designer to answer your calls when you need something changing (it´s happened to me!).

After just a few hours sitting in Karla´s nice warm office, I can now control my own site and change things as I need to. If I get stuck, I know that Karla will be there to help.

Karla listened to what I wanted to achieve and suggested a suitable layout, pointing out all the benefits, then she set about designing a fantastic banner logo for me. Then Karla showed me how to resize photos and upload them onto the site.

I don´t think I´m the easiest person to teach but she was very patient and answered my questions without any techno babble and jargon.

Alison Kilkenny

Photography Training Testimonial

"Karla has an encyclopedic knowledge and accessible style of presentation. She makes the techniques of photography easy to understand. Very interesting lecture with inspirational examples of photographic styles/works. Her teaching style is relaxed, informative and fun. I would recommend Karla to learn photography."

Nicola Clark - Javea

SOROLLA and GRECO LECTURE

Dear Karla,

I would like to say how very much I enjoyed your talks on Sorolla and El Greco.

I had seen some of the work of Sorolla before and was so delighted to have attended your very interesting lecture on this great Spanish painter. His connection with Javea was of particular interest and you gave us a true illustration of his unusual technique and skill.

The lecture on El Greco was just as amazing . I know little of this painter but you certainly brought him to life in your informative and lively lecture . I look forward to adding to my knowledge of Spanish Masters as I attend other lectures.

Keep up the good work Karla . You are certainly making a great contribution to our cultural life and understanding of Spain.

Lorna Ainsworth
Javea

FINE ARTS * SOROLLA * Testimonial from Javea resident

Just to let you know how much I enjoyed the Sorolla presentation in Hemeroscopea.

Karla has a great knowledge of both techniques and cultural history.

Sorolla is of great interest to me because I am Javea resident and so I have a local Javea connection.

Best wishes,
Lorna O’Connor

THE MASTERS * TESTIMONIAL by Rebecca Kerr

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

I was very interested by the advertisement on FACEBOOK for a series of lectures on the Spanish Masters and was even more pleased that I attended.

Karla took us on a chronological stroll and sometimes a canter through the life and works of the five Spanish Masters. A lot of time, effort and research had obviously been put into making the lectures flow and in selecting and presenting the best possible slides of the painting to the group.

The classroom environment was perfect for the level of understanding that was required although the AC was a bit fierce!

I learnt a lot without being overwhelmed and was disappointed not to have been able to make the road trip to Toledo and Madrid to see some of the original artworks but hope to make the trip with another group.

Rebecca Kerr

THE MASTERS * TESTIMONIAL by Christine Irving

Chris in Madrid studying the Masters

@ the Prado Museum
and the Reina Sofia - Art Galleries

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

REVIEW:
I saw the advert for the course on Facebook and if I’m honest, I was initially more interested in the history of Spain side than in the art as I never really thought of myself as an art lover.

However, thanks to Karla’s excellent (and often wacky!) way of explaining the works and lives of the Spanish masters that so clearly inspire her, I came to appreciate the paintings too.

The course has opened my eyes to a whole new interest, so much so that on a recent trip to Montserrat my partner was quite surprised to hear me exclaiming “Wow! There are some Picasso’s and Dali’s in this museum – we HAVE to go in!!!”

Maybe I should enroll him on the next course!

Thank you, Karla

Christine Irving

THE MASTERS * TESTIMONIALS by Trudi van Dorp

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

REVIEW:
During the months of October and November 2013 I took a course of Spanish fine arts with Karla Darocas in Jávea. We met on a Monday morning in Hemeroscopea in a very pleasant room with excellent infrastructure (much light, good air conditioning/ heating system, IT facilities plus, oh bliss, a coffee machine in the hall and some home made – guilt free-cakes from the teacher).

Karla gave an overview of the five Spanish masters we were going to learn about in detail afterwards, so that the course consisted of six encounters in total.

The way Karla presents and teaches is attractive and catches one’s interest and concentration. These mornings were a real joy and left an impression of wanting to hear and know more and more!

To complement the theory and insights into the lives and works of these giants, El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Picasso and Dalí, we went on a fun field trip to Toledo and Madrid. The dynamics of these towns are quite an experience when one is used to the tranquil Costa Blanca area, but the very informative extra’s from Karla contributed to an adventurous experience never to forget and recommended to the fullest!

Trudi van Dorp
www.InnerPeace.es

THE MASTERS * TESTIMONIAL by Christine Wood

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

REVIEW:
I saw a poster for the course when taking my daughter to summer school at Hermeroscopea.

The facilities at the school are excellent. I loved Karla's teaching style which is enthusiastic to say the least and very inclusive.

I felt I have learnt a lot and it has encouraged me to think of similar courses. I would certainly recommend the course to others and have already done so!

Do keep in touch Karla!

Chris

THE MASTERS * TESTIMONIAL by Sue Coley

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

REVIEW:
This course exceeded my expectations and was so enjoyable.

Karla made every painting come to life with gossip and stories about the people in it and the artists themselves. Every class made me excited about going to the next one.

I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone. You will be fascinated, learn so much and have fun at the same time.

Sue Coley
info@Javea-Organisers.com

THE MASTERS * A LETTER from Karen Stephens

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

REVIEW:
Dear Karla.

Thank you so much for running the Art History course. It was really interesting and has opened my mind to so many new things.

I knew very little about art and have always dismissed certain types of art without knowing anything about the paintings or the artists.

Now, through the course, I know more about the Spanish masters, both about their lives and their innovative techniques. I now appreciate what the artists were trying to depict.

Learning in the classroom is one thing but being able visit Toledo and Madrid on the road trip, to see some of the original paintings, was something else. It was a wonderful weekend.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Karen

THE MASTERS * TESTIMONIAL by Lizzie Mullins

COURSE: Spanish Fine Arts and History
www.SpainLifestyle.com

REVIEW:
With her endless enthusiasm and knowledge for her subject, studying Spanish Art History with Karla Darocas, in the smart and modern Hemeroscopea in Javea pueblo, is a real treat.

I am so glad to have had this amazing opportunity to learn about the Spanish Masters.

Lizzie Mullins, Javea

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