Register now! Don't wait! Spend two days exploring the wonders of watercolor painting with Catherine Hillis! Review the basics of good painting and delve into advanced composition, creating drama, building a narrative and perhaps incorporating texture into your work. The class will be introduced to many of the texturing techniques available to the contemporary watermedia painter. Each student is encouraged to work from their own resource materials (Please bring photographs of your own copyright to work from). This class is great for beginner-intermediate and advanced students.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Catherine Hillis
Cost: $350
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Interested in learning or improving your watercolor skills? All materials and techniques will be discussed, including the selection of papers, brushes, and pigments, as well as transparent and opaque painting methods. Students will work from still-life subjects and/or their own source material. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: James Toogood
Cost: $225
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Building on the foundations of Commanding Color Part 1, this workshop challenges advanced students and inspires advanced beginners to deepen their creativity. Designed to help you “see,” “experience,” and apply advanced color theory, this course focuses on integrating these principles into your own compositions. You’ll plan paintings meticulously, expand your understanding of advanced concepts, and apply techniques like atmospheric perspective and color dominance. Through demonstrations, lectures, and critiques, you’ll gain the skills to design compelling works using watercolor or acrylic (no oils). Prerequisite: Commanding Color Part 1 or instructor approval. Bring personal resource materials (photos/drawings) with strong side lighting and shadows. Projects include designing paintings, studying masterworks, and achieving unity and intent in compositions.
 
Location: Jupiter, Florida
Instructor: Sue Archer
Cost: $350
Sponsor: The New Studio for the Visual Arts
Website, email, 561-295-5712

Life Drawing, also known as Figure Drawing, is the practice of drawing in order to study the human figure. If you look at historic artwork, you'll find many nude drawings and paintings. These are considered life drawings. Many artists perceive figure drawing as an endless effort with limitless possibility for improvement, learning, and diversity. The range of detail in a life drawing can vary immensely. They can range from highly detailed and anatomically proportional drawings to loose and expressive sketches to gesture drawings, which show the simple form, action and pose. Some popular mediums used during life drawings are charcoal, graphite, pen, ink and pastels. For the longer poses, some may use painting mediums like acrylics or oil.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Cost: $30 for Members / $60 for Non-members
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

In evaluating visual works fully, often one has to see them outside your studio, in another context, perhaps with other works, and also hearing responses from other people about them. Each class will begin with a discussion of one to four works brought to the class by each participant and continue with studio time in which each person can work in the mediums they bring with them to develop visual works in drawings, watercolors, paintings, collages, or other mediums. We will end with a short discussion of the works made in class. If time permits, and according to the interests of the class, we may look and discuss works in the Cerulean Gallery that are pertinent to our works.
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Tom Csaszar
Cost: $95 each
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Learn how to use color for emotional impact and scenic clarity in your landscape paintings. We'll see how color works in realistic and expressive landscapes throughout art history and apply those lessons to our paintings. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this workshop will allow you to slow down and explore color from a new angle. We will discuss how color is used to create depth, atmosphere, and mood in a painting and how the color of the sky disperses throughout a landscape, unifying and harmonizing everything you see. Students will work from photographs in the studio, and together we will do small painting exercises focused on color. Students may use oil, acrylic, or gouache.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claire Haik
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This intensive workshop will cover the basics of working in the Gouache medium as well as delve into its ability to facilitate experimentation and perhaps bring a fresh approach to your other favorite painting mediums. Because gouache is a simple water based medium and very quick drying, it is great for trying out ideas and painting techniques that would be more difficult and time consuming in an oil painting. Plus, it’s just dammed fun to paint with. The workshop will consist of demonstrations on Jon’s personal approach to the medium as well as lots of class time and encouragement to experiment with your own techniques, subjects and ideas. Working from both still life subject and/or photo references is encouraged.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jon Redmond
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Create your own collage from painted paper! Learn how to plan and complete an original work of art from pencil sketch to finished collage. This course covers processes for generating ideas, spatial drawing techniques, basic color theory and collage techniques.
 
Location: Web-delivered (Online)
Instructor: Katie Knoeringer
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Experience the joy of watercolor painting in combination with gouache and ink to create a range of effects! Learn techniques for layering ink and watercolor to develop a deep, rich surface as well as direct, alla prima methods while you work from your own photographs. Add gouache and drawing media for contrast and definition. All tools and techniques will be explained and demonstrated including preparatory drawing, brushes, types of paper, use of color and painting methods. Designed to be instructional and fun for students of all levels of experience from beginner to advanced.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Kowbuz
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Join Art League instructors Don & Joyce Nagel for this exciting 2 Half-Day Workshop. This course is designed for beginner students, or students with experience, who want to fine-tune or brush-up their painting/drawing skills.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Don & Joyce Nagel
Cost: $100
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Bring in those drawings or paintings that you would like help with or bring some ideas of a work you'd like to start. Each piece will be explored with individualized assistance and inspiration. Working alongside students, Jana demonstrates possibilities to practice and incorporate into your art. Other demonstrations will be offered throughout the day for inspiration and help in learning new skills. Breaking down seemingly complex problems into simple steps can help you see your work in a whole new way. You may work from your own photos or from creative still-life projects that will be set up in our workspace. We may even pair up and sketch each other for fun! This class is designed for intermediate and advanced students.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Jana Stiles
Cost: $100
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Watercolor is a versatile medium, which can be both transparent and opaque. Using a variety of subject matter, some techniques explored will be drawing for watercolor, painting without drawing, wet-in-wet watercolor, glazing with watercolor washes, the use of gouache and other aqueous media with watercolor. The instructor will start each class with a demonstration or an explanation of the technique for the day. Students will be encouraged to work in their own personal style. Each class will end with a group critique with the emphasis on constructive criticism.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Wendy Scheirer
Cost: $240
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Paint with the medium of your choice (Oil, Watercolor, Acrylic, Pastel, Charcoal, Colored Pencil) in a relaxed atmosphere with as much instructor help as you want. Bring in new or unfinished work you want to do. Short demos, techniques, and critiques will be available to assist you. Realism, impressionism, or something more modern is all welcome. This class is appropriate for beginner painters, intermediate painters and advanced painters of any medium. The main purpose of this course is one-on-one assistance from the instructor with whatever you need help with (fixing, composition, specific subjects, etc.).
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Dennis Lake
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Expand your artist’s eye by learning different ways of seeing, loosen your grip on realism, and move into an exploration of essence. In this workshop, you’ll interpret your observations of the surrounding natural environment to create abstract art that is wholly your own. With an iterative approach, you’ll lean into different mediums, including watercolor, graphite, oil pastel and cut paper, to distill the characteristics of landscape. Along the way, creative process insights are shared that can free your hand and strengthen your visual voice. This workshop is appropriate for all levels of students.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Meg Kaczyk
Cost: $350
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

This class will focus on the fundamentals of painting with Watercolors. This class will include step by step instruction with demonstrations and practice. Attention and focus on individual growth in the students’ own pace will be central in this class. Learn to paint watercolors in a free, fun and fluent manner. Discover and nurture your own personal style of expression. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Indira Cariappa
Cost: $240
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This intermediate-level landscape painting workshop offers an exciting opportunity to deepen your understanding and skills in capturing the natural world. Whether you work from plein air studies or reference photos, you’ll have the chance to learn how to develop more complete and nuanced paintings. Throughout the course, we will focus on key elements of landscape painting, including: Shapes and Composition, Color, Light and Atmosphere. Please come prepared for the first class with your painting supplies and a selection of surfaces in various sizes. All mediums are welcome. The instructor will be working in oils.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claudia Rilling
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Chris will demonstrate multiple paintings (seascape, floral, & island theme) from beginning to completion. Areas of demonstrations and techniques will include, design, drawing, color, value, washes, glazing, wet in wet, masking, dry brush, lifting out and more. Chris will guide you through the techniques and help you develop skills needed to produce beautiful watercolor paintings. He will not only tell you how, but also show you! For more information about Chris, visit his website at www.dreyerdesign.com. This course is designed for intermediate and advanced level students.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Chris Dreyer
Cost: $200
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

This course of study is designed for students who are ready to take their drawing & painting skills to a higher-level incorporating methods that have been passed down through the ages. These methods offer a much more efficient and effective way to achieve life-like, 3 dimensional-appearing results and a level of refinement. If you have a strong desire to hone your skills and try a different way of seeing, drawing, and painting this is a potentially on-going course that can help you achieve a level of mastery that is well beyond the usual. Group and individualized instructions will be used with demonstrations and drawing/painting-along-side-you assistance. Practice and critiques between classes is offered and encouraged.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Jana Stiles
Cost: $200
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Join us in exploring the captivating world of contemporary botanical art. This course is perfect for beginners and will guide you through a brief history of botanical art while developing your drawing and painting skills. We'll start with graphite techniques and progress to dry brush watercolor, all centered around the beauty of nature. Gain confidence in accurately depicting botanical subjects and enjoy the process of capturing the natural world through this time honored genre.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Margaret Saylor
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Life Drawing, also known as Figure Drawing, is the practice of drawing in order to study the human figure. If you look at historic artwork, you'll find many nude drawings and paintings. These are considered life drawings. Many artists perceive figure drawing as an endless effort with limitless possibility for improvement, learning, and diversity. The range of detail in a life drawing can vary immensely. They can range from highly detailed and anatomically proportional drawings to loose and expressive sketches to gesture drawings, which show the simple form, action and pose. Some popular mediums used during life drawings are charcoal, graphite, pen, ink and pastels. For the longer poses, some may use painting mediums like acrylics or oil.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Cost: $20 for Members / $40 for Non-members
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Explore the painting techniques of the masters who pioneered the 19th and 20th century American watercolor movement, including Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, and Charles Demuth. Characterized by bright color and bold handling that includes accents of opaque watercolor and loose washes, work in this tradition captures subject matter with dazzling light-filled effects. Practice these classic methods and learn to incorporate them into your own artwork to achieve a greater freedom of expression as well as adaptability and control in the way that you paint. Demonstrations and art historical discussions will be combined with short and more extensive still life and self-portrait exercises. This course is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Richard Estell
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Join artist Anne Hebebrand for a week in beautiful Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico. Through the exploration of form, color, line, texture, pattern, composition, you will create a body of work that will continue to inspire you after the workshop. Broaden your artistic process through creative problem solving and give shape to new ideas. This workshop is for beginners as well as more experienced students. Anne is an engaged teacher and accomplished artist who fosters an environment where students can develop new skills, their personal voice and artistic sensibilities. She is passionate about helping her students on their creative and artistic journeys. Any medium you would like to work with is great (oil, acrylic, gouache or collage).
 
Location: Todos Santos, Mexico
Instructor: Anne Hebebrand
Cost: $850
Website, email, 857-930-9849

This workshop will equip you with the skills and knowledge to break free from photo references and create artworks that resonate with the light and atmosphere of plein air painting. We will move beyond simply copying photographs & instead focus on creating painterly and convincing watercolors that capture the essence of plein air work. The key to this transformation is learning how to paint light rather than just rendering objects as they appear in the photo. As a professional artist, understanding how to paint light is what sets you apart.
 
Location: Jupiter, Florida
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $650
Sponsor: The New Studio for The Visual Arts
Website, email, (561) 295-5712

Fresh flowers and bouquets for all greet students as they enter – we will explore painting individual flowers and proceed to interpreting the bouquet as we paint. We will also explore painting the Landscape in this exciting and adventuresome workshop! Color, design, application in a spontaneous fun manner will all add to this workshop. Demonstrations, and photos will also add to this adventure! Janet is an international teacher with many awards over the years and is known for her hands-on instruction!
 
Location: Venice, Florida
Instructor: Janet Rogers, AWS
Sponsor: Venice Art Center
Website, email, 941-485-7136

This class is for those who would like to work in art but do not know where to start and/or with what mediums! We will start with pencils, charcoal and work our way through watercolor, acrylic, pastels and oil and any others that students may be interested in. Barb will explain the pros and cons of each of the mediums including prices and other materials you'll need for that medium, including, brushes, surfaces and framing. At the end of the session, students will have time to try them all on a small scale. In addition to the registration fee, students should bring $20 cash to pay the instructor for materials, all of which she will provide to you.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Barb Snow
Cost: $50
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Learn to create lively and realistic animal portraits utilizing watercolor painting techniques. Explore the anatomy and structure of the skull and facial features, as well as the construction and natural rendering of fur and other textures. Emphasis will be placed on expressing the unique character and posture of the animal portrait subject, as students work from their choice of wildlife imagery or photos of household pets. Instruction will address basic drawing and watercolor techniques for creating precise but soft effects – perfect for the distinctive needs for creating animal likenesses.
 
Location: Web-delivered (Online)
Instructor: Alicia Mino
Cost: $250
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

What are the brush strokes and washes that keep a watercolor looking fresh and full of life? In this workshop we will replicate multiple wet washes and clean strokes of color, exploring how to interpret a landscape in a fresh way. Participants will learn how Stewart approaches watercolor painting from beginning to knowing when to stop. Learn how to create moods, temperature and fresh washes in watercolor working from slides, still life, the figure and en plein air. This workshop will give you the tools to confidently lay down a variety of washes, work wet-in-wet with predictable results, see dynamic compositions, simplify, and approach virtually any subject with effective strategies to execute a successful painting.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Stewart White
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This workshop is designed for the painter who has at least a basic command of the watercolor medium, the serious beginner to the advanced student. After Tony's demo, he will work with students individually and can adjust based upon each students' individual needs. Students will have the opportunity to work from supplied photos, or their own if they wish, during the workshop.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Tony Armendariz
Cost: $450
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

In this 4-session workshop, we will explore the expressive potential of watercolors to evoke mood and atmosphere in your artwork. We will learn how to capture the feeling of a scene that can elevate your work from mere representation to a compelling visual story. This workshop is ideal for watercolor enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding of the medium and harness its emotional power. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have the skills to infuse your watercolor paintings with deeper emotional resonance and transport viewers to another world. Photographic references will be provided for each class, or you can work from your own photographs using them as merely a guide.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Radhika Srinivas
Cost: $200
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Join award-winning artist Kathie George for this fun mixed media class. Day 1 – Watercolor Batik with wax and watercolor. Put the two together on textured rice paper and wow! You get a look you cannot achieve any other way. Kathie will lead you step-by-step through the process, teaching all the important skills you need. No watercolor skills are necessary. Day 2 – Sunflower Mixed Media Collage. We begin by building a beautiful background with colorful art tissue papers. You will learn how to stain your own papers, too. Then we’ll dig in and have a blast learning collage, “pulling” our subject from the background. Then work along with Kathie step-by-step as she demos how to paint the beautiful Sunflower.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Instructor: Kathie George
Cost: $310
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

Learn to paint beyond basic representation with watercolor in this one-day intensive workshop! Artist and educator Lou Schellenberg will guide you through the process of simplifying observed forms for effective painting, using the still life and/or your photographs as subject matter. Basic watercolor techniques will be explained and demonstrated. Open to all levels.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Lou Schellenberg
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Embody the spirit of spring with fresh and immediate painting! Learn to capture the essence of a living, botanical subject quickly and spontaneously in pencil and watercolor. This alla prima method can be used for preparatory studies for sustained paintings, compiling a field sketchbook, or as an end in itself. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $10 materials fee to cover floral subjects.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Linda Gist
Cost: $205
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Life Drawing, also known as Figure Drawing, is the practice of drawing in order to study the human figure. If you look at historic artwork, you'll find many nude drawings and paintings. These are considered life drawings. Many artists perceive figure drawing as an endless effort with limitless possibility for improvement, learning, and diversity. The range of detail in a life drawing can vary immensely. They can range from highly detailed and anatomically proportional drawings to loose and expressive sketches to gesture drawings, which show the simple form, action and pose. Some popular mediums used during life drawings are charcoal, graphite, pen, ink and pastels. For the longer poses, some may use painting mediums like acrylics or oil.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Cost: $20 for Members / $40 for Non-members
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Join Vladislav for 3day workshop in picturesque Sarasota this Spring! We are going to visit and paint variety of places. Our subjects will be boats, gardens and picturesque bay views. You will learn Vladislav's best approaches to working outdoors starting with location and “point of view" followed by important value sketching and composition lessons. Special attention will be given to the choice of colors which may be different from what’s there, and impressionistic style watercolor techniques. You will learn: -Color Mixing Techniques -Light Distribution -Bold Brush Painting Techniques -How to Add People and Other Details to Your Painting -Choosing and Emphasizing Your Focal Point -The Importance of Finishing Touches and Unifying Washes
 
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $575
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941-330-6865

Gouache (opaque watercolor) is the perfect medium for landscape painting in the open air! Painters of all levels will fall in love with this portable, fast-drying, and easy-to-clean-up alternative to oils. Explore the medium’s vibrant color and versatile application and layering methods as you portray the beauty of springtime gardens in Philadelphia’s parks in your own personal style. Learn techniques for choosing a composition and working efficiently outdoors as you complete a series of rapid sketches and at least one sustained painting. Topics will include color, paint materiality/texture, transparent and opaque layering techniques, color mixing and historical palettes, pigments, and paper choices. Open to all levels. Painting locations featuring shade, restrooms, and other amenities.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $375
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Amit Kapoor is a leading master of watercolor in India. Join us for a unique and exceptional watercolor painting workshop in Sicily with the Indian artist Amit Kapoor. It’s a beautiful opportunity for you to live and paint with a master artist in an authentic Sicilian farmhouse located just 500 m from the Mediterranean sea. Participants will learn Amit’s techniques and process to paint Plein-Air and in studio, how to be expressive with bold brush strokes and colourful palette. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Amit Kapoor
Cost: From € 2150
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

Capture the small-town beauty Manayunk's hilly streets, rowhomes, and storefronts. Learn to create a convincing sense of space, light and time of day while depicting streetscapes, trees, water and sky. Color mixing and painting techniques for oils will be demonstrated, but all drawing/painting media are welcome. Located just 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia, Manayunk offers engaging urban and riverside neighborhood subjects with parking, shade, provisions and facilities available. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Larry Francis
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Discover Venice through the eye of an artist on this unique Watercolour Retreat. Immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere and picturesque beauty of the ancient city. 'La Serenissima', as Venice is also known, has inspired painters throughout centuries like no other place in the world. Watercolour artist and tutor John Skelcher will guide you through the processes and techniques of capturing the very essence of the Venetian grandeur with its winding canals and dreamy views across the lagoon. The are many quaint and tranquil spots, hidden away from the hustle and bustle, the perfect locations for and beginner and experienced artist alike for capturing the timeless charm of this magical city. Accommodation, tuition, breakfast and dinners, art materials incl.
 
Location: Venice, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: From: € 2.150
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

Join me for 4 days of sketching with watercolor in beautiful Sonoma. We’ll enjoy the free-flowing and colorful nature of watercolor at its best while sketching and having fun! I’ll help you develop observation skills, color awareness, simple design principles and learn about light and shadows. We’ll investigate various techniques, sketching tools, and approaches to watercolor. Enjoy time with fellow artists, instruction and friendly critiques.
 
Location: Sonoma, California
Instructor: Brenda Swenson
Cost: $1,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join award-winning artist Natalia Andreeva for this gouache painting workshop. Natalia will do demonstrations in gouache, but other mediums are welcome. Natalia will lead you through the steps of designing your composition, format selection, judgments of perspective and illumination; she will discuss techniques of working with color and will take you all the way, till the very final touch. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to create impressionistic art with a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Instructor: Natalia Andreeva
Cost: $180
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

Join Debi as she walks you through dry and wet media and the joy that comes when those media come together! If you're looking to add some wow factors to your own body of work, taking it to that next level, or, if you want to learn a few new techniques, this is the perfect class for you!
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Debi West
Cost: $40
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Explore the magnificent Cinque Terre region on a fantastic artistic retreat. Monterosso al Mare is the perfect location for exploring the colourful buildings, coastal scene and atmospheric sunsets through the eye of an art, whilst soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the classic Italian ‘La dolce vita’ life-style, with relaxed meals and aperitivi. After your painting sessions, there is time to explore the coastal towns and walks, as well as relaxing on the beach. This retreat is a creative experience with a truly personal and luxurious touch.
 
Location: Cinque Terre, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: € 2.250
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4001

Join me for 4 days of sketching with watercolor in beautiful Sonoma. We’ll enjoy the free-flowing and colorful nature of watercolor at its best while sketching and having fun! I’ll help you develop observation skills, color awareness, simple design principles and learn about light and shadows. We’ll investigate various techniques, sketching tools, and approaches to watercolor. Enjoy time with fellow artists, instruction and friendly critiques.
 
Location: Sonoma, California
Instructor: Brenda Swenson
Cost: $1,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Learn to paint the portrait in watercolor! Instruction will cover drawing the head structure and features, mixing flesh tones, various application techniques will be discussed. Materials and techniques will be discussed, including the selection of papers, brushes, and pigments, as well as transparent and opaque painting methods. Students will have the option to work from portrait models or their own photo source material. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $35 models fee. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: James Toogood
Cost: $260
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Life Drawing, also known as Figure Drawing, is the practice of drawing in order to study the human figure. If you look at historic artwork, you'll find many nude drawings and paintings. These are considered life drawings. Many artists perceive figure drawing as an endless effort with limitless possibility for improvement, learning, and diversity. The range of detail in a life drawing can vary immensely. They can range from highly detailed and anatomically proportional drawings to loose and expressive sketches to gesture drawings, which show the simple form, action and pose. Some popular mediums used during life drawings are charcoal, graphite, pen, ink and pastels. For the longer poses, some may use painting mediums like acrylics or oil.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Cost: $20 for Members / $40 for Non-members
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Artist Table is returning to the USA! In April we will meet in Central Florida with a new retreat concept, a luxury hotel, lush surroundings, and an immersive art experience. We will sketch, paint, and develop new skills as we travel around the beautiful community of The Villages, surrounded by lakes, tropical landscapes, and quaint town squares. Painting around the nature and water streams of the Villages. Also offering an Encaustic workshop given by a local artist. A visit to Walt Disney's EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, three meals a day, lodging, and transport are included. This all-inclusive art retreat, delicious meals, exclusive day trips, and art-making. It will be a trip you won't forget.
 
Location: The Villages, Florida
Instructor: Tali Farchi Kathleen keller
Cost: $3100
Sponsor: Tali Farchi ArtisTTable
Website, email, +1 (321) 262 9236 or +31 6 24903316

A Watercolor Painting Workshop with Anita Winter. Known all over the world for its beauty, Provence is the artist's dream destination. Anita Winter will lead a group of watercolor painters on this painting adventure. During the days, we will explore Luberon, and its spectacular countryside of vineyards and orchards, fascinating "perched" hill-top villages, outstanding natural produce and the light of Van Gogh and Cezanne. You will soon see why artists of all calibers are drawn to this alluring area.
 
Location: Bonnieux, Provence, France
Instructor: Anita Winter
Cost: $3,890
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

Fresh, beautiful flowers in the studio will be the inspiration for the beginning of this dynamic workshop — progressing to the head and figure. Through a series of quick and fun drawing and painting exercises, students will develop a more loose and natural approach, giving all an opportunity to be more spontaneous and expressive in their paintings. In our approach to the head and figure, we will learn to express translucent flesh tones, while focusing on the gesture of the person. Painting children will also be covered. We will work primarily from photos (you can work from mine — ones I will demo, plus extra that may interest you). Please feel free to bring your own photos also — ones that inspire you!
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Janet Rogers
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

Fresh flowers for all will greet you as you enter the workshop! We will learn about the wonderful colors you can make with just a limited palette and cover interpreting flowers, faces and figures in a loose, expressive and fluid manner. You will be surrounded by beauty all around - at the Connecticut River Valley Inn. The Head and Figure portion of the workshop will require working from photos - I can provide many - but feel free to bring your own also. We will have many painting and drawing exercises before beginning our painting journey. Janet is a Signature Member of AWS, TWSA and FWS and has bee a popular instructor across the US and Europe.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Janet Rogers, AWS
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats at The Connecticut River Valley Inn
Website, email, 860-633-7374

The artist’s book combines words and images in a structure that reinforces the ideas it contains. Inspired by our experiences in Italy, we fill books that will be a repository for our week together in Cortona. We will begin by talking about travel journals, documenting your experiences on this trip. We will integrate our imagery with handwritten text to design a book further develops the ideas. Whether traditional or contemporary, your book will be an expression of your own ideas, leaving ample room for experimentation and individual expression. Field trips to museums and outlying areas around Cortona will supplement our wanderings among the village itself, giving us ample inspiration for our books.
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Annie Cicale
Cost: From US$3,990.00 All-inclusive except airfare
Sponsor: Toscana Americana Workshops
Website, email, 978-407-7127

Life Drawing, also known as Figure Drawing, is the practice of drawing in order to study the human figure. If you look at historic artwork, you'll find many nude drawings and paintings. These are considered life drawings. Many artists perceive figure drawing as an endless effort with limitless possibility for improvement, learning, and diversity. The range of detail in a life drawing can vary immensely. They can range from highly detailed and anatomically proportional drawings to loose and expressive sketches to gesture drawings, which show the simple form, action and pose. Some popular mediums used during life drawings are charcoal, graphite, pen, ink and pastels. For the longer poses, some may use painting mediums like acrylics or oil.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Cost: $20 for Members / $40 for Non-members
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Join us for this exciting class with Minnesota based instructor, Julie Schroeder. Discover and energize your inner artist and loosen up with exciting new watercolor techniques. Using color, texture, layering, expressive mark making & splattering, we'll be experimenting with different professional papers, handmade organic papers & masa papers. Our main project will be a lovely landscape. We'll be layering on beautiful rich color in a wet into wet beginning with a special technique combining Masa Paper onto the watercolor paper to create a beautiful textured batik look! We will also be doing some smaller pieces exploring a variety of brush techniques and using handmade papers for 3-D effects. This class is perfect for all levels of experience.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Julie Schroeder
Cost: $150 + $20 cash for supply fee
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Come and paint in beautiful Santa Fe! Carol Carter will share her unique watercolor technique, painting from background to foreground, using dynamic and inventive color. We will begin each day in the studio with a watercolor tutorial where Carol will share her watercolor techniques. The workshop will provide templates, reference photos and materials information. The session will conclude with a small critique around 4pm. At the end of the day, we will walk the beautiful downtown of Santa Fe for some museums visit, wine tasting, photography, sketching, and of course we will give you free time for shopping. Relax, enjoy, learn a new watercolor technique or two among the camaraderie of other artists while savoring great local food.
 
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Instructor: Carol Carter
Cost: $1,690
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Come & explore watercolors in this three-day in studio workshop with this flamboyant, passionate artist who paints everyday scenes to almost abstract gestural swathes of pure color. Space is limited!
 
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Instructor: Alvaro Castagnet
Cost: $650
Sponsor: Ingrid's Originals Inc.
Website, email, 312-320-0833

Join me for an unforgettable painting holiday in Santa Fe, a region famous for its stunning scenery and captivating light. During the workshop, all of the logistics will be taken care of by my good friends at French Escapade. All we have to do is relax and enjoy our days spent sketching in this strikingly beautiful part of New Mexico. We’ll have plenty of time to capture once-in-a-lifetime experiences on the pages of our watercolor journals. My teaching will focus on illustrated watercolor journaling. You’ll learn how to add style and interest to your sketchbook pages through the use of unique page layouts and borders, and we’ll cover several fun new lettering styles. I’ll offer daily demonstrations of painting techniques.
 
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Instructor: Leslie Fehling
Cost: $1,690
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join Alyssa for a week of immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and local color of the Tuscan landscape. Based in Beautiful Cortona, experience all the wonders Tuscany has to offer – the rolling countryside, picturesque hill towns, and breathtaking vistas through the eyes of the artist! With Alyssa’s guidance as a veteran plein-air painter and teaching artist who has spent the past two decades sharing her passion for travel and landscape painting throughout the US and Europe, this will be a week like no other! Get ready to improve your artistic knowledge, expand your creativity, build connections, and embed your experiences and memories of your Italian adventure in the beautiful artworks you create!
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Alyssa DeLaBruere
Cost: From US$3,990.00 All-inclusive except airfare
Sponsor: Toscana Americana Workshops
Website, email, 978-407-7127

Join me in Carmel and Pacific Grove, where we’ll experience the wild beauty of rugged Pacific shores, the enchanting fairy-tale cottages, and historic Mission architecture that make this place so unique. I’ve designed this workshop to give you confidence sketching wherever you happen to be. I’ll show you how to keep your watercolour sketches loose, fresh and vibrant. And I’ll share my techniques for capturing the beauty that surrounds us, so you can savour it for years to come.
 
Location: Carmel, California
Instructor: David Daniels
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

I am so excited to teach you in this inspiring place while working outdoors in Plein Air as the Impressionist masters did! Paint the crystal blue Mediterranean waters with breathtaking vistas of the Catalonia coast, a hidden gem fishing village, botanical gardens, and medieval villages. As a painter and colorist, I have learned that the best way to achieve the feeling of light and color in your paintings is to paint outdoors. I will be your guide and teacher for an incredible week of painting, sightseeing, dining, and artistic community while we all learn and grow our artistry during the week. The experience of painting with other artists will be a treasure you carry with you for a lifetime.
 
Location: Costa Brava, Spain
Instructor: Rose Irelan
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join Billy Showell for one week of botanical art using watercolour, concentrating on the beautiful differing greens that we can find around the garden or countryside. We will produce a beautiful Posey of leaves to show off the beauty of leaves, but also to make a pretty composition. By putting the leaves into a Posey, we can cover all aspects of composing a botanical painting. We will be looking at all the different shades of green that we can mix, how to depict the different veining and patterns on the leaves, and how to create light and shade. We will spend the first part of the course choosing and arranging the leaves, making sure that the Posey is beautifully arranged.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Billy Showell
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + £550 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

This class covers the fundamental tenets of design in art. You get to decide the level of abstraction you wish to explore. It is more a learn-how-to-think class where you learn a process that you can use to explore new ideas. It’s a crash course on finding authenticity in your work. This class covers the seven principles of creative expression and the language of art. Larry’s intent is to help each artist find a way that works that is unique to them, whether they wish to interpret from life, push their process, or go fully abstract. This is not a class for beginners, participants need to have some experience with drawing, color and painting.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Larry Moore
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Join us on our visits to the picturesque towns along the Amalfi coast, such as Positano and Sorrento. We'll stop at bottegas for tasting the world-famous local Limoncello, admiring the traditional local maiolica (ceramics) and treat ourselves to little breaks for aperitivi, fully indulging in the spirit of Italian life. Around every corner, there are views waiting to be captured, from coastal views to colourful buildings and little harbours. Stunning views across the Gulf of Naples from the terraces of the historic villa that is home to our retreat, are the perfect backdrop for our morning demonstrations, before heading out to explore the towns along the Amalfi Coast. Accommodation, half-board, tuition and all materials included.
 
Location: Sorrento, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: from € 2.350
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334903-4401

Students will learn how to approach complicated scenery and to convey its character without resorting to endless details' depiction, and master watercolor application techniques in a loose bold brush style of painting. Included in this workshop: How to define existing scapes into three focal planes to tackle any subject matter; use different painting techniques for each focal plane; finish your painting with intricate details and energize your painting with powerful brushwork; paint loose and where and why to use a particular application technique in your painting and how to apply the power of unifying wash; use the sword liner for painting trees, brunches, wires, polls and other details requiring calligraphy; use of white gouache for highlight.
 
Location: Dahlonega, Georgia
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $625
Sponsor: Art Loft
Website, email, 706-429-6008

Join me for an amazing week of plein air painting in magnificent Provence, France! This is ‘Red poppy season’ and we’ll explore and paint the exciting spring colors of glorious Provence. I’m super excited to teach you painting in such an inspiring place! We’ll paint flower fields, countryside villages, waterways and hillside castle towns, quaint, flower-filled alleyways, medieval churches, fountains and ancient archways. We’ll paint our impressions, dine exquisitely, share gorgeous sights and creative companionship, all while learning and growing our craft. I will share my methods for creating successful paintings with loose brushwork and exciting color harmonies. I will demo in oil and watercolor, but am proficient and happy to help with acrylics and pastels as well.
 
Location: Fontaine de Vaucluse, France
Instructor: Maggie Hellmann
Cost: $3,940 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Do you own watercolor pencils that have been lurking on the sidelines? Are you puzzled about how to use them? This workshop is designed to help both watercolorists and colored pencil artists alike learn the potential of these wonderful little tools. Imagine the convenience of a pan of watercolor pigment in the form of a concentrated pencil point, and the painting possibilities are amazing- and fun! Draw, spatter, grate, dissolve: water soluble colored pencils offer a great range of techniques and beautiful effects. Learn and explore the amazing potential of such aquarelle drawing materials. Kristy Kutch is an experienced, supportive instructor who has taught colored pencil nationwide. Students of all levels of experience are welcome! (Many art materials included.)
 
Location: Manhasset, New York
Instructor: Kristy Kutch, C.P.S.A.
Sponsor: The Art Guild of Port Washington
Website, email, 516-304-5797

A well-established contemporary plein air painter in Canada and the USA, Marc Grandbois offers his vision of personal expression through the beauty of nature. This class focuses on how to paint in plein air. Every student is led to better transpose his emotions related to place and time, into an image and to understand the subjective power of colors and gesture in painting. Marc will give a two-hour demonstration each morning en plein air in the Clos Mirabel park and surrounds. A large interior space will be available in case of bad weather. There will be a group critique on the last day for work to be shared by the group, creating both a supportive and exponential effect for future work.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Marc Grandbois
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 450€ tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

We explore the dramatic landscape of Doolin, County Clare, Ireland and translate its landscape, energy and lore into visual artwork. Our time together will be a balance between group excursions, individual exploration, and creation coupled with sharing and diving deeper into technique. We will establish a shared studio space as a center of operation as artists of any level work together in their preferred Media. Included in the retreat are 4 art workshops with Martin Bridge; field trips; 2 meals/day; housing and publication in an anthology of creativity (subject to vetting)—join us for this retreat of like-minded individuals connecting in various ways to the land in this very special place.
 
Location: Doolin, Ireland
Instructor: Martin Bridge
Cost: $1500-$2500 depending on accommodations
Sponsor: NatureCulture, and The Milk House
Website, email, 413-475-0650

During this exciting retreat, you will learn to paint florals, looking at colour, composition and techniques and how to approach flower painting creatively with a focus on the process rather than the outcome. Victoria will demonstrate a wide variety of materials and show you how to be explorative and experimental, letting go of the fear of making mistakes. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced level artist, you’ll develop the confidence and skills to creatively loosen up, be more spontaneous, and let go of self-doubt. You’ll be provided with a huge array of gorgeous flowers as inspiration. Quick and easy exercises will introduce you to collage and mixed media techniques. Victoria will be on hand, offering support and advice.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Victoria Johnson
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

Enjoy an evening of experimentation and fun while you learn the fundamentals of watercolor. You will learn basic watercolor techniques while you paint a wide range of subjects such as still life, landscape, florals, animals, etc. Watercolor techniques you will learn include basic washes, values, texture, glazing, color mixing, mingling, and more. You can expect tips and guidance throughout the painting process. All materials included. Classes are offered on Wednesdays.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Cost: $35 per class or $140/month
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

Join a fun watercolor class with the professional instructor. If you are looking for critiques and guidance from the instructor or a fun gathering alongside other watercolor lovers, this class would be perfect for you. You will learn watercolor techniques while you paint a wide range of subjects such as still life, landscape, florals, animals, etc. No basic painting exercises or demonstrations are given so participants should have some experience with watercolor but need not be advanced. All materials included. Classes are offered on Wednesdays.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Cost: $35 per class or $140/month
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

You probably fell in love with making art before a painting holiday occurred to you. Classroom lessons, online sessions, or time in the studio are typically safe environments in which to learn. But once we venture outdoors to paint, the light can be dramatic, the air is filled with sights, sounds, and smells of nature. While this can all be new, it enriches the painting experience even more. When we arrive on the Costa Brava, my job is to help you capture the nuances of our surroundings with confidence. Even before departure I’ll provide practical pointers on what to bring, what to leave behind. My plein-air workshops are jam-packed with helpful tips to help you make powerful statements through your art.
 
Location: Costa Brava, Spain
Instructor: Randy Hale
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

PleinAir This retreat will take you to the same places where Van Gogh and Cézanne painted many of their masterpieces. You will be inspired by the rich locations of Arles, Saint Remi, and Aix-en-Provence. Your Hosts Tali Farchi (NL) and Shay Avivi (IL) are accomplished painters and teachers, providing art instruction to enrich your creative process. They’ll share information about these master's lives and how they worked. The ArtisTTable has hosted hundreds of artists of all levels and backgrounds. During this retreat, we will stay in the center of Arles giving easy access to this historic city. This all-inclusive art retreat boasts delicious meals, exclusive day trips, and lots of art-making. It will be a trip you won't forget.
 
Location: Arles Provence, France
Instructor: Tali Farchi, Shay Avivi
Cost: €3400 (early bird €3200)
Sponsor: Tali Farchi Artist Table
Website, email, +31 6 24903316

These classes are for older kids who enjoy art and wish to improve their skills. Painting (oil, acrylic, watercolors), drawing, sculpture, and many other creative techniques will be taught in these advanced classes. The classes are led by a well-known local artist whose work is represented in major galleries in the US and Europe. His sculpture is featured at the entrance of the College Station airport. Classes are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Cost: $30 per class or $85/month
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

The Lake Como Experience - A Plein Air Watercolor Painting Workshop with Kathleen Lanzoni. Join us in Bellagio in 2025, as Kathleen Lanzoni takes a group of watercolor painters on this trip to northern Italy. During the week, this tour is designed to guide you to the finest spots along the shores of the picturesque Lake Como with its charming lakeside towns, its Renaissance architecture, Italian villas and terraced gardens. Daily we will plein air paint the beautiful towns, the lake scenes and the surrounding scenery. You will receive personal painting instruction each day. Whether you are a novice or experienced painter, this trip will be fun and an educational experience for all!
 
Location: Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy
Instructor: Kathleen Lanzoni
Cost: $3,990
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

Why flowers? I have always been drawn to painting flowers in my work. To me, flowers represent the healing power of beauty. I believe that the world could use a little more beauty (and art). I am delighted to share my love of flowers and my process of painting with all of you! Come arrange, sketch and paint flowers with me. During this five-day intensive workshop, we will explore shape, line, and color through a variety of expressions, including sketching, collage, and painting. We will use mixed media techniques to layer and create beautiful expressive florals. I will be walking artists through exercises to loosen up their process, create from a place of joy, play with color, and explore composition.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Wendy Brightbill
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

Join me for one week of sketching with watercolor in beautiful Provence! Drawing while traveling is the best way to experience and remember a new place. Traveling is also a perfect opportunity to learn or hone your drawing skills. When we see new sights everything strikes us as unusual, memorable and inspiring. We have a natural desire to admire new vistas, taste new flavors, inhale unusual aromas and record these sensations through taking photos, but also through drawing and writing. For me, drawing while traveling is instinctual, and I am eager to share my passion to fully immerse yourself in a new place through the practice of travel sketching.
 
Location: Fontaine de Vaucluse, France
Instructor: Rita Sabler
Cost: $3,940 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Italy with artist Sharon Rusch Shaver. This workshop is for all levels of experience in a painting medium of your choice. Sharon Rusch Shaver is an award-winning oil and watercolor artist who has organized unique destination painting adventures since 1996. Sharon teaches en-Plein air painting and shares her unique ability to capture a scene quickly as the light changes. This is a fun and loose painting approach that will make you excited and enjoy every moment! Accommodations are chosen for authenticity and comfort. Our hillside Villa located above the Amalfi Coast is a painter's dream. Included: Ground transfers, breakfast, lunches, welcome dinner, private en-suite accommodations, AC, pool, jacuzzi, and sauna overlooking the Italian countryside. Join us!
 
Location: Torchiara, Italy
Instructor: Sharon Rusch Shaver
Cost: $3,970
Sponsor: sharonruschshaver
Website, email, 615-579-8841

Join Alison for a week of joyful exploration of Place, in the beautiful city of Cortona in the heart of Tuscany. In ancient squares, by fountains or in cafes, Alison will show you simple ways to capture buildings and include figures in your sketches. Overlooking vineyards and far off hills, we’ll explore how to simplify the scene to focus on important elements and create depth. Drawing and painting on loose pages rather than in a watercolour journal, allows us to loosen up and have fun with experimental techniques and a variety of media. We’ll work with watercolour, pen, ink, marker, on different papers, to create images, which we will curate into your personal concertina art book of your Cortona experience.
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Alison Watt
Cost: From US$3,850.00 All-inclusive except airfare
Sponsor: Toscana Americana Workshops
Website, email, 978-407-7127

Explore the magnificent Cinque Terre region on a fantastic artistic retreat. Monterosso al Mare is the perfect location for exploring the colourful buildings, coastal scene and atmospheric sunsets through the eye of an art, whilst soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the classic Italian ‘La dolce vita’ life-style, with relaxed meals and aperitivi. After your painting sessions, there is time to explore the coastal towns and walks, as well as relaxing on the beach. This retreat is a creative experience with a truly personal and luxurious touch.
 
Location: Cinque Terre, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: € 2.250
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-3349034401

A Sketchbook Journaling Workshop with Karen Ramsay. Widely considered one of the prettiest areas of Europe, the Italian Lakes were once a playground for nobility and royals, visible in the many palaces dotting the lake shores. We will be staying in the beautiful town of Bellagio, often called "the Pearl of Lake Como", situated by the foothills of the Swiss and Italian Alps. During the week, this tour is designed to guide you to the finest spots along the shores of the picturesque Lake Como with its charming lakeside towns, its Renaissance architecture, Italian villas and terraced gardens. The Italian Lakes region has a mesmerizing, timeless beauty where we will find endless inspiration to design, generate and create art.
 
Location: Bellagio, Italy
Instructor: Karen Ramsay
Cost: $3,990
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

The wonderful views and landscapes of the French Alps seem to be just made for watercolor. All the incredible villages, lakes and mountains are just begging to be caught on the tip of your brush. Moving from place to place, we will find the best locations to create vibrant and sunny watercolors. Every day will be a discovery for you—and a new opportunity for painting in watercolor. In addition to traditional watercolor techniques, I will introduce you to my personal methods and secrets. Join us for relaxation and enjoyment of the French Alps with a very rich and informative workshop in the open air.
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: Shari Blaukopf
Cost: $3,840 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

During this week of Botanical Sketching and Painting in the French Pyrénées with Lara Call Gastinger we will be observing, drawing and painting the local flora of Atelier Clos Mirabel. We will go through the process of how to create a botanical painting, starting with sketching and learning the important characteristics of plants. We will seek botanical inspiration from the acreage of Atelier Clos Mirabel and with a trip to the blooming meadows of the Pyrénées. After the first day of sketching, we will focus on using watercolours to capture the colours and textures of the plants. In the end, we will work on composition and how to create a finished botanical painting. All levels are welcome.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Lara Call Gastinger
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 450€ tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join us on this fantastic art & gourmet sea-side retreat at the Riviera delle Palme, in the heart of Italy. We will spend six days creating beautiful watercolour paintings, capturing the infinite beauty of classic Italian scenes that surrounds us. We will be indulging in Italy’s delicious flavours & wines. Get hands on with truffle hunting and cooking and paint & sip in hill-side vineyards. Daily painting sessions, will take place in our studio, and there will be opportunities to make studies and paint on our excursions along the seaside, and to the countryside- and charming hill-top villages and towns.
 
Location: Riviera delle Palme, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: From €2.400
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Nine full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gastronomy in the most beautiful area of Tuscany. Our teaching approach and groups limited to eight participants allow us to offer personalized instruction and a stimulating environment that fosters creativity. Cost of CAD 4175 (around US$ 3050) includes instruction, 9-night single or double accommodation (limited single rooms available at no extra cost), all breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 gourmet dinners including wine, transportation from and to the Arezzo train station, transportation to all painting sites (Montepulciano, Cortona, Pienza, etc.), train ticket to Florence, and a guided tour to the Uffizi Museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$3050
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

The wonderful views and landscapes of the French Alps seem to be just made for watercolor. All the incredible villages, lakes and mountains are just begging to be caught on the tip of your brush. Moving from place to place, we will find the best locations to create vibrant and sunny watercolors. Every day will be a discovery for you—and a new opportunity for painting in watercolor. In addition to traditional watercolor techniques, I will introduce you to my personal methods and secrets. Join us for relaxation and enjoyment of the French Alps with a very rich and informative workshop in the open air.
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: Shari Blaukopf
Cost: $3,840 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join Catherine Watters for one week of drawing and painting the incredibly diverse flora of Clos Mirabel, using watercolours and/or coloured pencils to capture the colours and textures of the plants. Discover the fascinating world of Botanical Art, starting with a walk around the magnificent property to choose your subject. A variety of plants will be in bloom including Roses, Hydrangeas, Iris, Lupin, Lilies and numerous fruits and vegetables growing in the Orchard. Catherine will introduce her 10 stages to successfully illustrate a subject. You will carefully observe, measure and draw your subject focusing on form, light and texture. All levels of experience are welcome.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Catherine Watters
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 450€ tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

The unique aspect of this tour is the opportunity to explore two incredible countries in a single trip, witnessing the diversity of landscapes, architecture, and culture as you hop between the Netherlands and Belgium. You'll be guided by our knowledgeable instructor, Vlad, along with wonderful local guides. Are you ready to embark on a journey that combines art, history, delicious cuisine, and unforgettable camaraderie? Look no further! Vlad's Painting and Cultural Tour in the Netherlands and Belgium promises to be the highlight of your summer. We invite you to check out the itinerary for this trip to explore the exciting activities and destinations we have planned.
 
Location: Bruges & Ghent, Belgium
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $3,950.00
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941-330-6865

The unique aspect of this tour is the opportunity to explore two incredible countries in a single trip, witnessing the diversity of landscapes, architecture, and culture as you hop between the Netherlands and Belgium. You'll be guided by our knowledgeable instructor, Vlad, along with wonderful local guides. Are you ready to embark on a journey that combines art, history, delicious cuisine, and unforgettable camaraderie? Look no further! Vlad's Painting and Cultural Tour in the Netherlands and Belgium promises to be the highlight of your summer. We invite you to check out the itinerary for this trip to explore the exciting activities and destinations we have planned.
 
Location: Leiden, The Netherlands
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $3,950.00
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941-330-6865

Join me for a week in Provence, where we will spend our week traveling and sketching and capturing all our experiences in our sketchbook. We will sometimes sketch quick vignettes on the go, and at other times, we will paint more immersive panoramas where we slow down to capture the essence of place in a single piece. Our travels will take us to beautiful riverside villages, lavender fields, cliffs of ochre and gardens where Van Gogh sketched. There will be markets and town squares to draw in and gourmet food to enjoy and capture in our sketches. All in all, you are promised a week filled with rich experiences and lots of art tips to up your travel-sketching game!
 
Location: Provence, France
Instructor: Suhita Shirodkar
Cost: $3,940 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join us on this fantastic Art & Wellness retreat at the beautiful sea-side at Italy’s Riviera delle Palme. We will spend six days painting, learning about the best ways to increase our creative brain and physical energy through the mediterranean diet brain-health focused exercises practicing beach Qui-Gong and Tai Chi. No Wellness retreat would be complete without a spa visit with reflexology of course. Deliciously healthy, fresh food is key to maintaining and improving creativity in all stages of live.We will get inspired by the infinite beauty of the classic Italian scenes that surround us from vineyards surrounded by ancient hill-top towns and panoramic coastal scenes. Here is all of Italy in magnificent panoramic views.
 
Location: Riviera delle Palme, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: From €2.400
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

Come & explore watercolors in this three-day in studio workshop with Michal who is a trained architect, but the architectural elements are never represented directly. This is a great opportunity to study with this Polish artist.
 
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Instructor: Michal Jasiewicz
Cost: $650
Sponsor: Ingrid's Originals Inc.
Website, email, 312-320-0833

In this watercolor workshop, I will help you discover new approaches to your works. Values and Color are the two main elements I will focus on and a dramatic sense of design. My personal style is basically a loose and carefree approach. Leaving a lot of the white of the paper, for me, is paramount in my watercolor work. We will work mostly from our own reference photos, in a relaxed studio environment. You can choose which genres best suit your personality - florals, landscapes, structures, etc. Critiques of the work and one-on-one directions will also be a part of this workshop. I hope you will join me in Bruges for this fantastic painting experience.
 
Location: Bruges, Belgium
Instructor: Rae Andrews
Cost: $3,840 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

A unique art workshop/art tour open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Seven days of plein-air painting, art history/theory lectures, and gastronomy in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence followed by four days visiting Barcelona’s top art sites and enjoying Catalan cuisine. The price of CAD 4700 per person (around US$ 3450) includes instruction, 11-night double accommodation, 11 breakfasts, 6 healthy lunches, 6 gourmet dinners including wine, transportation from the Manosque train station to our lodge, transportation to all painting sites, TGV train ticket Avignon-Barcelona, transportation and entrance fees to all sites on schedule (Cézanne’s studio, La Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, Miró Museum, etc.). Limited single rooms for a supplement of CAD 875 (around US$ 650).
 
Location: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence & Barcelona, France
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$3450
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

A unique art workshop/art tour open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Seven days of plein-air painting, art history/theory lectures, and gastronomy in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence followed by four days visiting Barcelona’s top art sites and enjoying Catalan cuisine. The price of CAD 4700 per person (around US$ 3450) includes instruction, 11-night double accommodation, 11 breakfasts, 6 healthy lunches, 6 gourmet dinners including wine, transportation from the Manosque train station to our lodge, transportation to all painting sites,TGV train ticket Avignon-Barcelona, transportation and entrance fees to all sites on schedule (Cézanne’s studio, La Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, Miró Museum, etc.). Limited single rooms for a supplement of CAD 875 (around US$ 650),
 
Location: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence & Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$3450
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Explore the magnificent Cinque Terre region on a fantastic artistic retreat. Monterosso al Mare is the perfect location for exploring the colourful buildings, coastal scene and atmospheric sunsets through the eye of an art, whilst soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the classic Italian ‘La dolce vita’ life-style, with relaxed meals and aperitivi. After your painting sessions, there is time to explore the coastal towns and walks, as well as relaxing on the beach. This retreat is a creative experience with a truly personal and luxurious touch.
 
Location: Cinque Terre, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: € 2.250
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334903-4401

This class will encourage you to paint what inspires you. Focusing on elements of the environment at hand – landscape, architecture, food, culture, colour – we will create not just finished paintings but a library of source information for future development. This class is designed to help you get the most out of painting while traveling. Certain things peak each painter’s interest: Mountains in the distance, a garden, or a bowl of fruit. Students will choose their subject matter and Kat will work with each person individually to help them get the most out of their painting time. Group discussions and exercises will focus on finding dynamic compositions that best describe your unique experience of a particular location.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Kat O’Connor
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + $575 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join Mary Dillon at Atelier Clos Mirabel for a week-long botanical art workshop in the French Pyrenees ~ South West France. Enjoy wonderful surroundings, delightful accommodation and delicious meals. Join me in early July, 2025, as I return to Clos Mirabel to paint Summer flowers. Wild and garden flowers will be at their best, filling the air with delicious scents and delighting our eyes with an array of colour. Everything about being in Clos Mirabel is special. From the warmth of your welcome by the family and team at Clos Mirabel to your first view of the Pyrenees, your beautifully appointed accommodation and the most delicious variety of locally sourced foods, you know that this will be a week for you!
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Mary Dillon
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 600 Euros tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Started in 1996 and successful ever since! Immerse yourself in the enchanting landscapes of Ireland with the acclaimed Irish artist and teacher Hugh O’Neill. Our art retreats and workshops offer a unique opportunity to explore the rich culture and history of Ireland while honing your painting skills in breathtaking coastal and mountain settings. Some art materials are included.
 
Location: Newcastle, Ireland
Instructor: Hugh ONeill
Cost: $2800
Sponsor: www.irelandarttours.com
Website, email, 561-718-1294

Join international artist and art educator Wendy Artin at Atelier Clos Mirabel in South West France for a week-long painting workshop. Enjoy painting instruction exploring the finer details of nature through wet washes and colour, light and form. All levels are welcome from complete beginners to professionals. We will spend 5 mornings painting the live model for 2 hours, with poses ranging from 30 seconds to 20 minutes. After personally picking a still life subject from the gardens of Atelier Clos Mirabel, we will paint preparatory sketches and work on longer paintings, experimenting with wet on wet, edge control, composition, shadows, and colour. There will be one free day mid-week for visiting the surrounding area or painting on one’s own.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Wendy Artin
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + tuition fee & model fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Immerse yourself in a serene setting surrounded by lush gardens and sweeping landscapes, perfect for sparking creativity. In this workshop, you'll explore the art of floral sketching, experiment with abstract florals, and bring landscapes to life using watercolors and gouache. Guided exercises will lead you to create a one-of-a-kind handmade book, a cherished collection of botanical beauty and artistic expression. Join us for days of creativity, connection, and inspiration among the blooms.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Renee Mueller
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

Don't miss this opportunity to study with this fabulous Italian artist and teacher in Chicago. This is Pasqualino's second time teaching in Chicago. Spots are filling fast so don't lose out on this fabulous opportunity!
 
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Instructor: Pasqualino Fracasso
Cost: $650
Sponsor: Ingrid's Originals Inc.
Website, email, 312-320-0833

I am constantly in awe and inspired by nature and I believe she’s our best teacher! I cannot wait to lead you in this exploratory workshop where we will use and study elements from nature to create a wide variety of beautiful art. From watercolor and stamped flowers, pressed elements and mark making in sketchbooks and journals, to mixed media, collage work and pattern play… it will be a wonderful, creative time together!! Whether you haven’t picked up a paintbrush since elementary school or you create art daily, I love teaching new techniques, sharing my process and favorite materials and I promise you will learn a lot, love what you create, and have fun and be inspired by nature!
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Caroline Simas
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

In this workshop, our main focus will be on the art of capturing and portraying light. Light plays a vital role in bringing depth, atmosphere, and realism to any artwork. Participants will have the opportunity to explore a range of techniques that can be employed to effectively represent light, including glazing, wet-on-wet, and drybrush techniques.
 
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $675
Sponsor: Palette Productions
Website, email

Many of the Dutch painters were influenced by the light in the flat countries. In July we will meet in Zwolle, the Netherlands. and the surrounding, which is in the province of Overijssel north-east of the Netherlands. Not only painting and sketching are in the program, but also stone carving, Monotype and print workshops, and exciting local stuff that a regular tourist won't be able to see or do, as Tali Lives here she is very involved in the "Arty" scene. will introduce you, to artists, places, landscapes, private gardens, and local homes. This all-inclusive art retreat boasts delicious meals, exclusive day trips, and lots of artmaking and PlainAir painting. It will be a trip you won't forget.
 
Location: Zwolle, The Netherlands
Instructor: Tali Farchi
Cost: €3100 (early registration €2950)
Sponsor: Artist Table Tali Farchi
Website, email, +31 6 24903316

All-inclusive inspirational painting, drawing & print-making retreat. Nestled amidst rolling hills, sunflower fields, vineyards and olive groves, there is an abundance of inspiration everywhere you look. Accommodation, all meals (excl one lunch on excursion day), demonstrations, all materials, excursions, cooking class, vineyard paint & sip included.
 
Location: Ascoli Piceno, Italy
Instructor: John W. Skelcher
Cost: USD 2.500 single; Twin/Double USD 2.300 p.p.
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +393349034401

Join us for an inspiring workshop where we'll dive into an exciting variety of subjects, from bustling streetscapes and serene boats to breathtaking landscapes. You'll discover how to tackle complex scenes with ease, focusing on capturing their true essence without getting overwhelmed by details. Through bold, expressive brushwork and vibrant watercolor techniques, you’ll learn to infuse your paintings with life and energy, confidently portraying the character and mood of your subjects. Sign up by May 15th, 2025 is required.
 
Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $560-610
Sponsor: Falmouth Art Center
Website, email, 508.540.3304

Join Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling in Bruges, Belgium and have a creative life experience. You’ll enjoy inspiring locations such as canals, wind mills, Flemish architecture, daily painting demonstrations, personalized instruction, and encouraging support from Cindy and Theresa. “We show you how to simplify and design your subject, draw confidently, jazz up your colors, paint with serendipity and experiment with new techniques. Create colorful paintings en Plein Air with an emphasis on celebrating your own unique point of view”.
 
Location: Bruges, Belgium
Instructor: Cindy Briggs & Theresa Goesling
Cost: $3,840 before Jan 31
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join me for an unforgettable painting holiday in Giverny, a strikingly beautiful part of France famous for its stunning scenery and captivating light. We’ll have plenty of time to capture once-in-a-lifetime experiences on the pages of our watercolor journals. You’ll learn how to add style and interest to your sketchbook pages through the use of unique page layouts and borders, and we’ll cover several fun new lettering styles. In addition, I’ll offer daily demonstrations of techniques for painting the subject matter you’ll encounter each day. And you’ll be painting right along with me, since we learn more by doing than by simply observing. The workshop is suitable for all levels, but some experience with drawing and watercolor would be helpful.
 
Location: Giverny, France
Instructor: Leslie Fehling
Cost: $3,840 before Jan 31
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join us on this fantastic Art & Wellness retreat at the beautiful sea-side at Italy’s Riviera delle Palme. We will spend six days painting, learning about the best ways to increase our creative brain and physical energy through the mediterranean diet brain-health focused exercises practicing beach Qui-Gong and Tai Chi. No Wellness retreat would be complete without a spa visit with reflexology of course. Deliciously healthy, fresh food is key to maintaining and improving creativity in all stages of live.We will get inspired by the infinite beauty of the classic Italian scenes that surround us from vineyards surrounded by ancient hill-top towns and panoramic coastal scenes. Here is all of Italy in magnificent panoramic views.
 
Location: Riviera delle Palme, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: From €2.400
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

The Advanced Plein Air Landscape workshop will offer experienced painters the opportunity to work intensively without the disruption of movements in splendid isolation. Participants may develop longer term and larger scale works if desired. Instructors Maddine Insalaco and Joe Vinson, will be present each day. Critiques will be held daily. Slide shows on issues relevant to landscape painting will be held two evenings. Fees include most materials, surfaces, easels and other equipment (umbrellas, chairs, etc.) , accommodations, meals (breakfast, 4 lunches, dinner) field trip, local transportation and transfers. Reduced fees for extended stays. 12 student maximum. Rain or Shine. Call: 212-388-9832 Whats App 39-347-143-40-36 E-mail: info@landscapepainting.com
 
Location: Buonconvento, Italy
Instructor: Maddine Insalaco and Joe Vinson
Cost: $3,250 - $3,710 depending on occupancy
Sponsor: Etruscan Places
Website, email, 212-388-9832

Join Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling in the French Alps and have a creative life experience. You’ll enjoy inspiring locations such as mountains, lakes, chalets, meadows, daily painting demonstrations, personalized instruction, and encouraging support from Cindy and Theresa. “We show you how to simplify and design your subject, draw confidently, jazz up your colors, paint with serendipity and experiment with new techniques. Create colorful paintings en Plein Air with an emphasis on celebrating your own unique point of view”.
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: Cindy Briggs & Theresa Goesling
Cost: $3,840 before Jan 31
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Do you struggle to apply watercolour or get overwhelmed sometimes when sketching? I will help solve your problems by showing you how to make fast improvements through sharing my most successful tips with watercolour sketching. You will receive plenty of individual tuition, demonstrations and examples to support you along the way. Return home armed with new skills in watercolour and sketching as you will have learnt how to sketch confidently, understand paint consistency and application and mix wonderful glowing colours to capture the magical scenes of Giverny. I will encourage you to sketch what makes your heart sing! The subjects covered will be truly inspirational – including French buildings, landscapes, local scenes and Monet’s garden!
 
Location: Giverny, France
Instructor: Judy Salleh
Cost: $3,840 before Jan 31
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join us on this fantastic art & gourmet sea-side retreat at the Riviera delle Palme, in the heart of Italy. We will spend six days creating beautiful watercolour paintings, capturing the infinite beauty of classic Italian scenes that surrounds us. We will be indulging in Italy’s delicious flavours & wines. Get hands on with truffle hunting and cooking and paint & sip in hill-side vineyards. Daily painting sessions, will take place in our studio, and there will be opportunities to make studies and paint on our excursions along the seaside, and to the countryside- and charming hill-top villages and towns.
 
Location: Riviera delle Palme, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: From €2.400
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

Fresh flowers for each student at beautiful Dillman's Resort will be provided to inspire all for this energetic and enlightening workshop, in which we will explore watercolor in a spontaneous and intuitive way. Learning how to interpret Flowers - then the Head and Figure will be featured as Janet provides pathways to learning for all levels. The studio will be available 24/7 for students. Janet will also provide photos and drawings of her demonstrations of the head - students are welcome to paint what she paints or paint from their own photos. The goal of this workshop is to discover the magic and intuition of capturing life in our paintings!!! - and having fun all the way!!!
 
Location: Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin
Instructor: Janet Rogers, AWS
Sponsor: Dillman's Bay Resort
Website, email, 715-588-3143

Philip Frey and Schoodic Institute are pleased to offer a plein air painting retreat designed specifically for dedicated landscape painters. This retreat will provide an opportunity for participants to hone their skills, gain deeper knowledge of materials, and develop confidence in their creative abilities. The retreat will be held in the picturesque landscapes of Acadia National Park and the Schoodic Peninsula. Each day will start early with an on-site painting session, followed by an early afternoon demonstration and critique. Participants will have ample time to engage in painting, explore the surrounding area, or relax at their leisure.
 
Location: Winter Harbor, Maine
Instructor: Philip Frey
Cost: Commuter - $1,175 / Residential - $1,740
Sponsor: Schoodic Institute
Website, email, 207-288-1310

Experience the Provence region on an immersive artistic journey with Alicia Farris. Alicia adores sharing her passion for watercolor painting and inspires with her creative energy and loose and lively painting style. She feels artists share a special sense for both seeing and feeling their subjects. She helps inspire her students to use color and light to paint a story from their hearts, not merely from what their eyes see. You’ll have the opportunity to watercolor paint, sketch and photograph your way through this spectacular region of Provence. Whether it’s the beautiful gardens, the lovely vistas, colorful markets or the quaint villages that inspire you, Alicia will guide you through the creative process.
 
Location: Luberon, France
Instructor: Alicia Farris
Cost: $3,940 before Jan 31
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Study with Jarnie Godwin at Atelier Clos Mirabel during a 5-day botanical art workshop in the French Pyrenees ~ South West France. Enjoy wonderful surroundings, delightful accommodation and delicious meals. Jarnie Godwin will guide you into the ethereal mysteries of the fading bloom. As blooms begin to fade you will learn how to capture these intimate, fragile and fleeting moments of decay. Using a range of watercolour techniques, Jarnie will show you how to create the unique acute textures and colour transitions of decay and fading colour. You will learn more about the unique form and detail of fading flowers, and will gain confidence in using and manipulating watercolour to convey an intimate moment in time.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Jarnie Godwin
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + £400 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Discover the sun-drenched landscape of Southern Italy on this painting holiday that takes you on an artistic journey with Sandra Iafrate. There is no shortage of inspiration for any artist. Your stay will be in a restored 19th century farmhouse in Ortelli from which we will visit local towns: Lecce, Otranto and Specchia. You'll enjoy daily painting instruction and coaching in drawing, composition, planning, colour theory, brushwork and conceptualization of work. The medium used is mainly acrylic; however, oil, watercolour, and drawing mediums are also welcomed.
 
Location: Apulia, Italy
Instructor: Sandra Iafrate, sandraiafrate.com
Cost: $2466. USD
Website, email

Cortona - Montepulchiano - Arezzo - Siena. Join us for an unforgettable artistic journey through the enchanting landscapes of Tuscany, centered near the charming hilltop town of Cortona. This 7-day immersive experience offers the perfect blend of world-class art instruction—featuring Painting and Urban Sketching in one workshop—paired with delectable cuisine, exquisite wines, and the timeless beauty of one of Italy’s most celebrated regions. This tour is thoughtfully designed for everyone—whether you’re eager to learn from Vlad, paint at your own pace, or simply savor the experience as a non-painter. Included: 7 Nights at 4-star Villa, All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 6 dinners, Workshop, Guided Tours, Wine Tasting, Private transportation, Gastronomic exploration, Some alcohol and Airport transfer.
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $3810
Sponsor: BonArtVoyage
Website, email, 941-330-6865

Join us on our visits to the picturesque towns along the Amalfi coast, such as Positano and Sorrento. We'll stop at bottegas for tasting the world-famous local Limoncello, admiring the traditional local maiolica (ceramics) and treat ourselves to little breaks for aperitivi, fully indulging in the spirit of Italian life. Around every corner, there are views waiting to be captured, from coastal views to colourful buildings and little harbours. Stunning views across the Gulf of Naples from the terraces of the historic villa that is home to our retreat, are the perfect backdrop for our morning demonstrations, before heading out to explore the towns along the Amalfi Coast. Accommodation, half-board, tuition and all materials included.
 
Location: Sorrento, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: From €2.350
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

Need to feed your creative soul? Fill it to the brim with creative transformation and fresh inspiration. Revel in the Handmade: watercolor painting with Pedro – who incorporates personal symbols, talismans, Oaxacan culture and the natural world into his work – and mixed media/collage and experimenting with mark making with Corrie to develop your unique visual voice. Plus: a hands-on full day of pure alchemy, making your own watercolor paint with natural pigments with our guest art instructor Indiana Christov. Our field trips include the Sunday market, a studio visit with a master papermaker, a women’s red clay collective, a famous art center housed in a renovated textile factory – all mixed in with art instruction and creative play time.
 
Location: Oaxaca, Mexico
Instructor: Pedro Cruz Pacheco + Corrie McCluskey
Cost: $2650 (lodging included)
Sponsor: Talismán Oaxaca / Oaxaca Dreams
Website, email, 707-529-9050

Join Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling for their 2nd workshop at the stunning Salinara Art Farm on the west coast of Sicily. Sicily is a unique island that has been shaped by many cultures over many thousands of years. Excursions and painting to surrounding salt pans with colorful sunset, fisherman boats, local markets, picturesque villages with narrow streets, churches, a never ending range of restaurants and cafés, blue skies and beautiful nature, jovial, kind and friendly people, traditional foods and great local wine, medieval hill town of Erice, Archeological Park of Selinunte with Greek temples. And many beaches where we can swim in the blue water of the Mediterranean Sea. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Theresa Goesling and Cindy Briggs
Cost: From € 3100
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

Cortona - Montepulchiano - Arezzo - Siena | Join us for an unforgettable artistic journey through the enchanting landscapes of Tuscany, centered near the charming hilltop town of Cortona. This 7-day immersive experience offers the perfect blend of world-class art instruction—featuring Painting and Urban Sketching in one workshop—paired with delectable cuisine, exquisite wines, and the timeless beauty of one of Italy’s most celebrated regions. This tour is thoughtfully designed for everyone—whether you’re eager to learn from Vlad, paint at your own pace, or simply savor the experience as a non-painter. Included: 7 Nights at 4-star Villa, All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 6 dinners, Workshop, Guided Tours, Wine Tasting, Private transportation, Gastronomic exploration, Some alcohol and Airport transfer.
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: from $3810
Sponsor: Bon Art Voyage
Website, email, 941-330-6865

This is Marc's third visit to Chicago and he offers a great workshop in the magic of contrasts in watercolor painting. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to study with this French artist in Chicago.
 
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Instructor: Marc Folly
Cost: $650
Sponsor: Ingrid's Originals Inc.
Website, email, 312-320-0833

Keiko Tanabe is a Japanese contemporary artist who has won multiple awards and has been invited to and completed successfully many workshops and numerous live demonstrations around the world, we are so proud that she’s coming to Sicily. Come to enjoy a masterful tuition by Keiko, subject matters will be landscape, Mediterranean seascape, old historic cityscape, indoor locations in the authentic farmhouse where the participants will stay. Sicily it’s like a dream, colorful sunset, olive groves, lined vineyards, picturesque villages with narrow streets, churches, a never ending range of restaurants and cafés, blue skies and beautiful nature, jovial, kind and friendly people, traditional foods and great local wine. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Keiko Tanabe
Cost: From € 2250
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email, (+39) 339 77 57 062

Join Vlad for a 3-day Urban Sketching Workshop in Lucca—a city full of charm, history, and endless artistic inspiration. You’ll have the opportunity to capture the beauty of this enchanting Italian town through quick, expressive sketches. In this engaging workshop, Vlad will not only demonstrate but also guide participants in honing their skills to craft captivating color sketches using waterproof ink pens and watercolors. Our emphasis will be on achieving immediacy in presentation, mastering composition, and, most importantly, channeling focused creativity to produce vibrant and impactful images that captivate the viewer's attention.
 
Location: Lucca, Italy
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $650
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941-330-6865

One week Painting retreat at a genuine medieval castle in South West France all expenses paid from Angouleme train station at start to end with American masters John Hulsey & Ann Trusty.
 
Location: Grand Brassac, France
Instructor: John Hulsey & Ann Trusty
Cost: $3,150 to $3,750
Sponsor: Copeland International Arts Inc
Website, email

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Nine full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gastronomy in the most beautiful area of Tuscany. Our teaching approach and groups limited to eight participants allow us to offer personalized instruction and a stimulating environment that fosters creativity. Cost of CAD 4175 (around US$ 3050) includes instruction, 9-night single or double accommodation (limited single rooms available at no extra cost), all breakfasts, 7 lunches, 9 gourmet dinners including wine, transportation from and to the Arezzo train station, transportation to all painting sites (Montepulciano, Cortona, Pienza, etc.), train ticket to Florence, and a guided tour to the Uffizi Museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$3050
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Join me for an unforgettable painting holiday in Alsace, a stunningly beautiful part of France famous for its charming scenery and clear light which has captivated artists through the centuries. We’ll have plenty of time to capture once-in-a-lifetime experiences on the pages of our watercolor journals as we explore all the charming villages of Alsace. In this week-long workshop, I’ll offer daily demonstrations of techniques for painting the subject matter you’ll encounter each day. And you’ll be painting right along with me, since we learn more by doing than by simply observing. The workshop is suitable for all levels, but some experience with drawing and watercolor would be helpful.
 
Location: Alsace, France
Instructor: Leslie Fehling
Cost: $3,840 before 1/30/25
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Explore the magnificent Cinque Terre region on a fantastic artistic retreat. Monterosso al Mare is the perfect location for exploring the colourful buildings, coastal scene and atmospheric sunsets through the eye of an art, whilst soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the classic Italian ‘La dolce vita’ life-style, with relaxed meals and aperitivi. After your painting sessions, there is time to explore the coastal towns and walks, as well as relaxing on the beach. This retreat is a creative experience with a truly personal and luxurious touch.
 
Location: Cinque Terre, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: € 2.250
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

Sicily – It's on everyone's bucket list, with colorful sunsets, olive groves, vineyards, and picturesque villages with narrow streets, a never ending range of restaurants and cafés, blue skies and beautiful nature, it’s a painters paradise… And it will be our home for 7 days. The workshop is hosted by the retreat center Salinara. Our daily watercolor routine will include daily demonstrations by Gary, along with time for individual instruction. Afternoons will vary between painting time, exploring the region on your own, or possible one of the many activities offered through Salinara – on designated days Gary will conduct group critique over cocktails before the evening meal. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Gary Tucker
Cost: From $2300
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

Ports: Athens, Volos, Istanbul, Ephesus, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos. Join our luxurious painting and cultural tour onboard Celebrity Infinity, starting from the historic city of Athens and exploring the stunning Greek islands and Turkey. This journey offers a perfect blend of painting experience lead by award-winning master watercolorist Vladislav Yeliseyev and deep cultural immersion, with private tours ensuring an intimate and enriching experience. This tour is designed for everyone - whether you wish to learn from Vlad, paint independently, or simply enjoy the journey as a non-painter. Immerse yourself in the rich culture, breathtaking scenery, and artistic inspiration that the Mediterranean has to offer. This journey promises not only a lavish vacation but also an unforgettable artistic odyssey around Aegean Sea!
 
Location: Celebrity Cruise, Greece
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: from $4985
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941-330-6865

Discover Venice through the eye of an artist on this unique Watercolour Retreat. Immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere and picturesque beauty of the ancient city. 'La Serenissima', as Venice is also known, has inspired painters throughout centuries like no other place in the world. Watercolour artist and tutor John Skelcher will guide you through the processes and techniques of capturing the very essence of the Venetian grandeur with its winding canals and dreamy views across the lagoon. The are many quaint and tranquil spots, hidden away from the hustle and bustle, the perfect locations for and beginner and experienced artist alike for capturing the timeless charm of this magical city. Accommodation, tuition, breakfast and dinners, art materials incl.
 
Location: Venice, Italy
Instructor: John Skelcher
Cost: from: € 2.150
Sponsor: Painting Holiday Italy
Website, email, +39-334-903-4401

Join Laura Silburn at Atelier Clos Mirabel for a 5-day botanical art workshop in the French Pyrenees ~ South West France. Enjoy wonderful surroundings, accommodation and delicious meals. Explore the botanical delights of this flora-rich part of the world. Laura will help you examine a chosen plant or vegetable through careful observation and sketchbook work. You will then compose an image that reflects its natural character whilst observing botanical truth. You will be guided on how to take your drawings through to a completed botanical watercolour and shown techniques for dry-brush finishing. Laura has work at Kew Gardens, The Hunt Institute, the Florilegium of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, and the Eden Project Cornwall.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Laura Silburn
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join Róisín Curé for a fun week exploring the joys of sketching. Create your own original artwork and discover a beautiful area of France. As an artist, confidence is key. The path to confidence comes down to two things: volume of work produced, and being guided correctly. In this immersive, week-long course I will demonstrate and teach the key elements that will raise your game as an on-location sketcher: composition, accurate drawing technique, mechanics of watercolour for beauty and control, using a limited colour palette, and rendering correct values. Each day we’ll be out and about (or in studio in the case of bad weather), choosing small scenes in which you can capture a beautiful vignette of the area.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Róisín Curé
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 500 Euros tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join watercolor artist Jeni Caruana on the beautiful island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea on the South side of Italy. Jeni is an experienced tutor for all levels of artists, from beginners to advanced. She encourages everyone to challenge their boundaries and make new discoveries about their own unique expression. Whether it’s basic techniques to give a firm background, or a nudge into loosening up rigid habits, Jeni gives individual attention and inspiration to everyone in the group. The sessions are taught in watercolour, because it is so portable and easy to use on site, but the principles of drawing and colour apply to all mediums, so artists are welcome to bring whatever they are most happy with.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Jeni Caruana
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email, (+39) 339 77 57 062

Experience an unforgettable celebration of Día de Muertos in magical Oaxaca, with stunningly decorated altars, street parades, vibrant music, costumed revelers, all-night vigils in cemeteries, marigold flowers, copal incense, dazzling murals throughout the city. Watercolor class: we’ll paint imagery and symbolic representations of our loved ones to honor their memories, assemble a beautiful group altar and build a tapete de arena (sand tapestry). Field trips: to a mercado to shop for altar decorations and offerings, visits to 2 cemeteries where Oaxaqueños lovingly decorate the graves of their ancestors and bring offerings to share with their spirits, and master artisan studios including tapetes (woven wool rugs), alebrijes (carved wooden objects), and the Mujeres del Barro Rojo (Women of the Red Clay).
 
Location: Oaxaca, Mexico
Instructor: Pedro Cruz Pacheco + Corrie McCluskey
Cost: $2795 (lodging included)
Sponsor: Talismán Oaxaca/Oaxaca Dreams
Website, email, 707-529-9050

Join internationally renowned artist, Alan Shuptrine for an immersive watercolor workshop focusing on the beautiful palette of colors found in Sunset Landscapes! Attendees will utilize different watercolor techniques and will work with a broad range of colors and depth, creating multiple compositions. Born the son of recognized painter, Hubert Shuptrine (1936-2006), Alan has continued the legacy of realism that both Andrew Wyeth and his father Hubert established. A resident of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, Shuptrine’s pursuit of the arts includes schooling at The Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN); The University of the South (Sewanee, TN); and The University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN). For more information, visit alanshuptrine.com.
 
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Instructor: Alan Shuptrine
Cost: $225 Museum members/ $275 non-members
Sponsor: Huntsville Museum of Art
Website, email, 256-535-6372

This is one of the most favorite genres for watercolor artists. In this course we will analyze the three basic principles of landscape construction — three rules without which it is simply impossible to create a convincing and expressive watercolor. You will learn how to create atmospheric landscapes by manipulating tonal values, color and edge. Michael will show how to paint luminous landscapes and how to add emotions to your artwork. You will understand how to draw the right sketch and capture a picture in a dynamic and fresh style. You can expect plenty of individual attention and helpful demonstrations throughout the workshop.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Michael Solovyev
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

Join Rita Sabler for a week of travel sketching in South West France. Document your journey in a sketchbook using ink and watercolour. Let images and words work together in harmony to tell the story of place. Have you ever arrived in a new place and been immediately overwhelmed by its unique character and beauty? Our natural instinct is to capture this beauty, to cherish and remember it. Taking photos provides a quick and easy solution, but doesn’t allow you to really look and absorb the place with all of your senses to truly make it yours. Join us in this magical place with majestic mountains and hidden villages, creating a travel sketchbook that truly captures the place and honors its beauty.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Rita Sabler
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 450€ tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Take time to relax and indulge yourself in nature, by creating your own botanical sketchbook in this week-long course with Dianne Sutherland. Whether you want a sketchbook to be part of your regular practice as an artist, or as an occasional activity for relaxation and to engage with nature, this course is an ideal starting point. You will be guided through the process of filling your pages with beautiful botanical drawings and paintings, working both indoors and outdoors in the surrounding area. We will explore subjects, such as leaves, flowers, dissections and all of the relevant plant parts as well as the surrounding plant habitat. You will also learn how to annotate your pages with written texts and plant stories.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Dianne Sutherland
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 450€ tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Learn my approach to painting on vellum during this five-day workshop at the beautiful Clos Mirabel in the south of France. We will begin by doing some exercises on small bits of vellum to learn technique and to get a feel for painting on this surface. Then, we will explore the grounds of Clos Mirabel to choose painting subjects – roses, hellebores, poppies, columbines, fruit trees, iris, and so much more will be blooming this time of the year. If we are lucky, there may even be a few vegetables ready in the garden. The workshop combines demonstrations, discussion of materials and techniques, hands-on time for developing skills, and lots of individual attention and feedback.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Denise Walser-Kolar
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + $500 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join Kat O’Connor for an immersive week of painting in both oil and water-based mediums. Let yourself be guided by your inner emotions and your surroundings in this beautiful area of South West France. We travel to take a break from our normal lives; to see new things and experience cultures that are different from our own. In this week-long class, we will work at expanding our ability to gather creative inspiration and transferring it into new studio work. Both sketching and painting will be utilised during the week, as well as critiques and discussions about where our inspiration takes us.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Kat O’Connor
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + $600 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join Giacomina Ferrillo for a week-long botanical art workshop in the French Pyrenees of South West France. Enjoy wonderful surroundings, delightful accommodation and delicious meals. This workshop is designed not only to provide basic technical notions and the main tools of botanical art, but also to teach you how to approach various botanical subjects. We will learn to use the ink pen with specific exercises, shadows, colour and how to compose sketchbook pages. We will tackle botanical watercolour techniques by mixing colours, organizing the palette and studying the control of the brushstroke. Thus, over the course of the week, we will create a composition with various botanical subjects different in species, shape and colour, respecting their character and scientific data.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Giacomina Ferrillo
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Watercolor paintings can be so much more than a checklist of watercolor techniques. David goes beyond paint application basics and shows how to construct strong, vibrant, personality-filled paintings. David firmly believes that planning does not destroy creativity, but creates opportunity. Daily one-on-one critiques and demos will be vital to helping you find your watercolor voice. Students will learn: • how to find the essence of your subject matter • how to construct compelling compositions • to see shapes, not objects • how to create a color strategy • how to use frisket to achieve batik-like effects • the importance of value patterns in your work • how to paint loosely while staying true to your subject matter.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: David Daniels
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-781-4389

Join international artist and art educator Wendy Artin at Atelier Clos Mirabel in South West France for a week-long painting workshop. Enjoy painting instruction exploring the finer details of nature through wet washes and colour, light and form. All levels are welcome from complete beginners to professionals. We will spend 5 mornings painting the live model for 2 hours, with poses ranging from 30 seconds to 20 minutes. After personally picking a still life subject from the gardens of Atelier Clos Mirabel, we will paint preparatory sketches and work on longer paintings, experimenting with wet on wet, edge control, composition, shadows, and colour. There will be one free day mid-week for visiting the surrounding area or painting on one’s own.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Wendy Artin
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Discover the fascinating world of Botanical Art, starting with a walk around the magnificent Clos Mirabel property to choose your subject. A variety of plants will be in bloom including Roses, Hydrangeas, Iris, Lupin, Lilies and numerous fruits and vegetables growing in the Jardin Potager. Catherine will introduce her 10 stages to successfully illustrate a subject. You will carefully observe, measure and draw your subject focusing on form, light and texture. After composing your illustration, we will discuss the properties of watercolours and transparent colour mixing. You will apply several layers from the base tea wash to the dry brush finishing touches, using proper lighting to make your subject come to life. If you prefer, you can use coloured pencils.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Catherine Watters
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + $525 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

We’ve chartered the entire ship! So, excluding the friendly crew and staff, just about every passenger will be a fellow sketcher! Your three master workshop instructors are: Brenda Swenson, Shari Blaukopf and Suhita Shirodkhar! This once-in-a-lifetime creative journey includes: 8 days and 7 nights of luxury travel on the historic River Rhine, from Amsterdam through Nijmegen-Arnheim (Holland), to Cologne and Mainz (Germany), through Strasbourg and Ribeauvillé (France), finally docking in Basel (Switzerland). Enjoy on-board sketching sessions, where you’ll learn how to quickly capture natural scenes, skies and townscapes as we sail to our next destination. You will have time to wander, shop and absorb local culture at every stop — or simply sit and continue sketching to your heart’s content.
 
Location: Strasbourg & Ribeauvillé, France
Instructor: Brenda, Shari and Suhita
Cost: starts at € 4,990
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

We’ve chartered the entire ship! So, excluding the friendly crew and staff, just about every passenger will be a fellow sketcher! Your three master workshop instructors are: Brenda Swenson, Shari Blaukopf and Suhita Shirodkhar! This once-in-a-lifetime creative journey includes: 8 days and 7 nights of luxury travel on the historic River Rhine, from Amsterdam through Nijmegen-Arnheim (Holland), to Cologne and Mainz (Germany), through Strasbourg and Ribeauvillé (France), finally docking in Basel (Switzerland). Enjoy on-board sketching sessions, where you’ll learn how to quickly capture natural scenes, skies and townscapes as we sail to our next destination. You will have time to wander, shop and absorb local culture at every stop — or simply sit and continue sketching to your heart’s content.
 
Location: Amsterdam & Nijmegen-Arnheim, The Netherlands
Instructor: Brenda, Shari and Suhita
Cost: starts at € 4,990
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

We’ve chartered the entire ship! So, excluding the friendly crew and staff, just about every passenger will be a fellow sketcher! Your three master workshop instructors are: Brenda Swenson, Shari Blaukopf and Suhita Shirodkhar! This once-in-a-lifetime creative journey includes: 8 days and 7 nights of luxury travel on the historic River Rhine, from Amsterdam through Nijmegen-Arnheim (Holland), to Cologne and Mainz (Germany), through Strasbourg and Ribeauvillé (France), finally docking in Basel (Switzerland). Enjoy on-board sketching sessions, where you’ll learn how to quickly capture natural scenes, skies and townscapes as we sail to our next destination. You will have time to wander, shop and absorb local culture at every stop — or simply sit and continue sketching to your heart’s content.
 
Location: Cologne & Mainz, Germany
Instructor: Brenda, Shari and Suhita
Cost: starts at € 4,990
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join Barbara Hirsekorn for a fun week exploring watercolour sketching in the beautiful grounds and surroundings of Atelier Clos Mirabel in South West France. This course is suitable for both beginners with basic knowledge and experienced watercolour painters. The workshop combines demonstrations, discussions about materials and techniques, practical exercises to develop skills, with plenty of individual attention and feedback. The topics of picture composition, colour theory and spatial drawing/painting are also covered in the course. We will alternate between plein air and studio work in the protected atmosphere of the Atelier. Two outings are included. A minimum of two hours walking and standing in front of the motive for a certain amount of time are required from participants.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Barbara Hirsekorn
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 550 € tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join Nina Johansson for a fun week exploring the joys of sketching. Create your own totally original artwork and discover a beautiful area of South West France. Sketching from observation is a great way to experience a place! In this course we will bring our sketching tools outside to explore Clos Mirabel and its surroundings, capturing them on paper. We will be using lines and colours – pencils, pens and brushes – to capture the look and feel of everything around us. The subjects will cover whatever we encounter during the course, landscapes, architecture, villages, people, botanicals, food – everything becomes interesting to investigate when you sketch. We will start out on location and use the atelier for continued work and explorations.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Nina Johansson
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 350€ tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

Join Ùrsula Romero at Atelier Clos Mirabel for a week-long botanical art workshop in the French Pyrenees ~ South West France. Focusing on leaves, we will explore the drama that can be created through thoughtful lighting and clever glazing. You will have the exciting opportunity to capture the dramatic autumnal colours of leaves in an idyllic setting. From yellowing deciduous leaves to luscious evergreens; the countryside and gardens that surround our course venue are abundant. We will start with a short talk about leaves – their taxonomy, physiology and how to paint them larger than life. And you will learn how to tackle trickier things, such as the translucency and hairs, as well as realistic colors. This course is suitable for all levels.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Úrsula Romero
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + 450 € tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

During this painting holiday, Ali will be exploring a variety of water-based media including watercolours, Brusho, water soluble pens & crayons, and acrylic inks. She will encourage you to experiment to your heart’s delight…and then guide you through planning and including some of these ideas in your paintings. Ali has a lot of exciting techniques to share. You will also be encouraged to use materials usually saved for the kitchen as well as materials from nature. You will be greatly encouraged to add texture and pattern and interest to your paintings. This could be anything from print to splattering techniques. Ali pushes her students to experiment and therefore evolve as artists. She is known for her enthusiastic and fun-loving approach.
 
Location: Pau, France
Instructor: Ali Hargreaves
Cost: 1595€ to 2895€ for accommodation + £300 tuition fee
Sponsor: Atelier Clos Mirabel
Website, email, +33.6.79.59.04.91

These ongoing classes series of 4 meetings each, are for you, who wish to improve your painting and sketching skills of the Landscape. Painting from your window or from images you took yourself. Will be available to participants of any level! Classes offer individual instruction and assignments. In addition, I will be open to specific requests for technique or any artistic "problem" that you may want to talk about and work out. Finding shapes, colors, and color values. Using the brush as an extension of your hand, we can work looser. The class is on Mondays. Duration 2 hours (it is an international group check your time zone on the site)
 
Location: Web-delivered (Online)
Instructor: Tali Farchi
Cost: $125 for 4 meetings
Sponsor: Artist Table
Website, email, 0031624903316

An international group meets online via Zoom every Wednesday (check your time zone). Short and long poses, from 5-10 minutes and 20-30 minutes. Each week I invite a new model to pose. There is always some music in the background that I'm sharing too. 2 hours session. No instruction. At the end of the session, we show each other the work. Friendly atmosphere, everyone is welcome!
 
Location: Web-delivered (Online)
Instructor: Open session hosted by Tali Farchi
Cost: $15 per session
Sponsor: Artist Table
Website, email, 0031624903316

“Painting Music” is an intuitive painting and drawing, open session for everyone. No painting or drawing skills are needed. Move your paint as the music tells you... on a canvas or in your sketchbook. I create a one-hour playlist of the different subjects each week. You may paint one painting or 10 or as much as you want. No rules. You may interpret the music as figurative or abstract, anything goes! The camera of your device will be pointed to the working area, so we can also see the progress, and be inspired. After the session, we look at each other's artwork and talk about the process.
 
Location: Web-delivered (Online)
Instructor: Tali Farchi
Cost: $10 per session
Sponsor: Artist Table
Website, email, 0031624903316