Experience plein air painting and the art of the Flemish and Dutch masters on a small group barging tour through Holland with pastel artist Lisa Regopoulos. Lisa will lead art demonstrations and plein air painting sessions capturing the picturesque canals and landscapes with tulips in full bloom! Tour museums, local sites and enchanting villages and country sides dotted with windmills for inspiration. A highlight of our museum visits will be to the Rijksmuseum to see the first retrospective exhibit of Johannes Vermeer’s works and the largest gathering of his works ever. Ports: Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam and Gouda, and a tour of the incredible Keukenhof Gardens, one of the most beautiful spring gardens in the world.
 
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Instructor: Lisa Regopoulos
Cost: Painters: $2995, Non-painters/Bikers: $2750; single room, add $1200
Sponsor: Artful Travels & International Barging Tours
Website, email, 413-237-4631

Art and Culture in the Balearic Islands is a plein air painting and drawing retreat on the island of Mallorca, Spain. This is our sixth trip to spend the week at La Serranía near Pollensa capturing the beautiful Mediterranean environment capturing the native species, the sea, sky and rocky coastline. All demos are done in watercolor but you are free to work in the medium of your choice. Learning about the history and culture of the Iberian Peninsula is also part of the workshop in the evenings. There is also guided hiking available.
 
Location: Pollensa, Spain
Instructor: Meredith Nemirov
Cost: $2850.00
Sponsor: Ridgway Gallery Workshops LLC
Website, email, 970-318-8444

Join us at La Salle in glorious Gascony, France for a fabulous 7 night all inclusive painting holiday. You will be staying in a beautiful country retreat with designated art studio and pool and expert watercolour tuition with artist Nicki. All levels and non painters welcome. Complementing workshops with Nicki, we visit beautiful villages, markets, gallery and wine tasting. At the end of a successful day relax and enjoy a meal with your group. Make memories and lasting friendships.
 
Location: Toulouse, France
Instructor: Nicki Saunders
Cost: From $1200 / person
Website, email, 0033(0)562294520

Experience magical Sicily, enjoy breathtaking vistas, tiny villages, amazing Sicilian gastronomy and local wine. My interest in creating a Retreat for Tutors is to create a forum for instructors in watercolor to explore the Art of Teaching. My concerns in the way watercolor workshops are being conducted, seem to me to have vastly narrow limits in the general format in which they are conducted. Of course, to be sure I haven’t seen all the various methods used and the ones I have seen are quite well done but could there be more? I hope this idea appeals to you and you will join me in kicking off a wonderful retreat tradition for years to come.
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Stewart White
Cost: From 1700 €
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

This pastel workshop is designed for the beginning and intermediate pastelist and will cover materials, basic design, color, and application. Some materials will be supplied. We will be painting from life and photographs taken on-site or in the surrounding areas of Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy. This is a great opportunity to learn the fundamentals of pastel painting as well as providing a challenge to those who already have a basic understanding of pastel technique. Expect plenty of encouragement and actionable advice. Enjoy a beautiful location with magnificent views and a special atmosphere that only Umbria can offer.
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
Instructor: Neva Rossi Smoll
Cost: 2500 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

Join Polish Watercolorist Artist Michal Jasiewicz to a painting retreat in delightful and peaceful West-Sicily with amazing light and color conditions. Michal will be your tutor during your stay at the stunning Salinara Art Farm, in the Trapani region. Daily painting excursions to surrounding salt pans, local markets, vineyards, villages such as the medieval town Erice, Archeological Park of Selinunte, one of the most flourishing classical civilizations of the Mediterranean area. The workshop will take you through selecting a dramatic composition and simplifying it, tone, light, color theory, effects and how to build up a watercolour painting in a structured, demonstration-led setting. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Michal Jasiewicz
Cost: 1650 €
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

Painting, eating, drinking and touring like an Italian, and yes, soaking in some sun after a long winter. So come join me and have some fun, and learn a lot while you do! Why Sicily? It seems so far away. Why go all the way to paint there? Well, because of the light. The sparkling clear, vibrating light. Sicily, and specifically the area we will paint in, is at the very bottom of Italy. Far to the south and out to the west, Marsala is the nearest town. Low in latitude, at the tip of the boot, the toe juts far enough out into the Mediterranean to make the area feel like an island. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Thomas Jefferson Kitts
Cost: From 2640 €
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

This pastel workshop is designed for the beginning and intermediate pastelist and will cover materials, basic design, color, and application. Some materials will be supplied. We will be painting from life and photographs taken on-site or in the surrounding areas of Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy. This is a great opportunity to learn the fundamentals of pastel painting as well as providing a challenge to those who already have a basic understanding of pastel technique. Expect plenty of encouragement and actionable advice. Enjoy a beautiful location with magnificent views and a special atmosphere that only Umbria can offer.
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
Instructor: Neva Rossi Smoll
Cost: 2500 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

Join Brian Murphy for a week-long plein air painting adventure in the magnificent Costa Brava, Spain. Learn to loosen up your technique and create Light Filled paintings while also learning how to paint with a Limited Palette. Brian has led numerous painting trips to France, Italy and Ireland and this workshop will continue the tradition of painting and experiencing the natural beauty and culture of the world. Spend each day discovering the wonderful light the Costa Brava landscape and seascapes provide while learning how to capture that light on your canvas. There will be daily critiques and discussions about your paintings and Brian will spend part of each day “one on one” with you as you paint the magnificent views.
 
Location: Calella de Palafrugel, Spain
Instructor: Brian Murphy, www.bmurphy.net
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

This master workshop is for the artist who is already painting and desires to work on their own to develop a body of work. Morgan specifically selected this area of Italy for its panoramic views from numerous villages surrounding a valley. The villages themselves abound with wonderful architecture & intimate scenes which will significantly inspire the artist. While in Padula you will be immersed in the local culture. Your day will begin at the studio. Each day when we return from location, we have use of a studio to store our gear and our paintings. The final day will be exhibition day. Morgan will be exhibiting too and offering critique and suggestions to each artist that wishes to participate.
 
Location: Padula, Italy
Instructor: Morgan Samuel Price
Cost: 3800 USD
Sponsor: Art Center Padula
Website, email, +393317385409

We invite you to enjoy a plein air watercolour painting retreat in beautiful West-Sicily. Led by Israeli watercolorist Amir Nir who will be your tutor during your stay at the stunning Salinara Art Farm, in the Trapani region. Daily painting excursions to surrounding towns and villages. Come along to learn to paint en plein air or just to enjoy the company of fellow artists. You will explore surroundings, the itinerary includes visits local markets, salt pans, vineyards, breathtaking Erice Mountain and its medieval village. Every day you will have a picturesque destination to sketch and paint, explore and meet the locals. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Amir Nir
Cost: From 1550 €
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

Join me for one week of sketching with watercolor in beautiful Spain. Drawing while traveling is the best way to experience and remember a new place. 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. I will share some of my favorite watercolor techniques and tips on drawing architecture, water, and greenery.
 
Location: Calella de Palafrugel, Spain
Instructor: Rita Sabler, www.ritasabler.com
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Keith Wicks and Chuck Pyle are teaming up with Charolette Clement (privet chef) to paint and enjoy the picturesque town of Saint Antonin-Noble-Val. With two instructors there's lots of one on one time to learn from these two master painters. We will visit St Cirq de la Popie one of the most beautiful towns of France and visit the Toulouse Lautrec Museum. We will also visit the flea market in Albi and the famous farmers market in St Antonin painting and taking in the sites. Students who join will visit Le Touron Charolette's beautiful home and outdoor restaurant for spectacular dining experience. This week will be packed with fun and painting in Plein Air. Enrollment limited to the first 8 students.
 
Location: Saint Antonin-Noble-Val, France
Instructor: Keith Wicks and Chuck Pyle
Cost: $3000
Sponsor: Keith Wicks Fine Art
Website, email, 707-304-0274

Are you hoping to fulfill a dream in 2023? Join us and artist Sophie Amauger for a 7 night all inclusive pastel painting week in Southern France. You will stay at La Salle, our beautiful farmhouse B&B. We will be painting outdoors daily in the ancient villages and countryside nearby. Suitable for all levels, Sophie will be concentrating on composition, contrast and values. At the end of the day, cool off with a glass of your favourite tipple in the suntrap by the pool and enjoy a 3 course meal with fellow guests, make lasting friendships and happy memories. Non painters welcome. Prices start at $1200 / person in a private room with en suite facilities.
 
Location: Toulouse, France
Instructor: Sophie Amauger
Cost: From $1200
Website, email, 0033(0)562294520

We will spend an amazing week in the Loire Valley filling our watercolor journals with memories of a lifetime. Sketching on-location is powerful. The process of drawing imprints what you see into your brain in such a way that years from now, the sounds of the people walking by, the scent of the rain, the feel of the warm air, and much more will all flood back when you look at your sketch. Urban Sketching is about quickly capturing your experiences on paper, and more important, in your mind and heart. In this workshop, I combine my background in architecture and illustration, together with my many years of teaching, to demystify the world of on-location perspective sketching and painting.
 
Location: Saint Pierre de Corps, France
Instructor: Stephanie Bower
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join David on a watercolor journey, in the breathtaking surrounding of the Alps. You will be learning valuable watercolor concepts and techniques. This workshop will save you countless hours of trial & error by demonstrating approaches in an easily understood manner that will open new doors of discovery and creativity.David will discuss outdoor equipment options, considerations when choosing a composition, value study options to help prepare for the painting process, and provide numerous demonstrations and individual attention. Regardless of your level of experience, you’re almost guaranteed to leave with a handsome work of art, and the skills, concepts, and confidence to take your paintings to a higher level.
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: David R. Smith
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Artists Dream Vacation – Croatia Painting And Cultural Tour! Be inspired by narrow limestone streets and unique baroque buildings, the endless shimmer of the Adriatic and interplay of light on the old stone buildings, mountain and valley, green hills and naked stones, fishing boats and majestic courtyards. Our itinerary will include painting and exploring old towns, fresh food market, local folklore, sparkling marinas, boat trip to one of the picturesque islands and much more! A tour of the world’s second most frequented open-air museum will definitely astound you. The fantastic views will inspire you to paint and to take photographs, and the sights that you will capture will continue to amaze you! Small group. Non-painters are welcome. Discount deadline: 11/30/2022
 
Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Cost: $3390
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941.330.6865

This retreat will take you to the very 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. 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 artists' 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 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 and Shay Avivi
Cost: $3,100
Sponsor: Artist Table
Website, email, 0031624903316

Experience the beauty of Croatia and plein air painting on a small group sailing tour through the breathtaking islands of Croatia with artist Robert Masla. In addition to the islands, we’ll tour ancient cities and UNESCO World Heritage sites with captivating coastlines for inspiration - all from the comfort of our private, luxury 41 meter (134.5’) yacht Barbara. Robert will lead art demonstrations and plein air painting sessions capturing the natural beauty of these Adriatic islands surrounded by the sea, nature and centuries of history!
 
Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Instructor: Robert Masla
Cost: $4795 Painters; $4525 non painters
Sponsor: Artful Travels & International Barging Tours
Website, email, 413-237-4631

During this retreat to Holland, The Netherlands we will visit the city of Zwolle, founded in 800AD. Its classically designed city center has gorgeous parks surrounded by farmland, wooded areas, canals, dikes, and lots of bikes. Your hosts Tali Farchi (NL) and Shay Avivi (IL) are accomplished painters and teachers, providing art instruction to enrich your creative process. The ArtisTTable has hosted hundreds of artists of all levels and backgrounds. During this retreat, we will stay in the 4-Star Bilderberg Wientjes Hotel. This all-inclusive retreat boasts delicious meals, exclusive day trips, and lots of art-making. You will get the full-local experience that will take you will off the beaten tourist path and be a trip you won't forget.
 
Location: Zwolle, The Netherlands
Instructor: Tali Farchi and Shay Avivi
Cost: $3,100
Sponsor: Artist Table
Website, email, 0031624903316

Join us in the South West of France and have a creative life experience. You’ll enjoy inspiring locations, daily painting demonstrations, personalized instruction, and encouraging support with 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 and celebrate your own unique point of view. We look forward to sharing this dreamy adventure with you.
 
Location: Cordes-sur-Ciel, France
Instructor: Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling
Cost: $3,590
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 gourmet cuisine in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence followed by four days visiting Barcelona’s top art sites and enjoying Catalan cuisine. The price of CAD 4275 (around US$ 3330) 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 (Banon, Simiane-la-Rotonde, Rustrel, etc.), TGV train ticket Avignon-Barcelona, transportation and entrance fees to all museums and sites on schedule (Cézanne’s studio, La Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, Miró Museum, etc.). Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence & Barcelona, France
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3330
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

The most enjoyable painting I do is when I paint outdoors. There is an intimacy and sense of “being there” that only occurs when you take the time to slow down and record your surroundings in watercolor- and what surroundings we will have! Join me in the French Alps for a truly memorable week! We will tour daily with an easy schedule of demonstration, one on one critique, and group discussions designed to build your confidence and ability alike. You may paint or explore or do both on any given day. I will be there to guide you through my approach to painting en plein air and help you take your watercolors to the next level!
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: Iain Stewart
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Watercolor Workshop in Paros, Greece. All inclusive (classes, hotel, all meals each day, sightseeing, transfers within the island). Plein air and in studio painting.
 
Location: Paros, Greece
Instructor: George Politis
Cost: 2400 euros
Sponsor: Watercolor International
Website, email, +306944422097

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Join us for 9 full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gourmet cuisine 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 learning environment. Cost of CAD 3775 (around US$ 2900) includes art instruction, 9-night double accommodation, all breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 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. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 2900
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Our one-day art workshop in the Ottawa region is more than an introduction to plein air painting, as you will learn to interpret and depict the landscape in a personal way. The reflection about the intertwining of two realities, nature’s and yours as the viewer, will lead to a synthesis of both on canvas. The day will start with a lecture and end with a gastronomic evening. For all levels and mediums. The price of CA $425 (around US$ 320) includes a lecture on the history of landscape painting, four hours of plein air painting, a five-course dinner including wine (with recipes from Let Go! The Artist's Way of Cooking), and two-way transportation from Ottawa.
 
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 320
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 8006114789

Join George Politis on the dream island of Santorini, Greece for a journey of exploration and creativity. Working in small and large format, we'll be painting in watercolour and other watermedia like watercolour pencils, acrylic inks and collage, learning techniques and most important... learning to see and find a subject (often far from the obvious). This workshop aims to boost the creativity by new inspirational ideas, winning techniques for an once-in-a-lifetime experience. All inclusive. Price includes George Politis art classes, Double accommodations at excellent local hotel with buffet breakfasts each morning, covering August 19-26, all Lunches and Dinners every day, Daily trips / Sightseeing tours.
 
Location: Santorini, Greece
Instructor: George Politis
Cost: 2400 euros
Sponsor: Watercolor International
Website, email, +306944422097

The most enjoyable painting I do is when I paint outdoors. There is an intimacy and sense of “being there” that only occurs when you take the time to slow down and record your surroundings in watercolor- and what surroundings we will have! Join me in Belgium for a truly memorable week! We will tour daily with an easy schedule of demonstration, one on one critique, and group discussions designed to build your confidence and ability alike. You may paint or explore or do both on any given day. I will be there to guide you through my approach to painting en plein air and help you take your watercolors to the next level!
 
Location: Newcastle, Ireland
Instructor: Hugh O'Neill
Cost: $1400
Website, email

Join me as we visit Monet’s house, studio, gardens and ponds. This wonderful week is entirely devoted to filling our sketchbooks with the very scenes that inspired the greatest Impressionists: not just Monet, but also Renoir, Pissarro and Cezanne. And, we crown this glorious week with a day at Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh spent his final days. And what better way to record this memorable week than in our sketchbooks? I’ll share my techniques for capturing the texture and colour of the Normandy Region’s storybook villages and narrow lanes. We’ll sketch gardens and ponds, romantic scenes along the Seine River, and a charming medieval mill. I’ll show you how to keep your watercolour sketches loose, fresh and vibrant.
 
Location: Giverny, France
Instructor: Shari Blaukopf
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join me as we visit Monet’s house, studio, gardens and ponds. This wonderful week is entirely devoted to filling our sketchbooks with the very scenes that inspired the greatest Impressionists: not just Monet, but also Renoir, Pissarro and Cezanne. And, we crown this glorious week with a day at Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh spent his final days. And what better way to record this memorable week than in our sketchbooks? I’ll share my techniques for capturing the texture and colour of the Normandy Region’s storybook villages and narrow lanes. We’ll sketch gardens and ponds, romantic scenes along the Seine River, and a charming medieval mill. I’ll show you how to keep your watercolour sketches loose, fresh and vibrant.
 
Location: Giverny, France
Instructor: Shari Blaukopf
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

While learning the importance of oil painting techniques (values, edges, composition, etc.), the joy of actually painting France en plein air won’t get lost on Kathie! Her enthusiasm for painting the rolling vineyards and lavender fields with you will be contagious! Kathie will walk through her process of narrowing down the choices of subject matter and then demo before it’s time for you to get your brushes wet too… and she will be right alongside cheering you on with personal instruction and encouragement! There is a reason why you want to paint. Kathie will work to help you tap that desire by throwing herself into the entire experience and beauty of Provence!
 
Location: Venasque, France
Instructor: Kathie Odom
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

While learning the importance of oil painting techniques (values, edges, composition, etc.), the joy of actually painting France en plein air won’t get lost on Kathie! Her enthusiasm for painting the rolling vineyards and lavender fields with you will be contagious! Kathie will walk through her process of narrowing down the choices of subject matter and then demo before it’s time for you to get your brushes wet too… and she will be right alongside cheering you on with personal instruction and encouragement! There is a reason why you want to paint. Kathie will work to help you tap that desire by throwing herself into the entire experience and beauty of Provence!
 
Location: Venasque, France
Instructor: Kathie Odom
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

The Work of Qi Yang challenges two painting conceptions of Western and Eastern arts constantly. Yang merges Zen, together with German Expressionism that emphasizes emotion in the paintings through lines, colors, composition and technique. This workshop offers painting combined with poetic thinking for the Italian landscape – from the region Toscana to Assisi. We will at first learn to sketch nature directly in front of beautiful surroundings, for example, trees, forests, mountains, waters and ancient castles, churches, old houses, etc. After sketching the techniques of aquarelle and color ink will be taught, both of which can be used either separately or as mixed technique. Accompanied with the workshop the art theory of the composition on the landscape painting will be taught.
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
Instructor: Qi Yang
Cost: 2500 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy. Draw inspiration from the magnificent countryside, the fragrant flora, the beautiful food and drink or the charm of the Agriturismo La Malvarina using soft pastel. Learn the basics or improve your pastel painting skills in the morning and in the afternoon, explore this gorgeous region steeped in history, art and culture. Each morning will begin with a demonstration of tips and techniques for pastel application as well as instruction about various surfaces and types of pastels. After the demo, each student will receive individual instruction at the easel. Students will take their art pieces home in clear bags suitable for travel. Are you ready to express your vision of Italy?
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
Instructor: Joycelyn Schedler
Cost: 2500 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

Experience the scenic Cotswolds region with award-winning watercolor artist Robert O’Brien, AWS, NWS. Robert will lead watercolor demonstrations and plein air painting sessions capturing the picturesque landscapes and unique charm in the heart of England’s Cotswolds. We’ll spend a week in a country inn in Lower Slaughter, a settlement which dates back over a thousand years and is famous for being one of the most beautiful towns in the Cotswolds. Pretty stone cottages, rose flower gardens, and gently flowing streams will provide artistic inspiration for plein air painters. Non-painters, please join us and spend the week immersed in some of England’s most enchanting villages! Save $150 if you register by February 25!
 
Location: Lower Slaughter, England
Instructor: Robert O'Brien
Cost: Painters, $3580; Non-painters, $3330, double occupancy
Sponsor: Artful Travels & International Barging Tours
Website, email, 413-237-4631

Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy. Draw inspiration from the magnificent countryside, the fragrant flora, the beautiful food and drink or the charm of the Agriturismo La Malvarina using soft pastel. Learn the basics or improve your pastel painting skills in the morning and in the afternoon, explore this gorgeous region steeped in history, art and culture. Each morning will begin with a demonstration of tips and techniques for pastel application as well as instruction about various surfaces and types of pastels. After the demo, each student will receive individual instruction at the easel. Students will take their art pieces home in clear bags suitable for travel. Are you ready to express your vision of Italy?
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
Instructor: Joycelyn Schedler
Cost: 2500 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

The wonderful views and landscapes of Provence seem to be just made for watercolor. Complex juicy color transitions, bright sun and all the incredible villages of Provence are just begging to be caught on the tip of your brush. But every view, every subject that you want to transfer to your paper requires a different approach. Sometimes it needs the use of a different technique, or a serious change in the set of colors. Understanding how to properly build a project to achieve the best result with the least effort is the key to success. An excellent program of relaxation and enjoyment of Provence will be combined with informative work in the open air to create vibrant and sunny watercolors.
 
Location: Venasque, France
Instructor: Michael Solovyev
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Come to enjoy a masterful tuition by Keiko Tanabe, subject matters will be landscape, Mediterranean seascape, old historic city scape, locations in the charming 18th century 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 people, traditional foods and great local wine. The participants will benefit from daily one-on-one guidance and a group sharing with Keiko. You can expect to learn about composition, how to capture lights and atmosphere, methods and techniques of creative process. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Keiko Tanabe
Cost: 1950 €
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc.). Join us for 9 full days of plein air painting, art history/theory lectures, touring, and gourmet cuisine 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 learning environment. Cost of CAD 3775 (around US$ 2900) includes art instruction, 9-night double accommodation, all breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 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. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Lucignano, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 2900
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Sicily is an island of contrasts -from fertile volcanic land, ancient and arid ruins to baroque style architecture, it offers beautiful compositions for painters. Its stunning location in the middle of the Mediterranean means it is blessed with good weather, ideal for painting! This painting holiday is a complete artistic journey from start to finish. You will stay at authentic yet modern villas in the south-east of the island, surrounded by almond, olive and pomegranate trees. Your painting supplies, sketchbook, pencils, boards and easels are provided in a spacious beautiful studio. You will enjoy daily painting classes and excursions to: the coastal town of Siracusa; Ortigia; the Baroque town of Noto; the fishing village of Marzamemi; and the cities of Modica and Ragusa.
 
Location: Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Sandra Iafrate, sandraiafrate.com
Cost: $2980. Canadian
Website, email

Join Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling for their workshop at the stunning Salinara Art Farm on the west coast of Sicily. Cindy and Theresa will give daily painting lessons and individual help, encouraging support, share how to draw and simplify your subject, play with colors and water, textures, composition, writing and precious advice on how to create and improve your watercolor journal pages. Resume of the workshop, final discussion about student’s works with Cindy and Theresa. Sicily is a unique island that has been shaped by many cultures over many thousands of years. Salinara is a 10 minute walk from the Sea, close by are salt pans with windmills, lined vineyards and olive groves. Limited single rooms for a supplement.
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Theresa Goesling and Cindy Briggs
Cost: From 2900 €
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

We have designed an amazing adventure filled with artists’ favorites such as breathtaking views of Czech towns and rivers, fantastic guided tours, exceptional daily watercolor instructions and painting spectacular sceneries of Bohemian landscape complimented with delicious local delicacies, comfortable lodging and private transportation. All mediums | All levels | Non-painters are welcome. Explore the country of castles with Vlad. We will start our journey in Prague, “Golden City of a Thousand Spires”, one of most fascinating cities in Europe, exploring and painting in historic neighborhoods across the Vltava River. Crossing the country down to the South region, we will experience the number and variety of Czech castles from Gothic ruins to majestic, baroque mansions that are simply awe-inspiring.
 
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Instructor: Vladislav Yeliseyev
Sponsor: Renaissance School of Art
Website, email, 941-330-6865

Join watercolor artist Jeni Caruana on the beautiful island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. 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. Or to bring something different to experiment!
 
Location: Marsala, Italy
Instructor: Jeni Caruana
Sponsor: Salinara
Website, email

Join David on a Watercolor Journey, in the beautiful Provence. You will be learning the most valuable watercolor concepts and techniques. This workshop will save you countless hours of trial & error by demonstrating approaches in an easily understood manner that will open new doors of discovery and creativity. David will discuss outdoor equipment options, considerations when choosing a composition, value study options to help prepare for the painting process, and provide numerous demonstrations and individual attention. Regardless of your level of experience, you’re almost guaranteed to leave with a handsome work of art, and the skills, concepts, and confidence to take your paintings to a higher level.
 
Location: Provence, France
Instructor: David R. Smith
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

This plein-air watercolor workshop with Stella Canfield is all about you! Stella will help you to develop your own creative process and finish a painting every day (if not two!). From sketching to design, color, light and techniques until applying emotion, brush strokes, and final touches, Stella will be there for you, making sure you feel comfortable and confident with your process. Plan on working hard and having fun at the same time. The challenge you will overcome will be leaving worries and limits behind and “get into the Zone”. You will free yourself of pressure and judgment and enjoy the creative process as we create for no one else but ourselves. There are no limits to creation!
 
Location: Costa Brava/Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Stella Canfield
Cost: $3,590 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Come and paint in beautiful Provence with Carol Carter. Carol will share her unique watercolor technique, painting from background to foreground, using dynamic and inventive color. Each day in the studio, Carol will share her watercolor techniques while teaching site specific tutorials. The workshop will provide templates, reference photos and materials information. Painting workshop from 9 am to noon followed by conclusion and small critique till about 1pm. In the afternoon, we will visit some villages in Provence that will be the topic of our next day painting: time for photography and sketching. Relax, enjoy, learn a new watercolor technique or two among the camaraderie of other artists while savoring gourmet food and French wines.
 
Location: Provence, France
Instructor: Carol Carter
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Join acclaimed watercolorist and instructor, Margie Samuels, for a magical week painting in the breathtaking French Alps! Each morning will start with a brief review of the watercolor skills that you will be using in that day’s plein air landscape. These lessons, focusing on various techniques, will take your watercolor painting to the next level. Each day participants will be given a “painting challenge,” where you can carry these new skills into the plein air landscape that you are creating. With a maximum size of just 15 students, there will be plenty of opportunity for individual instruction. Each location will include an on-site demonstration by Margie where you will get to see the steps it takes to bring your painting to life.
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: Margie Samuels
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

There’s a bookshelf in my studio that holds more than 30 travel sketchbooks. Every time I browse through them, memories of a specific place come flooding back — and not just the sights. Sounds, scents and flavours, snippets of conversations with a farmer, the taste of my morning coffee and brioche — it’s all still there, fresh in my mind, the moment I crack open a sketchbook. That’s what I love best about travel sketching. How the act of putting pencil and paint to paper enriches the total experience, and preserves it forever. Come sketch with me in Provence, where we’ll capture this historic region’s beauty and character in our sketchbooks.
 
Location: Provence, France
Instructor: Shari Blaukopf
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

There’s a bookshelf in my studio that holds more than 30 travel sketchbooks. Every time I browse through them, memories of a specific place come flooding back — and not just the sights. Sounds, scents and flavours, snippets of conversations with a farmer, the taste of my morning coffee and brioche — it’s all still there, fresh in my mind, the moment I crack open a sketchbook. That’s what I love best about travel sketching. How the act of putting pencil and paint to paper enriches the total experience, and preserves it forever. Come sketch with me in Provence, where we’ll capture this historic region’s beauty and character in our sketchbooks.
 
Location: Provence, France
Instructor: Shari Blaukopf
Cost: $3,790 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Enveloped by the beauty of France, you will be guided in creating impressionistic watercolor sketches, learning techniques of painting with expression, and incorporating the principles and elements of art into your work. Each day, we will be focusing on a particular subject(s) or technique that will be applicable for that day’s destination. Learn to create watercolor sketches in a loose, splashy manner, quickly capturing the vibrant, lush countryside of Provence. This workshop is focused on immersing oneself within the country, absorbing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and then translating those experiences into sketches. Several studies and paintings will be done every day, including intuitive warm-up exercises and technique exploration. Group and one-on-one teaching will be provided daily.
 
Location: Fontaine de Vaucluse, France
Instructor: Sarah Hansen
Cost: $3,790 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Painting in Belgium – a dream come true! From quaint little buildings, to beaches, mossy canals and windmills. We get the chance to paint them all! You will be learning some of the most valuable skills in watercolor, such as working wet-on-wet, learning to recognize the moisture content of the paper and why the thickness of your paint mixture is so important. Watercolor is so much easier once you learn these little fundamentals. Our days are relaxed and informative (with lots of good food and laughter in the mix). If you are a first-time plein air painter (and afraid), you’ll find it painless! We will also be working in the studio with lots of demos, handouts and personal attention.
 
Location: Bruges, Belgium
Instructor: Kathie George
Cost: $3,690 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713