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

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 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

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

Our 35th workshop in Italy includes 7 nights, 8 days in a three-star hotel with an attached award-winning health and beauty spa; hotel was the 15th Century Pope's summer home; all rooms with private baths; hotel has an elevator; one-on-one plein air painting instructions; oils, pastels, water-based media welcome; painting demos; beginners to advanced; most meals; all land transfers in Italy including roundtrip to Rome and/or airport; paint in Montechiello, Pienza, and Bagno Vignoni; 1/2 day side trips to Siena and San Gimignano; includes spa services of the Roman sauna, jacuzzi, and thermal pools; many fee-based health and beauty spa services available to you through the hotel; cooking classes featuring Tuscan cuisine available for artists and guests.
 
Location: Bagno Vignoni, Italy
Instructor: Sam D'Ambruoso
Cost: $3,575. artist; $575 single room additional
Sponsor: Sam DAmbruoso Art Workshops DAmbruoso Studios
Website, email, 203-758-9660

A seven-day painting retreat with artist Nina Weiss in San Miguel de Allende, for Day of the Dead, one of the most visually stunning and exciting holidays in Mexico. The town of San Miguel is full of spectacle and activity with elaborate altars, "catrina" parade, Day of the Dead markets and marigolds everywhere! Students will learn to utilize techniques such as layering, optical mixture and broken brushstroke. Technical guidance in all color mediums is provided including gouache, acrylic, oils, pastel and colored pencils. Students will also build strong and effective paintings by studying ideas about composition, gesture and thumbnail sketches, all while enjoying the lush scenery of the colonial town and surrounding countryside. Join us in October!
 
Location: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Instructor: Nina Weiss
Cost: $2599-$3222
Sponsor: Linda Laino Studios
Website, email, +52 415 566 1684

Learn to paint with Palette Knife. Add a new form of expression to your art, loosen up. Novices? Learn it right from the start. Workshop will also cover elements of art, composition, color mixing, and 5 paining techniques. Apply it all to 3 expressive landscape paintings of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. Studio painting from photo references. The workshop takes place in enchanted village of Ajijijc, Jalisco. Full of brilliant light, Malecon, small shops, restaurants, and vibrant street life. Your instructor maestro Fernando Gonzalez, has over 35 years of painting experience, and his work is in collections in US, Canada, and Mexico. Only 10 per workshop, materials (acrylics) are provided but the techniques can be applied to oil painting.
 
Location: Ajijic, Mexico
Instructor: Fernando Gonzalez
Cost: $ 750.00 includes all materials
Sponsor: Cristi Fer Art Studio and Workshops
Website, email, 322-153-1906

Join our unique art workshop in South America and experience the stunning Caribbean coast from Puerto Colombia (Barranquilla) to Cartagena. Learn the fundamentals of perspective drawing and watercolors and have a taste of Colombian Caribbean food and culture. After an art class, try a "mojarra con arroz con coco" with a cold Colombian beer or an "aguardiente". Paint on the beach, attend cooking demonstrations by local chefs, take part in a street food tour, and much more. Price of CAD 2900 per person (around US$2200) includes eight-night double accommodation in comfortable and centrally located hotels, all ground transportation, all breakfasts, one lunch, a few aperitifs, two suppers, one street food tour, art instruction, cooking demonstrations and art supplies.
 
Location: Cartagena, Colombia
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 2200
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

A Plein Air Oil Painting Workshop with Dena Peterson Join Dena Peterson, painter for the 2018 Oscar-nominated film, Loving Vincent, as she paints the scenery of Mallorca, Spain. “My goal for this workshop is to help you to simplify the magnificent vistas before you, in order to capture the essence that is Mallorca.” Lectures, demonstrations, and painting on location will be the daily itinerary as you learn the basics of painting en plein air in a supportive environment with lots of personal attention. During the week, we will explore the island and its many scenic areas, from the gorgeous views over the Mediterranean Sea to the small towns in the Tramuntana mountain range as well as the capital of Palma.
 
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Instructor: Dena Peterson
Cost: $3,890
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

Learn to paint with Palette Knife. Add a new form of expression to your art, loosen up. Novices? Learn it right from the start. Workshop will also cover elements of art, composition, color mixing, and 5 paining techniques. Apply it all to 3 expressive landscape paintings of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. Studio painting from photo references. The workshop takes place in enchanted village of Ajijijc, Jalisco. Full of brilliant light, Malecon, small shops, restaurants, and vibrant street life. Your instructor maestro Fernando Gonzalez, has over 35 years of painting experience, and his work is in collections in US, Canada, and Mexico. Only 10 per workshop, materials (acrylics) are provided but the techniques can be applied to oil painting.
 
Location: Ajijic, Mexico
Instructor: Fernando Gonzalez
Cost: $ 750.00 includes all materials
Sponsor: Cristi Fer Art Studio and Workshops
Website, email, 322-153-1906

Join us as we return to La Serranía nestled in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana Mountains near Pollensa. This is our seventh trip to Mallorca and we are looking forward to painting and drawing the trees and plants of the Mediterranean as well as the sea, sky and rocky coastline. We have been traveling to Spain since 2000 and the history and culture of the island are shared over a glass of Tempranillo wine each evening!
 
Location: Pollensa, Mallorca, Spain
Instructor: Meredith Nemirov
Cost: $2850.00
Sponsor: Ridgway Gallery Workshops,LLC
Website, email, 970-318-8444

Picture yourself sitting in an outdoor cafe in one of the piazzas, sketchbook in hand, immersed in capturing the life around you while enjoying a cappuccino. Let me share the techniques I use in my work using a very portable means of sketching - pen and ink and watercolor – to record the beautiful, sensitive lines of an old building or the bold strokes of a street scene. Learn to zoom in on the important elements when working in the field to create interesting compositions and lasting memories with texture and rich washes of color! This class covers pen and ink and watercolor wash techniques, composition and simple perspective.
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Ann Thomas
Cost: From $3850.00 per person
Sponsor: Toscana Americana Workshops
Website, email, 978-407-7127

Experience magical Sicily, enjoy breathtaking vistas, tiny villages, amazing Sicilian gastronomy and local wine. For those lovers of watercolour painting, the process of quickly developing comfortable relationship with methods and materials Subject of workshop effectiveness, the state of painting and community over local cuisine and wine at the villa. . Sound good? Come to paint en plein air or just to enjoy the company of fellow artists.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Stewart White
Cost: From 2050 $
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

This Travel Journaling workshop in Provence has been designed with the Absolute Beginner in mind. Creating a watercolor journal when you are traveling is the complete opposite of how many of us travel these days: taking photos after photos with our phones. Watercolor Travel Journaling gives us a chance to slow down, to sketch scenes around us, to bring out our paints and add some color to our travel journals. Provence is the artist's dream destination. 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 see why artists of all calibers are drawn to this alluring area.
 
Location: Bonnieux, Provence, France
Instructor: Lo Peyron Mathews
Cost: $3,590
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

Come join Andrew Lattimore, as you explore the exciting and varied history of Sicily’s diverse architecture, stunning landscape, fabulous food and rich culture! We’ll be staying in Marsala at Salinara, an 18th-century villa owned by our gracious hosts, Yumi and Adriano. It is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and is only a 10-minute walk to the Mediterranean sea. Each day we’ll enjoy an early morning breakfast following a full day of painting, exploring the sights and sounds of Sicily. We’ll paint the captivating landscape at the villa but we will also take day excursions to the city of Marsala, the Marsala Salt Pans, Erice, and the Park of Selinunte.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Andrew Lattimore
Cost: From € 2175
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

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 $3850.00 per person, all inclusive
Sponsor: Toscana Americana Workshops
Website, email, 978-407-7127

Come join me for an amazing week of plein air painting in Costa Brava, Spain! We will have gorgeous views to paint of secluded rocky coves, cute medieval villages, stunning rugged landscapes, and incredible turquoise waters. It is also a place to enjoy delicious food and vibrant culture. Students can work in gouache or oil in this workshop. I will be doing daily demos and assisting you with your paintings. I enjoy teaching and will be there with you to help strengthen your painting skills and artistic voice. We will focus on design, color mixing, and capturing the mood of the day by understanding atmospheric perspective. This workshop is open to beginner and intermediate students.
 
Location: Costa Brava/Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Ellen Howard
Cost: $3,590 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

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

Come join Andrew Lattimore, as you explore the exciting and varied history of Sicily’s diverse architecture, stunning landscape, fabulous food and rich culture! We’ll be staying in Marsala at Salinara, an 18th-century villa owned by our gracious hosts, Yumi and Adriano. It is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and is only a 10-minute walk to the Mediterranean sea. Each day we’ll enjoy an early morning breakfast following a full day of painting, exploring the sights and sounds of Sicily. We’ll paint the captivating landscape at the villa but we will also take day excursions to the city of Marsala, the Marsala Salt Pans, Erice, and the Park of Selinunte.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Andrew Lattimore
Cost: From € 2175
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

Join us in 2024, as Kathleen Lanzoni takes a group of watercolor painters on this trip to Provence. We will be painting the fascinating towns and beautiful 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! We will stay in Bonnieux, and we will visit many of the scenic towns in the Luberon area: Roussillon, Lourmarin, l’Isle sur la Sorgue, and Gordes. 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 we love this area and are excited to take groups to enjoy Provence.
 
Location: Bonnieux, Provence, France
Instructor: Kathleen Lanzoni
Cost: $3,790
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

Join us for this weeklong plein air workshop in beautiful Tuscany and Umbria. Create vignette sketches and paintings of the dramatic vistas, colorful architecture, bustling people and more during your time on this magical trip to Cortona, Italy. Morning and afternoon sessions, followed by individual instruction, will cover the basic concepts of atmospheric and linear perspective, capturing people, architecture, and dramatic lighting. With pen and paper in hand, you’ll quickly document the sites. Add a touch of watercolor to enhance your sketches. Your art supplies are light and easy to tote making this ideal for all levels of artists. The traveler’s sketchbook is a wonderful way to document your trip in a carefree way.
 
Location: Cortona, Italy
Instructor: Jo Ellen Reinhardt
Cost: From $3850.00 per person, all inclusive
Sponsor: Toscana Americana Workshops
Website, email, 978-407-7127

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

Let’s explore Costa Brava with a sketchbook! Spending time observing a scene while travelling creates rich memories. When you spend time sketching the scene, those memories become indelible, and the studies you create are so much more precious than the usual travel snaps we see. We can record the fresh white buildings, the ancient stone castle, the gardens, the fabulous cliffs, the beach, all the while creating a rich and vivid record in our sketchbooks. Working from life, you’ll learn how to mix accurate colours, and how to work with a limited palette to simplify the painting process. You’ll discover how to sketch and paint whatever you come across and how to record them all in pencil, pen and watercolour.
 
Location: Costa Brava/Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Jane Blundell
Cost: $3,590 before Nov 30th
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

A Sketchbook Journaling Workshop with Karen Ramsay. Come join us and capture Lake Como in watercolor! As we fill our art travel journals with sketching and watercolors, Karen will give us tips and tricks for improving this special skill. Sketching on location, while traveling, is an art form that you can take with you on every future trip and the sketches that you create will become a treasured visual diary of your travel. During the week, we will 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. Lake Como has a timeless beauty where you will find endless inspiration to create art!
 
Location: Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy
Instructor: Karen Ramsay
Cost: $3,890
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

Join us for another amazing painting adventure with Lori Putnam and Kevin Macpherson in Sicily. Western Sicily's splendid atmosphere offers you the opportunity to discover hundreds of picturesque painting spots. Together with Kevin's and Lori's charm and inspiration, we are certain you will have a wonderful time. At the end of the week, you will leave this adventure excited, ready to experiment more on your own; and, above all, pointed toward meaningful, personal artistic growth. Plein air experience strongly recommended. Only for a small group of Artist Friends.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Lori Putnam & Kevin Macpherson
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

Our watercolor painting holiday on the Costa Brava is an exciting opportunity to learn from a professional tutor, Tim Wilmot, and to paint in some stunning locations with a wide variety of subjects. The objectives of the watercolor workshop are to improve your watercolor painting techniques, while exploring the unique beauty of the location. Through demonstrations, individual instruction, and group critiques, participants will gain a better understanding of how to create atmosphere, depth, and interest in their artwork and develop their personal style. You will have a chance to paint many different subjects: Beach, Landscape and Seascape and Street Scenes. Each day we will try and produce 2 completed paintings together.
 
Location: Costa Brava/Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Tim Wilmot
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

Let’s explore Costa Brava with a sketchbook! Spending time observing a scene while travelling creates rich memories. When you spend time sketching the scene, those memories become indelible, and the studies you create are so much more precious than the usual travel snaps we see. We can record the fresh white buildings, the ancient stone castle, the gardens, the fabulous cliffs, the beach, all the while creating a rich and vivid record in our sketchbooks. Working from life, you’ll learn how to mix accurate colours, and how to work with a limited palette to simplify the painting process. You’ll discover how to sketch and paint whatever you come across and how to record them all in pencil, pen and watercolour.
 
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Instructor: Jane Blundell
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

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors). 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 learning environment. Cost of CAD 3975 (around US$ 3000) includes instruction, 9-night accommodation in single and double rooms (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 tour to the Uffizi Museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Tuscany, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3000
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Learn to paint with Palette Knife. Add a new form of expression to your art, loosen up. Novices? Learn it right from the start. Workshop will also cover elements of art, composition, color mixing, and 5 paining techniques. Apply it all to 3 expressive landscape paintings of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. Studio painting from photo references. The workshop takes place in enchanted village of Ajijijc, Jalisco. Full of brilliant light, Malecon, small shops, restaurants, and vibrant street life. Your instructor maestro Fernando Gonzalez, has over 35 years of painting experience, and his work is in collections in US, Canada, and Mexico. Only 10 per workshop, materials (acrylics) are provided but the techniques can be applied to oil painting.
 
Location: Ajijic, Mexico
Instructor: Fernando Gonzalez
Cost: $ 750.00 includes all materials
Sponsor: Cristi Fer Art Studio and Workshops
Website, email, 322-153-1906

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

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 4475 per person (around US$ 3350) 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 850 around US$ 650.
 
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3350
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 4475 per person (around US$ 3350) 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 850 around US$ 650.
 
Location: Alpes de Haute-Provence, France
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3350
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

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: 2600 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

Join Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling in Giverny and have a creative life experience. You’ll enjoy inspiring locations such as Monet’s garden, 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: Watercolor Painting Workshop, France
Instructor: Cindy Briggs & Theresa Goesling
Cost: $3,790 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

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: Michael Solovyev
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

Just imagine….200 year old olive trees, charming hilltop villages, bustling outdoor cafés and window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers. Now, put yourself in the picture, sitting at a little café with your sketchbook and paints, sketching a window across the way, with its lace curtains, blue shutters, and red geraniums. Can you see it? Can you feel it? Well, why not experience it? Join me for an unforgettable painting holiday in Provence, a region famous for its stunning scenery and clear light which has captivated artists through the centuries. In this week-long workshop, we’ll relax and enjoy long autumn days sketching in this stunningly beautiful part of France. Capture once-in-a-lifetime experiences on the pages of your watercolor journals!
 
Location: Fontaine de Vaucluse, France
Instructor: Leslie Fehling
Cost: $3,790 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

While learning the importance of oil painting techniques and principles (values, edges, composition, etc.), enjoy the joy of actually painting Spain en plein air! The enthusiasm for painting the beaches, cliffs and boats 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 the Costa Brava!
 
Location: Costa Brava/Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Kathie Odom
Cost: $3,790 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

Learn to paint with Palette Knife. Add a new form of expression to your art, loosen up. Novices? Learn it right from the start. Workshop will also cover elements of art, composition, color mixing, and 5 paining techniques. Apply it all to 3 expressive landscape paintings of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. Studio painting from photo references. The workshop takes place in enchanted village of Ajijijc, Jalisco. Full of brilliant light, Malecon, small shops, restaurants, and vibrant street life. Your instructor maestro Fernando Gonzalez, has over 35 years of painting experience, and his work is in collections in US, Canada, and Mexico. Only 10 per workshop, materials (acrylics) are provided but the techniques can be applied to oil painting.
 
Location: Ajijic, Mexico
Instructor: Fernando Gonzalez
Cost: $ 750.00 includes all materials
Sponsor: Cristi Fer Art Studio and Workshops
Website, email, 322-153-1906

Just imagine….200 year old olive trees, charming hilltop villages, bustling outdoor cafés and window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers. Now, put yourself in the picture, sitting at a little café with your sketchbook and paints, sketching a window across the way, with its lace curtains, blue shutters, and red geraniums. Can you see it? Can you feel it? Well, why not experience it? Join me for an unforgettable painting holiday in Provence, a region famous for its stunning scenery and clear light which has captivated artists through the centuries. In this week-long workshop, we’ll relax and enjoy long autumn days sketching in this stunningly beautiful part of France. Capture once-in-a-lifetime experiences on the pages of your watercolor journals!
 
Location: Fontaine de Vaucluse, France
Instructor: Leslie Fehling
Cost: $3,790 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

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: 2600 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

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.
 
Location: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Gary Tucker
Cost: From 2300 $
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

We will be a lovely small group where I can work with you individually to ensure that every aspect of the experience meets your expectations. There will be plenty of opportunity to have your questions answered and have fun along the way. I will show you how to make fast improvements by sharing my most successful tips for watercolour sketching. You will receive plenty of demonstrations and examples to support you along the way. Learn how to sketch confidently, understand paint consistency and application and mix wonderful glowing colours! The subjects covered will be truly inspirational – including beautiful beaches, cliffs, boats, botanical garden, local scenes and sketching the everyday such as your lunch.
 
Location: Costa Brava/Barcelona, Spain
Instructor: Judy Salleh
Cost: $3,790 before Jan 31st
Sponsor: French Escapade
Website, email, 510-483-5713

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: 2600 €
Sponsor: Schola Artis Pro Vobis
Website, email

Come to enjoy a masterful tuition by Keiko, subject matters will be landscape, Mediterranean seascape, old historic cityscape. We’ll be staying at Salinara, an 18th-century farm, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, only a ten minutes walk to the Mediterranean sea. Sicily is like a dream… colorful sunsets, 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, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Keiko Tanabe
Cost: From € 2050
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

A Sketchbook Journaling Workshop with Karen Ramsay. Come join us and capture Mallorca in watercolor! As we fill our art travel journals with sketching and watercolors, Karen will give us tips and tricks for improving this special skill. Sketching on location, while traveling, is an art form that you can take with you on every future trip. The daily sketches that you create will become a treasured visual diary of your travel. During this week in Mallorca, we will explore the island, its many scenic areas - from the gorgeous views over the Mediterranean Sea to the small towns in the Tramuntana mountain range: the artist town of Deia, the scenic towns of Fornalutx and Valldemossa and the capital Palma.
 
Location: Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain
Instructor: Karen Ramsay
Cost: $3,890
Sponsor: Alpine Creative Tours
Website, email, 970-846-9000

A thought-provoking and inspirational art workshop open to artists of all levels and media (oils, acrylics, watercolors). 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 learning environment. Cost of CAD 3975 (around US$ 3000) includes instruction, 9-night accommodation in single and double rooms (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 tour to the Uffizi Museum.
 
Location: Lucignano, Tuscany, Italy
Instructor: Prof. Yves M. Larocque
Cost: US$ 3000
Sponsor: Walk the Arts
Website, email, 800-611-4789

Discover the sun-drenched landscape of Sicily on this painting holiday that takes you on an artistic journey through the island's vibrant culture, stunning cathedrals, and picturesque fishing villages. From the baroque architecture to the surrounding olive groves and white sandy beaches, there is no shortage of inspiration for any artist. Your stay will be at an authentic yet modern villa 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 studio where you'll enjoy daily painting classes and excursions to some of the island's most stunning destinations.
 
Location: Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Sandra Iafrate, sandraiafrate.com
Cost: 1899 GBP
Website, email

Join us for a plein air watercolour painting retreat in delightful and peaceful West-Sicily with Polish watercolorist Michal Jasiewicz. We are so proud that he’s coming to SALINARA for the second time. 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, and 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, Sicily, Italy
Instructor: Michal Jasiewicz
Cost: From € 1750
Sponsor: Salinara - Art Farm | Retreat Centre
Website, email

Learn to paint with Palette Knife. Add a new form of expression to your art, loosen up. Novices? Learn it right from the start. Workshop will also cover elements of art, composition, color mixing, and 5 paining techniques. Apply it all to 3 expressive landscape paintings of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. Studio painting from photo references. The workshop takes place in enchanted village of Ajijijc, Jalisco. Full of brilliant light, Malecon, small shops, restaurants, and vibrant street life. Your instructor maestro Fernando Gonzalez, has over 35 years of painting experience, and his work is in collections in US, Canada, and Mexico. Only 10 per workshop, materials (acrylics) are provided but the techniques can be applied to oil painting.
 
Location: Ajijic, Mexico
Instructor: Fernando Gonzalez
Cost: $ 750.00 includes all materials
Sponsor: Cristi Fer Art Studio and Workshops
Website, email, 322-153-1906