Watercolor Sketching Workshop in Santa Barbara, California,
Painting Workshops.
When quality matters!
When quality matters!
Painting Tours: USA – Santa Barbara-Cindy & Theresa
With breathtaking coastal mountains to the east and sublime beaches to the west, Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful places in California. With its perfect Mediterranean climate, Santa Barbara is a little gem with lush gardens and distinctive white-washed, terracotta-tiled Spanish architecture. No doubt that it deserves its name of “American Riviera”.
Day 1: Orientation Meeting and Welcome Dinner
5 pm: Meet your fellow travelers, your teacher and your tour leader at our selected hotel for our orientation meeting followed by a welcome dinner.
Days 2 to 5: Sketching in the heart of Santa Barbara
You will sketch in plein-air some of the emblematic spots of Santa Barbara. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of them:
The Queen of the Missions
The Santa Barbara Mission is known as “Queen of the Missions” for its exceptional beauty.With its grand double bell towers, lush gardens and the majestic San Ynez mountains as a backdrop, the Mission is one of the city’s most picturesque landmarks.
The Rose Garden
We will enjoy a picnic in the Rose Garden, a wonderland of more than 1,500 rose plants. Spring is the best time to see the roses in their full glory. An exceptional foreground for your sketches with the Mission in the back.
The Court House, one of the most beautiful public buildings in America
With its Spanish-Colonial architectural style, dated from 1929, the court house will be the a perfect subject for your sketches: distinctive red tile roof, four-faced clock tower, verdant grounds and sunken gardens, elegant arches.
Inside, you will admire the amazing architecture, including spiral staircases, thick wooden doors, hand painted murals and subtle touches that reveal the building’s historic Spanish roots. You can even climb to the top of the 18th century clock tower for breathtaking panoramic views of downtown Santa Barbara.
Spanish Colonial Village
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this adobe building from 1820’s was an affluent Spanish-Mexican-style home that became the social, political, and cultural center of Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara Wharf
From the oldest working wharf in California, you can sketch amazing views of the blue Pacific Ocean, breathtaking views of the harbor and beaches backed by the Santa Ynez Mountains, while enjoying salty breezes and soaking up the sunlight.
During the week: Wine Tasting
The ebb and flow of ocean breezes makes the Santa Barbara Wine Country region a jewel in the crown of California viticulture. At the end of a sketching day, we will treat you for a wonderful wine tasting experience of some local wines. We will enjoy different wines accompanied by some finger food, in a private setting just for our group.
End of Day 5: Show and Tell and Farewell Dinner
Afternoon:
It is time to finish up some of the paintings started this week. The sketching workshop will end with a little “Show and Tell”. We will then treat you for the farewell dinner before saying goodbye.
Day 6: Departure
You can leave at your convenience after breakfast or extend your stay to enjoy this wonderful city. If you live close to Santa Barbara, you can leave after the farewell dinner the night before.
Journal Sketching in Watercolor: USA – Santa Barbara, Oct 22-27, 2021
Join Theresa Goesling and Cindy Briggs in Santa Barbara
“Join us in Santa Barbara and experience daily demonstrations, personalized instruction, and, encouraging support with 
Theresa and Cindy. “We show you how to design and simplify your subject, draw confidently, jazz up your colors, paint with serendipity and experiment with new techniques. Enjoy creating colorful paintings with an emphasis on your own unique point of view”.
“We’ve traveled several times with French Escapade before and are always impressed with the personal attention to details; Jackie and her team took amazing care of our group as we painted, explored and dined.”
Paint in your sketchbook or on materials you prefer.
Cindy and Theresa co-authored a watercolor lesson book called “Make Every Day A Painting” which is available for purchase at www.MakeEveryDayAPainting.com.
Theresa has been teaching international workshops for 25 years, including the last five years working with French Escapade. She is an award-winning fine artist and was Art Director for Eddie Bauer and signature member and past president of Northwest Watercolor Society.
Theresa’s work has been published in the North Light book “Splash”, Watercolor Magazine and her work has been juried into the American Watercolor Society’s international show in New York. Theresa has taught for Daniel Smith Artist Materials, Women’s University Club in Seattle, and her studio on Mercer Island. 
She has juried and demonstrated around the country for many art organizations. Theresa co-authored a watercolor painting instruction manual and is the co-owner of Make Every Day A Painting, LLC.
From Park City, Utah to charming historical villages throughout Europe, Cindy Briggs enthusiastically shares the creative journey with her students. Teaching locally and internationally for 25 years, Cindy has now worked with French Escapade for over 5 years, and appreciates how Jackie and Valerie take such great care of their guests. 
Cindy has worked with Daniel Smith for decades as a feature demonstrator and instructor. She also teaches watercolor workshops for the Smithsonian Art Studios, University of Utah, and many arts organizations. She has also served as a juror for regional events and national arts festivals. Cindy produces numerous online watercolor program packages and enjoys providing a virtual front row seat for all of her students.
An award-winning artist, Cindy’s work has been featured in many international juried National Watercolor Society exhibitions among other Watercolor Society, University, Gallery and Museum exhibitions. She has been published in Watercolor Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Outside Artist, Conde Nast Magazine among local and regional magazines.
Cindy has also co–written a successful watercolor manual with Theresa Goesling. You’ll find the life-long friends teaching individually and together on V.I.E.W, overseas with French Escapade and in beautiful destinations closer to home.
Price and What is included
Oct 22-27, 2021 with Cindy Briggs & Theresa Goesling: Journal Sketching Workshop – Max 20 Participants–Open
Price: $1,490 (Hotel is not incl., see below).
Includes
- A welcome reception
- 2 dinners: one welcome dinner on day 1 and one farewell dinner on day 5
- 1 picnic lunch
- Wine tasting
- All art classes (daily demos, one-on-one support and instructions)
- The use of folding stools
- Complementary snacks and drinks brought to the painting sites
- A tour leader throughout the week
Excludes
- Your hotel. The teacher and the tour leaders will be staying at the www.hotelsantabarbara.com. We have booked a block of rooms for the participants who wish to stay there. If you are interested, call the hotel directly and make sure you tell them you are part of the group French Escapade. Please do not book the hotel online but call Melissa Escalante directly at (805)-957-9303.
- Some meals (the ones not listed as included)
- Painting supplies (but folding stools will be provided)
How to Book
1To hold your spot, please fill out the reservation form below and send us a $600 deposit.
Note that the deposit is not refundable but is transferrable. See our Cancelation Policy below.
2Once you have submitted your reservation, you will receive a confirmation email with the details on how to submit your deposit via one of these 3 methods:
– by check (if you live in Canada, it needs to be a money order)
– via ZELLE (free instant money transfer offered by all major US banks)
– by credit card
– by bank transfer
3The remaining balance will be due 3 months before departure.
Cancellation Policy
| If you cancel a US workshop: | Cancellation Fee per Person |
|---|---|
| More than 90 days before departure | The $600 deposit is forfeited (however $300 can be transferred to another trip with a departure date within 1 year of cancelation date) |
| 61-90 days before departure | 50% of total cost forfeited |
| 31-60 days before departure | 75% of total cost forfeited |
| 0-30 days before departure | 100% of total cost forfeited |
| If French Escapade cancels | You get a full refund |