Watercolor Workshop in Santa Barbara, California, the American Riviera
Don't be a tourist.
Be our guest.
Be our guest.
Painting Tours: USA – Santa Barbara-Keiko Tanabe
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 painting 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.
Keiko Tanabe, AWS, NWS – Watercolor Painting Workshop: California- Santa Barbara, April 8-13, 2022
About the Workshop: 
“Join me on this wonderful trip to Santa Barbara!
Having been there many times, I can say my love for this absolutely delightful little town. This will be my fifth time teaching for French Escapade.
Please join us as we explore and paint outdoors while enjoying the joie de vivre the town has to offer. If you’re looking for a cozy, personalized therefore very special painting holiday organized by an experienced tour operator, this is it.
Since we will be a small group, I can also closely work with each one of you for a semi-private painting experience.
My teaching style consists of one hour demo once or twice a day followed by one-to-one support”. 
About Keiko Tanabe, AWS, NWS: www.ktanabefineart.com
Mostly self-taught, she embarked on a professional art career in 2005. Since then, her paintings have been in many national and international exhibitions, both juried and invitational, and gained world-wide recognitions.
Her work has been purchased by private and corporate collectors from all around the world. She also had her paintings published and featured in leading art magazines and a number of publications in the U.S., Europe and Asia. A sought-after workshop instructor since 2011, she has conducted more than 300 workshops and numerous live demonstrations around the world. Her approach to teaching is to help students identify and solve their problems to further advance their technical skills and refine their style.
She has frequently served as a juror in art exhibitions both on national and on international levels. In 2018, she was appointed to the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly. She has several books and 2 DVD’s published. She is currently a member of National Watercolor Society (signature), American Watercolor Society (signature), American Impressionist Society and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (signature). Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan and currently lives in San Diego, California.
Price and What is included
April 8-13, 2022 with Keiko Tanabe: Watercolor Painting Workshop – Max 15 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. Rates/night are $219 (week)-$259 (week-end) for a queen room, and $259 (week rate)-$279 (week-end) for a double queen room (+ tax.).
- Some meals (the ones not listed as included)
- Painting supplies (but folding stools will be provided)
How to Book
To Make Your Reservation for a French Escapade Tour please follow the steps below and review our Cancellation Policy:
1
Check Availability
Send us an e-mail to check availability. Include the dates of the workshop you are interested in (not just the destination since we do have several workshops at the same location) and the number of people you will be reserving a spot for.
2
Submit Registration Form and Send $600 Deposit
After receiving confirmation of availability, complete and submit the Reservation Form and send your $600 deposit
3 methods of payment:
- pay by check, (if you live in Canada, it needs to be a money order), payable to French Escapade LLC, 2389 Blackpool Place, San Leandro, CA 94577
- pay by wire transfer (let us know and we will provide you with our account number)
- pay by credit card using www.paypal.com (3.5% convenience fees applies)
3
Receive Confirmation
We will send you a written confirmation of your reservation along with an information package for your trip (info about pick up and drop off, recommended insurance, name of a travel agent, what to bring, etc…). Do not make any travel arrangement before we tell you that the trip has a guaranteed departure.
4
Submit Remaining Balance
Your remaining balance is due 90 days prior to departure. Make sure to review below our cancelation policy in case you need to cancel the trip.
Cancellation Policy
| If you cancel the trip: | Cancellation Fee per Person |
|---|---|
| More than 90 days before departure | The $600 deposit is forfeited (however $500 can be transferred-only one time-to another trip with a departure date within 2 years 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 |