Travel Sketching in Watercolor with Shari Blaukopf, June 23-30, 2021
Painting Workshops.
When quality matters!
When quality matters!
Painting Tours: Teacher Shari Blaukopf-Fr Alps
Shari Blaukopf: Travel Sketching in Watercolor, June 23-30, 2021
The best thing about our itinerary for travel sketching in the French Alps is the sheer breadth of subjects to choose from — that, and the clear mountain light and colour in this part of the world.
In our week together I’ll teach you techniques for capturing the close-up and colourful in villages and towns, as well as the distant and scenic French Alps. We’ll sketch mountains, lakes, green pastures, canals and breathtaking panoramas. In true travel sketching tradition, we’ll pack light — carrying a small bag for art materials and a folding stool. 
This workshop is designed to give you confidence to take your sketchbook wherever you go, looking up at the high peaks of Mont Blanc or down the narrow canals of Annecy. We’ll work spontaneously, and I’ll show you how to keep your watercolour sketches fresh and colourful. Each day will start with a short demo and end with a critique, hopefully while gazing out at an alpine meadow with a glass of wine in hand. As part of a small group, you’ll have plenty of individual attention as we work on colour, composition, simplifying a scene and capturing the essence of a place. We’ll focus on having fun while we sketch, recording as much as we can as we move from quaint village to mountaintop. The aim is to have you return home with a fat book filled with fresh and colourful sketches.
Shari Blaukopf, is a Montreal-based painter, teacher and sketch blogger who loves to travel and share her love of sketching. She’s the author of The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color, and you can find her online courses Sketching Landscapes in Pen, Ink and Watercolor and Sketching the City in Pen, Ink and Watercolor on Bluprint.com. She’s been part of the Urban Sketchers community since 2012 and has given many watercolor workshops both on her own and internationally through the Urban Sketchers Workshop Program. Her watercolors are in corporate, government and private collections in North America and abroad, and she’s a signature member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour.
Blog: www.shariblaukopf.com
Website: www.blaukopfwatercolours.com
Instagram:@sharisketcher
The Alps is a dream destination for a plein air artist because of the spectacular scenery you will encounter: alpine meadows, cobblestoned villages, waterfalls, glaciated peaks, wildflowers, clean lakes, chalet with flowers from windowboxes…
Some of the highlights of the tour are seeing Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, from the hotel and visiting Annecy, also called the Venice of the North, a beautiful medieval city surrounded by canals and mountains.
Let us show you these hidden treasures.
Day 1: Welcome to the Alps
We will pick you up at 2:30pm a the Geneva airport and drive you to our beautiful chalet in the Alps. Upon your arrival at the hotel, you will have time to settle in and relax, enjoy the spa (hot tub, sauna and steam room) before our welcome reception and orientation meeting followed by a gourmet dinner.
Days 2, 3 &4: Alpine Village: from Wooden Chalets to Flowery Balconies
The hotel and the village offer a breathtaking 360 degree view towards Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.
It will be like stepping back in time: wooden chalets, baroque church, green pastures and grazing cows. We will be painting either from the garden of the hotel or in the village. The vignettes are endless.
Cheese is of course the specialty of the Alps. You will find it in many local specialties like fondue, raclette, tartiflette, etc…
Day 5: Chamonix – The Queen Resort of the Alps
Chamonix, the biggest ski resort in the world, is surrounded by majestic high mountains such as Mont Blanc and glaciers.
Morning will be dedicated to paining. In the afternoon, you will have some free time to take the highest gondola in the world to the top of “L’Aiguille du Midi” at 12,000 ft. A breathtaking view of the Alps and Chamonix down below awaits you. Or you could take a tram to see the “sea of ice” glacier.
If you prefer shopping, or more painting, Chamonix has it all.
Day 6: Annecy or ‘The Little Venice of the Alps’
Annecy is the French show-piece of lakes-and-mountain beauty. The Canal crossing Annecy brings Venice to mind as you stroll along its banks.
Your choice for the painting site will be unlimited: medieval narrow streets, renaissance houses along the canal, the famous old prison (one of the most photographed monuments in France!) or the Annecy lake surrounded by mountains.
We will also have the opportunity to go to the local market in the old Annecy and shop for the numerous wonderful cheeses, sausages, honeys and all local products.
Day 7: Painting at the hotel 
For the last day, we won’t be driving anywhere so that you will be able to finish up some paintings.
We will end the week with a “Show and Tell” and a gourmet dinner with maybe the best sunset on Mont Blanc.
Day 8: Departure
After our last breakfast together, we’ll drive you back to the Geneva airport by 10-10:30 am.
Our Chalet in the Alps, facing Mt Blanc
This chalet, in the heart of Haute-Savoie, boasts stunning views of Mont-Blanc and the Aravis Massif.
The beauty of the panorama, the charm of the cozy wooden interior, the gourmet restaurant, the well-being of the Spa, the comfort and amenities of the wainscoted rooms, all make this unique spot a haven of peace.
The spa has a hot tub, sauna and steam room.
Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with flat-screen satellite TV and free WiFi.
There is an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor pool table and a little gym.
Dates & Rates
Dates: June 23-30, 2021- Travel Sketching in Watercolor Workshop with Shari Blaukopf – Max: 12 Participants
Sign up early and save $200!
Rates: $3,190 before Nov 30 ($3,390 after Nov 30) + $550 for single standard room
Non Painters: US$ 400 discount: You will be going on daily excursions with the painters, share the meals and get the same service with the exception of the painting lessons.
Includes
- Geneva airport pick-up at 2pm and drop-off at 10-10:30am
- A welcome reception
- All 7 nights at the hotel
- All breakfasts, 3 lunches and 5 dinners including wine
- All art classes
- Excursions in a comfortable van with A/C
- Entrance to the spa
Excludes
- Flights to and from Geneva
- 3 lunches and 2 dinners
- Painting supplies
- Tour leader(s) tipping
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 |