Travel Sketching in Watercolor in Spain, Sept 10-17, 2022
Teacher: Shari Blaukopf
Painting Workshops.
When quality matters!
When quality matters!
Painting Tours-Teacher-Shari-Blaukopf-Spain
About the Workshop:
“The best thing about our itinerary for travel sketching in Spain is the sheer breadth of subjects to choose from — that, and the near-magical light and colour of this unique 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 on the magical coast of Costa Brava. We’ll sketch the sea, majestic cliffs, boats, a botanical garden, a castle, a medieval village, etc…In true travel sketching tradition, we’ll pack light — carrying a small bag for art materials and a folding stool (that will be provided).
This workshop is designed to give you confidence sketching wherever you are, gazing at a street scene in a medieval town or the way the light grazes the trunk of an olive tree. 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 sitting in a shady courtyard with a glass of wine in hand. As part of a small group, you’ll have plenty of individual attention as we work on value studies, 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 café to hilltop. The aim is to have you return home with a fat book filled with fresh and colourful sketches”.
About Shari Blaukopf:
Shari Blaukopf is a Montreal-based workshop instructor, watercolor painter and sketch blogger. She loves to teach, travel and fill sketchbooks with her observations — skills she’s channeled into creating online sketching courses at Learn.shariblaukopf.com. Shari is also the author of The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color. She’s been active in 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. You can follow her sketches on her blog at shariblaukopf.com or on Instagram @sharisketcher.
Day 1: Arrival at the Costa Brava
We will pick you up at a specific hotel downtown Barcelona and drive you to our hotel located in one of the most exclusive beaches on the Costa Brava. Upon your arrival at our hotel by the sea, take time to settle in or start enjoying the wonderful white-washed and preserved fisherman village on the beach.
Enjoy the beach in front of the hotel, walk along the pristine seashore, take in the sun from the terrace or have a drink in the Mediterranean breeze.
Before dinner, we will take an easy walk along the shore that offers breathtaking vistas along the way.
In the evening, you will enjoy a welcome reception followed by a delicious dinner.
Days 2-3: Painting One of the Most Beautiful Villages on the Costa Brava
This “little fishing village” is a hidden gem among all other villages along the Northern Costa Brava. This village is made up of endless rocks, cliffs and extremely beautiful beaches.
The parish church lies in the center of the village and is surrounded by numerous small, windy alleys, which lead down to the beach and give this village its picturesque charm.
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Day 4: Flowers, Coves and Sea Views at the Botanical Garden
Ten minutes up the road, lies The Jardi Botanic de Cap Roig. It is considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the Mediterranean.
The most characteristic plant species in the Mediterranean region mix with trees and plants from other continents are a must see and a must paint…
High above the bay, the garden offers stunning views towards the ocean.
In 1927, a Russian Colonel and his English wife began building a castle and a magnificent park. The garden runs down in terraces from the castle to the sea. These ornamental and extremely beautiful gardens contain over 1000 species of plants and flowers from all over the world.
Day 5: Pals, a Unique Preserved Medieval Village
As you walk through the narrow village streets, next to the city walls, towers and churches, you will feel as though you have walked into a new time altogether.
The stone archways, cobblestone streets and wrought balconies adorned with flowers create a welcoming feel in this Romanesque village.
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Day 6: The Surrealistic World of Salvador Dali
For those interested we will go to see the largest surrealistic object in the world created by Dalí, the Dalí Theatre-Museu in the town of Figueres, his birthplace.
We will step inside the surreal world of Salvador Dalí and find a museum like none other. Dalí wanted visitors to see his massive collection as a ‘whole’ work and therefore refused to have his works placed in chronological or subject order.
Inside is a world of fantasy mixed with architecture, paintings and sculptures. It’s a complete surrealistic experience.
Day 7: Painting in the Village
For the last day, we will stay in the village by-the-sea. They are endless vignettes to paint:
cliffs and rocks, boats on the beach, white-washed houses or a magnificent fortress on the beach right in front of the hotel. We will finish our workshop by a “Show and Tell” or ‘Critique” while sipping some sangria before going to the restaurant for our farewell dinner.
Day 8: Departure
It is time to say Hasta Luego!!
After our last breakfast, we will drive you back to Barcelona (either the airport or downtown). We will get to Barcelona around noon so make sure your flight is not before 3pm.
Come and let yourself be carried away by emotions!
For the hotel on the Costa Brava, we have chosen a completely renovated hotel with a breathtaking sea view, overlooking the coves of a hidden and preserved beach.
Enjoy exceptional views of the white-washed fishing village and the blue sea in a comfortable, intimate and relaxed atmosphere.
The village’s narrowing streets and picturesque fishermen’s cottages form an idyllic backdrop to the stunning Mediterranean coast.
You can choose either a standard room (no sea view) with balcony or a superior room with sea view and balcony (see pictures).
Rooms have either two single beds or one double bed. All rooms have an en-suite bathroom, TV, satellite, air conditioning, heating, hairdryer and safety deposit box..
Dates & Rates
Dates: Sept 10-17, 2022 – Travel Sketching in Watercolor: SOLD OUT
Rates: $3,590 for a double occupancy standard room
+ $550 for single standard room
or
+ $900 for a room with breathtaking sea view (The $900 is for the room so if you are sharing a room, the supplement is $450 per person)
Non Painters (sharing a room with a painter) are welcome to join. They will get a $400 discount. They will go on excursions with the group and share the meals included in the package.
Includes
- Pick-up at 1:30pm at a specific hotel downtown Barcelona to go to the Costa Brava
- Drop-off either at the pick-up hotel in Barcelona around 11am or at the the airport around noon
- A welcome reception
- All nights at the hotel on the Costa Brava
- All breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners (including drinks and wine)
- All art classes
- Entrance fees to all sites on the tour
- Transportation every day in a comfortable van
- The use of folding chairs
- A personal chauffeur/tour leader throughout the week
Excludes
- Flights to and from Barcelona
- 3 lunches and 3 dinners
- Painting supplies (we provide folding chairs)
- 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 |