Explore a Castle Village in Spain

December 12 - 17, 2019

It's a bit crazy to head off on an artist retreat in Spain right before the holidays.  And ... it might be just the adventure you need to help you survive the joy and chaos of that special time of year with family and loved ones.

This is an opportunity to experience a unique and creative collaboration of two woman who believe in living life to the fullest and sharing the lessons we've learned with as many people as possible. 

I'm joining forces with Wild-on-the-Wye Angela Jones to present workshops that nurture both body and soul.  We want more people to live a healthy, joyful lives ... regardless of the daily challenges we all face. We have planned the days so that you have the opportunity to participate in both the physical and the art experiences. You'll be offered daily stretching, opportunities to swim, hike and kayak.  You may also participate in the daily art lessons, sketching en plein air in the castle village, and nightly art talks reviewing the lesson of the day and presenting the next day's schedule.

Angela will share her expertise on maintaining a healthy body inside and out.  Without a healthy body, it's difficult to pursue special interests or achieve your ultimate potential in life. I'll share my strategies of exploring a village with pen and brush to discover its unique characteristics.  The key to daily sketching is to travel light. On the first day, we'll create a tiny art kit. Everything you need will fit into a pocket or the art belt you'll be given. You'll always be ready to sketch while exploring Castillo de Castellar or the Rock of Gibraltar.

Our collaboration is a work in progress.  I've revised the lessons I had planned to teach, taking into consideration the challenge of sketching while traveling with a companion.  I usually travel alone and find it easy to sketch almost constantly.  Last month I ventured to Bali with a small group.  The trip was not art-related.  Our time was well-orchestrated, leaving very little time for me to sketch.  I skipped morning yoga in order to have enough time for my personal "sketching meditation".  After two weeks of traveling with constant, fabulous companions, I now appreciate the dilemma many of my students face.  As a result, I've altered the goals of the daily art sessions.  We'll focus primarily on creating Illustrated Journey Journals that focus on unique features we find in the village and surrounding area. The techniques will be varied, yet simple.  You'll learn how to weave your fragments of sketches together into a story of the day.  On the last day of the workshop You'll learn how to bind your daily sketches together into a unique, illustrated journey journal that will bring your experiences alive again each time you turn the pages.