Sketching & Painting on the canals of the Oise Valley in FRANCE
with Robbie LairdA canal barge cruise through the Oise Valley, FRANCE
THE VITALS
Date: June 12 – 18, 2024
Location: Oise Valley, France
Teacher: Robbie Laird
Investment:
USD $3,495 (Painter) Early-Bird Discount, See below
USD $3,195 (Cruiser) Early-Bird Discount, See Below
Participants: Max Number 18
Register Today Click Here
This sounds to me like an artist’s dream trip! The stops and tours feature the artists who have been inspired there. I think the area may very well work its artistic inspirational magic on us as well. You are invited to join in creating along with me. I look forward to being your encouraging muse.
Join me on this journey, Robbie
You may choose to join this journey as a:
PAINTER – Learn, enjoy and immerse yourself in all of Robbie’s sessions plus all the other amenities.
CRUISER – No sketching or painting for you. Enjoy the rest of the entire experience including all the delicious meals, wine, excursions, bicycle riding, hiking along the canals, and on-board activities.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
Register by December 12, 2023, and receive a $200 discount per person!
Regular Cost: $3,695 (Painters) $3,395 (Cruisers)
Discount Cost: $3,495 Painters $3,195 (Cruisers)
Highlights of this Phenomenal Journey in FRANCE
Are you ready to indulge yourself in an incontestably captivating journey on a gorgeous river barge on the French canals with master artist Robbie Laird? In addition to Robbie’s lessons, demonstrations and discussions, you will explore the Oise Valley, its canals and historical wonders.
Your trip begins in Paris with a delectable dinner and an evening cruise as you marvel at the lights and mysteries of this extraordinary city. After your first night on the barge, you begin discovering the Oise River as it meanders through the wooded countryside it has carved meticulously throughout history. This cruise includes a multitude of historic sites and guarantees an in-depth look into the colorful culture of France.
Some of the highlights include a visit to the Château de Malmaison. You’ll get to enjoy the works of pre- and post-Impressionists at the Pissaro Museum in Pontoise. In Auvers-sur-Oise, follow the footsteps of Van Gogh to the Musée de l’Absinthe and learn about the café atmosphere influencing the artists at the time. Further along, the Château de Chantilly gives you a good idea of what the French consider their art de vivre. A visit to the Armistice Memorial in Compiègne adds to the understanding of this country’s vibrant history, and of course, this journey will be filled with fabulous French wines and cuisine delights, including a masterclass on making crème chantilly by a member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers Fouetteurs. And of course, the “pièce de resistance” is the knowledge and experience you will gain from Robbie’s teachings.
Robbie’s Personal Invitation
I love the opportunity to combine some of my favorite teaching activities with unique travel experiences and share them with friends. This has, without exception, been the delightful outcome of each of our adventures with Kay & Franco.
I am especially excited about this journey on the French canals through the beautiful Oise Valley. As an especially rich area of magnificent historical architectural sites and Museums, I know it will be a delight to many of you with varied interests. This also sounds to me like an artist’s dream trip! The stops and tours feature the artists who have been inspired there. I think the area may very well work its artistic inspirational magic on us as well. You are invited to join in creating along with me. I look forward to being your encouraging muse.
As we leisurely explore this area of France that has inspired artists for centuries, I will be demonstrating ways to tap into your own creativity and unique vision as you create your own art travel journal. Whatever your level of experience with art, we will have fun exploring possibilities and will practice several different ways to do sketches and color studies. We will also take the time to awaken our own artist’s eyes, seeing the Oise Valley, in new ways that you will never forget. You may even discover that you begin to see the world anew “with Artist’s eyes”.
I can’t wait for us to share that first evening as we cruise through Paris at night, enjoying the sights and light reflections on the water with our artists’ eyes! I know it will be an exciting learning and sharing time as we experience the unique artwork of each participant and the individual ways our trip is depicted. I am eager to see our collection of creative explorations at the end of our trip.
I hope you will join us for this unique very exciting small group trip to France.
Get an inspiring glimpse of Robbie and her work through the video below.
Sketching and Painting on the canals of the Oise Valley in FRANCE
In addition to Robbie’s lessons, demonstrations, and discussions, you will have an amazing opportunity to explore fascinating venues that are laden with historical art, stories of French artists and experience the places that hold the energies of masters.
Enjoy the works of pre- and post- Impressionists at the Pissaro Museum in Pontoise. In Auvers-sur-Oise, follow the footsteps of Van Gogh to the Musée de l’Absinthe and learn about the café atmosphere influencing the artists at the time. Further along, the Château de Chantilly gives you a good idea of what the French consider their art de vivre. To learn more about the excursions, click on Schedule.
A barge cruise…the only way to travel!
Spending a week on a beautiful barge on French canals with Robbie Laird will be a magical, harmonious and memorable event. Cruising on a barge affords you the luxury of visiting several French villages without ever having to pack or unpack for the entire week. You also avoid congested streets and vehicle pollution while viewing amazing landscapes all along the route. Given that the barge travels at a low speed, you may at times choose to walk along the canal paths to stretch and get a bit of exercise. There are also bicycles on board for those who wish to explore a bit of the countryside.
Some of the things you can expect to learn:
- Travelling light with Art materials
- What’s important to have and how to pack
- How to sketch quickly and capture what’s most important
- The Value of Values
- The Power of Placement
- Command of Color
- Legacy of Line
Some possible lessons depending on interest and needs:
- Deciding what to sketch
- How to sketch quickly on site
- Choice of art tools for each sketch
- Sketching approaches: Contour drawing, Value studies, Color Studies
- How to create small paintings with a big impact!
- The importance of design
- How to prioritize when time is limited
- How to make sketching a highlight of your day
Personal gifts you can expect to receive:
- Expressing personal rhythm and feeling
- Treasure of time
- Gift of solitude sketching
What is the structure of this retreat?
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We will explore Robbie’s three favorite approaches to “painting on the go.”
- Quick Capture
- Expressing the Essence
- Creative Contemplation
With the abundance of sights to see and tours to enjoy, our lessons will be offered at appropriate times when we are cruising, or at one of the longer stops.
Most of our art focus will be on creating a “Painting Sketchbook”. This will be your visual collection of our unique experience, and yours will include specific processes and individual exercises as determined, to build your confidence.
This sketching opportunity may offer the chance to establish an enjoyable new habit. Sketching can become a way to keep your own inspiration fueled and your confidence growing even when you cannot be painting. You can become your own best resource for future paintings.
We will also plan a few times to apply these new approaches, as we create small paintings during our cruise.
Your takeaway…
Your own sketchbook is filled with, great reminders of a fabulous trip and time with friends, and a wealth of new knowledge about how your own sketches and color studies that can become a valuable resource for creating stronger paintings.
