Tag Archives: Carol Shelkin Mosaics

Create Your Own Mosaic Workshop in Mexico with Carol Shelkin

9 Oct

Create Your Own Mosaic Workshop in Mexico with Carol Shelkin
February 5 – 11, 2017
February 12 – 18, 2017   FULL
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
$1850 per person, Double Occupancy

This workshop encourages you to experience and use stained glass, tempered glass, smalti, tile, air-dry clay or any material of your choosing to create a realistic or abstract design. All levels are welcome, from Beginner to Advanced students.

Carol Shelkin WorkshopSome Options Include:
Option 1: Mosaic in a painterly fashion and understanding realism in mosaic art with stained glass or tiles.
Option 2: Tempered Glass: Creating an abstract design with the layering technique using mementos and other embellishments like: clay pieces, jewelry, stained glass foil papers, glitter etc.
Option 3: Working with Clay tiles in Mosaic: Work with NEW and exciting air-dry clay to create tiles for embedding in your mosaic design.
Option 4: BRING WHAT YOU WANT!

There will be lessons on shading, color, balance and understanding how to apply these materials and techniques to any mosaic style.

Hacienda MosaicoMosaic is unique to all students and my goal is to help each student ONE-TO-ONE and in an optional collaborative environment develop and find their own techniques, styles and voice. There will be professional artist tricks taught. Other subjects will include: composition, presenting artwork to gallery owners, exhibitions, building a resume, pricing, shipping, framing – or not framing, photographing your mosaic art and much more. During this week: bring questions! We will have time for lots of one-to-one instruction. No questions will go unanswered!

Whether you want to try something new, jump start your creative side, or take your work to the next level, it will be a most inspiring week full of art in the tropics!

All participants will be contacted by Carol in advance to be sure you have a list of supplies.

The beach is within walking distance along with two cafes one block away for mini snacks, dinner options and my favorite: fresh fruit smoothies!

Carol Shelkin WorkshopPlease Bring:
  • Any materials, substrates & tools to work with
  • Sturdy bag to transport mosaic home
  • One of each: pen, pencil, colored pencil (blue, red or green) and 10 toothpicks
  • 2 regular Sharpie markers (black, regular & fine point)
  • Safety Glasses
  • Smart phone or camera – used as a tool
  • Push tool: toothpicks
  • Small tabletop lamp, such as an Ott Lamp

Summary:

  • Retreat Price: $1,850.00 (based on double occupancy).
  • Lodging: 6 nights & 7 days
  • Mosaic Art Instruction: 5 days (unless you come for TWO WEEKS, then 10 DAYS!)
  • Unlimited Open Studio: 24/7
  • Two Optional trips to Sayulita & Art Walk Downtown Puerto Vallarta
  • Meals Included by the Hacienda’s Personal chef: Sunday evening Welcome Carol Shelkin WorkshopReception, 6 full breakfasts & 5 lunches (more like dinner) served poolside in a tropical setting and a Saturday departure breakfast
  • Students must bring their own tools and Supplies. Carol will contact you for a helpful material list, and packing instructions will be provided after registration.
  • Free time: Anytime!

About the Instructor: Carol Shelkin, with studios just outside of Philadelphia, is a Carol Shelkin Workshopprofessional artist with over 25 years teaching experience. She attended PA Academy of the Fine Arts, USA, and Scuola Nazionale del Mosaico Restauro in Ravenna, Italy. She has shown her work both nationally and internationally in juried shows and galleries with her mosaic artwork  found in public installations and private collections. She has been invited to be a Presenter and Instructor at the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand (MAANZ) Summit, the Society of American Mosaic Artists’ yearly conference, and also offers workshops in Costa Rica, Canada, Spain, Morocco, Australia, Italy, Mexico and throughout the USA. Carol is a founding member and President of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia, a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists and a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

Visit Carol’s website here. Contact Carol here.

TO REGISTER:

Contact Sam at Hacienda Mosaico. A $500 deposit is required for registration. More about Hacienda Mosaico here.

Trip insurance is strongly advised.

Travel Insurance 101: How to Protect Your Vacation
This “plain language” tutorial will explain travel insurance so you can
easily find the right plan.

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MORE Flora and Fauna in Costa Rica, January 2017!

6 May

Flora + Fauna in Costa Rica with Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
January 7 – 15, 2017
San Ramon Area, Costa Rica
$1960 per person, Double Occupancy; $2360 Single Occupancy

Costa Rica Art Retreat


“There’s really only one way to venture into the rainforest in search of the life that teems there, and that is to still your body and mind and wait. Once you  give up the searching and simply watch for tiny flutters, everything around you is brilliantly alive” ~Pam Goode, 2016

Is it any wonder we can’t stay away? Please join Carol and Pam for our third retreat in the rainforest wilds of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Art Retreat“The trip from airport to bliss is one of my favorite parts, no matter the route. Arriving late, I miss seeing shafts of light strain through sugarcane fronds along the Pan Am highway, so tall that there is only green and sky and blacktop as far as you can see. As a consolation gift, the dark hangs purple in swaths across the skies like aprons bulging with plums.

Yellow lights twinkle across the valleys with a decidedly un-citified lack of regimentation, taking on the look of teenagers strolling idly with no set agenda, lanterns in hand.

The night deepens and the empty winding road is steeper now. The living guard rails watch as we pass, while streams topped by one-lane bridges make their dash toward the Pacific. It is an unaccustomed bliss. These days, how often do I wander through the night? I drink it in.” ~ Pam Goode 2016

Costa Rica Art RetreatOur 2017 retreat will combine a five day mosaic realism workshop on the flora and fauna of Costa Rica led by Carol Shelkin with onsite organic farm and rainforest tours and an adventure or two (think water safaris, hot springs, butterfly gardens, lava hikes). Accommodations will be at glorious Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon Farm), a sustainable rainforest ecolodge and certified organic biodynamic farm with single or double lodge and cabin accommodations Costa Rica Mosaic Art Retreats(triples and quads also available), fabulous organic food grown and prepared onsite, panoramic open-air workspace with 24-hour accessibility, wifi, ionized pool, jacuzzi, and spa. Optional activities at an extra cost include guided Arenal Volcano Lava Hike, Butterfly Garden or Cloud Forest Tours, Zipline Canopy Tour, Rafting, or Hanging Bridge Canopy Tour.

Costa Rica Art Retreat“I wake to brilliant sunlight and a cacophony of birds at 6:15, a time of day I rarely see. The purple-flowering hedge that greets our front door is a-whirr with the ever ready wings of hummingbirds, and there’s a 28″ iguana lolling in the crook of a tree 10 feet beyond me. It’s a good morning, cool and bright, and coffee, tea, juice, organic eggs, rice and beans, and an array of tropical fruits await us.” Pam Goode, 2016

Costa Rica Art RetreatINCLUDED

  • Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose to the Lodge and Return Transfer
  • Eight Nights Accommodation (rooms will be assigned in the order received)
  • Seven Breakfasts, Seven Lunches, Seven Dinners when at Lodge
  • 5-Day Mosaic Workshop and Open Studio Time
  • Access to the Secondary Rainforest and Primary Rainforest
  • One Guided Farm Tour
  • One Guided Rainforest Tour
  • One River Safari with Transportation

Costa Rica Art Retreat


NOT INCLUDED

  • Airfare To and From Costa Rica
  • Optional Tours and Activities
  • Transportation for Optional Tours or Local Transportation (Arrangements Provided)
  • Offsite Meals
  • Trip Insurance (Recommended)
  • Gratuities
  • Departure Tax of $29
  • Alcohol, If Available

 

NEED TO KNOW

  • Retreat has a minimum of 6  and a maximum of 10. Please reserve early, but don’t make flight reservations until notified that we’ve met the minimum.
  • Participants will bring their own materials; details to follow. Packing Tips here.
  • Photos from our 2013 Retreat are here.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Costa Rica Art RetreatTemperatures  for January average High 73, Low 59, with .4″ of Rain
  • Central Standard Time
  • Latitude: 10° North of the equator, with equal hours of light and darkness
  • Currency: US dollars are accepted pretty much everywhere, including tips
  • Electricity: 110, with standard US plugs
  • Fast Facts: Literacy rate 96.3%; Military abolished in 1948
  • Costa Rica is among the countries with the highest amount of protected land in the world; 25% of the nation is dedicated to park systems, reserves, or natural wildlife areas
  • Bridging the northern and southern most points of the two American contents, Costa Rica is the meeting point for a variety of cultures and a density of plant and animal species said to be unlike any other country in the world
  • Approximately 850 bird species, 9000 plant species, 34,000 insect species, 205 mammalian species, 220 reptilian species, and 160 amphibian species

ABOUT THE LEADERSCarol Shelkin Workshops

  • Read more about Carol Shelkin here. Contact Carol here.
  • Read more about Pam Goode here. Contact Pam here.

ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATIONS

  • Read more about Finca Luna Nueva here.

TO REGISTER

Contact Pam here for a reservation form.

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Mexico! Clay Forms for Abstract Mosaic with Carol Shelkin

8 Jul

Clay Forms in Abstract Mosaic Design with Carol Shelkin
January 31 – February 6, 2016
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
$1800 per person, Double Occupancy

Carol Shelkin WorkshopsIn this NEW weeklong workshop, students will be motivated to create unique clay stamp impressions, small tiles and textures in earthenware clay and Apoxie Sculpt that will be incorporated into their mosaic during the week in Mexico. Spend your first evening with clay and learn how to make original clay pieces that can be transformed into mosaic designs. Carol, with over 25 years of experience as a potter, will lead you through various carving and stamping techniques to make your unique miniature ceramic tiles and forms. Underglazing and firing techniques will be used which can give the surface more visual depth and character.

Carol Shelkin WorkshopsThis informative class covers clay techniques, proper adhesives when using a variety of materials, substrates, design/layout and artist techniques. Explore with both traditional and contemporary methods. Students are encouraged to experiment with color and texture to discover the possibilities of clay merged in their mosaic for indoor display. No questions will go unanswered!

Clay and underglaze will be supplied, and tiles will be fired and returned during the week to incorporate into a mosaic. A list of supplies will be given after registration. No art or mosaic experience necessary.

Mosaic Art by Dawn Mendelson
Mosaic by Bonnie Fittzgerald

ITINERARY: (Subject to change)
Carol Shelkin WorkshopsSunday, January 31: Arrival, Welcome, Creation of tiles and forms
Monday, February 1: Creation of tiles with a variety of clays
Tuesday, February 2: We’ll continue to design our mosaic and develop the composition
Wednesday, February 3: This will be a good day to explore the area, take a shopping trip, visit Sayulita or just go to the beach!
Thursday, February 4: Continue working on tiles and painting with acrylic glazing and other brush techniques
Friday, February 5: Our mosaics will have all the components to finally come together. Tiles and earthenware forms will be out of the kiln and we’ll paint the last of the clay pieces that haven’t been glazed
Saturday, February 6: Departure

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Carol Shelkin, with studios just outside of Philadelphia, is a professional artist with over 25 years teaching experience. She Carol Shelkin Workshopsattended PA Academy of the Fine Arts, USA, and Scuola Nazionale del Mosaico Restauro in Ravenna, Italy. She has shown her work both nationally and internationally in juried shows and galleries with her mosaic artwork  found in public installations and private collections. She has been invited to be a Presenter and Instructor at the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand (MAANZ) Summit, the Society of American Mosaic Artists’ yearly conference, and also offers workshops in Costa Rica, Canada, Spain, Morocco, Australia, Italy, Mexico and throughout the USA. Carol is a founding member and President of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia, a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists and a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

“Every year I go back to the Hacienda it feels more like my home away from home – full of art, inspiration and friends. January 2016 will be my sixth weeklong workshop! Sam has created a beautiful and relaxing retreat location — I never want to leave! This workshop is intended to prod you out of your artistic comfort zones with the security of our small, fun and sweet gathering of friends for the week. Let’s have fun!”  ~ Carol

Visit Carol’s website here. Contact Carol here.

NEED TO KNOW:
Limit: 12 students
Retreat & Workshop Price: $1,800.00

INCLUDED:
6 Nights Lodging (based on double occupancy)
5 Days or Nights Workshop Instruction
24/7 Open Studio Time
Breakfast and Lunch Daily served poolside in a tropical, poolside setting
Welcome Reception on Sunday
Departure Breakfast on Saturday

NOT INCLUDED:
Dinners
Optional add-on excursions
Airfare
Travel Insurance (Recommended)

TO REGISTER:

Contact: Sam. More about Hacienda Mosaico here.

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Flora + Fauna of Costa Rica with Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode

28 May

Flora + Fauna in Costa Rica with Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
January 9 – 17, 2016
San Ramon Area, Costa Rica
$1960 per person, Double Occupancy; $2360 Single Occupancy

Resident Sloth, Carlita
Heliconia
Workshop Visitor
Mosaic Workshop

Farm Trail, © Pam Goode

“Up at 5:45, and I’ve already missed the sunrise. I go to breakfast early to do some writing, and all nine of us are already there, ready to take on the day. We scarf down eggs cooked with tomato, beans and rice, half-dollar-sized cornmeal cakes, rustic bread, buffalo cheese (fabulous), buffalo yogurt, and carambola (starfruit) jam. As soon as I finish, I miss the tastes. By 9:00 we’re gathered for our tour of the organic farm, and before we hit the path, our guide Ishmael has already shown us a tree full of toucans (yesterday a flock of parakeets flew overhead); jackfruit, which can weight up to 75 pounds and often hangs bulbously and pimpled in an unseamly flop between forks in the tree; and the fruit of the Lipstick tree, a beautifully freakish hairy and crimson pod used to color lipsticks, cheddar cheese, fingers (oops) and cheetos. Just beyond, Ishmael moves beneath a large bush, reaches both hands overhead to grasp an oblong yellow fruit, and begins twisting it on the stem until it snaps. About a foot long, this is cacao, the mother of chocolate. Smashed once against a trunk, the pod opens to reveal a white slime, which we’re encouraged to taste, and it is deliciously sweet/tart with the faintest hint of bitter chocolate. Later Ishmael hands us the halves of several nerf-ball-sized green orbs with fleshy spikes, with a thicker white goo-ish interior. This is anonas, or custard apple, also known as ice cream fruit, and the most sublime mouthful I’ve ever tasted. I eat more than my share, scooping out the custard with my fingers and licking it up eagerly.” ~ Pam Goode, Costa Rica Retreat, 2013

Mosaic Workshops

Firing Up the Pizza Oven, © Pam Goode

Mosaic Workshop Costa Rica

Baby Ocelot

Costa Rica, how we’ve missed you! Our 2016 retreat will combine onsite organic farm and rainforest tours, an adventure or two (think water safaris, hot springs, butterfly gardens, lava hikes), and a possible community outreach project in a neighboring village. Accommodations will be at glorious Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon Farm), a sustainable rainforest ecolodge and certified organic biodynamic farm with single or double lodge and cabin accommodations (triples and quads also available), fabulous organic food grown and prepared onsite, panoramic open-air workspace, wifi, ionized pool, jacuzzi, and spa. Optional activities at an extra cost include guided Arenal Volcano Lava Hike, Butterfly Garden or Cloud Forest Tours, Zipline Canopy Tour, Rafting, or Hanging Bridge Canopy Tour. And surprise! There’s a new baby ocelot wandering around 🙂

INCLUDED

Mosaic Workshops

  • Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose to the Lodge and Return Transfer
  • Eight Nights Accommodation (rooms will be assigned in the order received)
  • Seven Breakfasts, Seven Lunches, Seven Dinners
  • One Guided Farm Tour
  • One Guided Rainforest Tour
  • 5-Day Mosaic Workshop and Open Studio Time
  • Access to the Secondary Rainforest and Primary Rainforest

 

 

Mosaic Workshops

Open Air Work Space

NOT INCLUDED

  • Airfare To and From Costa Rica
  • Optional Tours and Activities
  • Transportation for Optional Tours or Local Transportation (Arrangements Provided)
  • Offsite Meals
  • Trip Insurance (Recommended)
  • Gratuities
  • Departure Tax of $29
  • Alcohol, If Available

Mosaic WorkshopsAVAILABLE OUTINGS

  • Optional activities at an extra cost include guided Arenal Volcano Lava Hike, lunches and dinners in town, Butterfly Garden or Cloud Forest Tours, Zipline Canopy Tour, Rafting, or Hanging Bridge Canopy Tour.
  • One Day will be set aside for on-your-own adventures. We will choose as a group, but additional free time during the week is always an option.
Mosaic Workshops

Birds at Rest, Penas Blancas, CR, © Pam Goode

“The river is magnificent. The banks are almost vertical for twelve feet in many places, and covered with ferns and far too many tree species to taken in, several easily 200 feet. The occasional bamboo stand seems to have been caught in a cyclone, with every trunk twisted counterclockwise from the ground up into one reedy giantess, her broad stride twisting to a skinny waist and then flayed out against the sky again. We see a large family of howler monkeys noisily leaping through the trees, and a pair of white-faced capuchins, a fairly rare sighting here according to our guide. A snowy egret on the bank holds a flash of silvery fish at the tip of his beak, his black legs and bright yellow toes a vibrant contrast to his starkly white curl of a body. I anticipate that, like me, most of the wildlife will choose to shelter deep in the trees until the rains pass, but when we spy flocks of birds, they’re almost always outlined against the clouds on leafless branches, one breed with fabulously outstretched wings at rest, as if ready to take off and soar when they hear the call. I think I have a new animal spirit.” ~ Pamela Goode, Costa Rica Retreat 2013

NEED TO KNOW

  • Retreat has a minimum of 6  and a maximum of 10. Please reserve early, but don’t make flight reservations until notified that we’ve met the minimum.
  • Participants will bring their own materials; details to follow. Packing Tips here.
  • Photos from our 2013 Retreat are here.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Temperatures  for January average High 73, Low 59, with .4″ of Rain
  • Central Standard Time
  • Mosaic Workshops

    Volcano and Valley View, Observation Tower, Finca Luna Nueva, © Pam Goode

    Latitude: 10° North of the equator, with equal hours of light and darkness

  • Currency: US dollars are accepted pretty much everywhere, including tips
  • Electricity: 110, with standard US plugs
  • Fast Facts: Literacy rate 96.3%; Military abolished in 1948
  • Costa Rica is among the countries with the highest amount of protected land in the world; 25% of the nation is dedicated to park systems, reserves, or natural wildlife areas
  • Bridging the northern and southern most points of the two American contents, Costa Rica is the meeting point for a variety of cultures and a density of plant and animal species said to be unlike any other country in the world
  • Approximately 850 bird species, 9000 plant species, 34,000 insect species, 205 mammalian species, 220 reptilian species, and 160 amphibian species

ABOUT THE LEADERSCarol Shelkin Workshops

  • Read more about Carol Shelkin here. Contact Carol here.
  • Read more about Pam Goode here. Contact Pam here.

ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATIONS

  • Read more about Finca Luna Nueva here.

TO REGISTER

Contact Pam here for a reservation form.

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Make Your Own Workshop in Bermuda with Carol Shelkin

19 May

Make Your Own Workshop in Bermuda with Carol Shelkin
November 1 – 8, 2015
Mosaic Art Classes: Monday – Friday
$2,260.00 Per Person, Double Occupancy

Mosaic Art RetreatsIn the mood to spark and rejuvenate your artistic juices or just enjoy an art vacation with a small like-minded group? This workshop is for the inquisitive beginner AND the advanced professional or anyone wishing to expand their artistic and creative potential in paradise.

Mosaic Art RetreatsCarol Shelkin, Instructor, and Donna Smith, your Host in Bermuda, invite you to this beautiful island located off the coast of North Carolina in the Atlantic. Bermuda is known for its British-influenced traditions, from afternoon tea to cricket matches. Put Bermuda on your radar if you’re looking for a warm weather, arts-focused getaway with time to create in a seaside setting. Donna welcomes you to Bermuda, her island home and to Herchalat, an old Bermudian Cottage carved into the hillside in the historic town of St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll have our workshop nestled in this cottage for the week.

Mosaic Art RetreatsCan you see yourself meandering the streets of old towne after the daily workshop, enjoying ocean breezes and harbor views? Picturesque Tobacco Bay and St. Catherine’s Beach are within walking distance of our location for this weeklong mosaic workshop. After class, kick back and relax on the property or explore the island and its culture.

Breakfasts and lunches are included in this retreat, along with airport transportation and a Welcome Reception. You’ll have five full days of mosaic immersion creating a piece of your choosing, as well as two optional excursions, just for fun! Carol will contact you to chat about what you’d like to work on for the week.

Mosaic Art RetreatsAs you fly into Bermuda, you’ll see the crystal blue waters, and if you explore once landed, you’ll see the coral reef plateau that surrounds the island. Bermuda will captivate your senses and be your muse with its picturesque cliffs, coves, pink-pillowy sand beaches, snorkeling, British charm, Island soul, tea cafés and a laid Mosaic Art Retreatsback culture.

With Bermuda’s intoxicating sunshine, we offer a very distinctive mosaic art retreat that will give you the opportunity to create in paradise. We also invite those with less experience in the arts; you’ll be provided with patient, professional art guidance to kick-start your artistic journey.

Mosaic Art RetreatsWORKSHOP DETAILS: No Materials Fee; bring whatever you’d like to work on or have Carol help you choose. Class is limited to 10 students. Adults (18 years and above) only. No experience necessary.

Included:

  • 8 days, 7 nights double-occupancy lodging (single supplement extra)
  • Airport Transfers
  • Sunday Evening Artists’ Welcome Reception
  • Breakfast and Lunch 6 Days (special dietary needs welcome)
  • Bus and Ferry Pass
  • Five-day Mosaic Workshop: Bring what you like to work on!
  • Open Studio Time
  • Private Tour: Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art
  • NOTE: No refund for skipped activities

Not Included:

  • Optional Add-On Excursions
  • Airfare
  • Additional Meals such as Dinners Not Noted Above
  • Personal Expenses
  • Alcohol
  • Travel Insurance (Advised) (More information here)

Optional Activities at Your Own Cost:

  • Sailing Cruise
  • Gallery Art Tour
  • Island Tour
  • Bike, Paddle Board, Kayak, Jet Ski Rentals available in St. George
  • Snorkel Equipment Rental
  • Crystal and Fantasy Caves
  • Walking Tours of Hamilton, St. George, and Spittal Pond Nature Preserve
  • Bermuda Perfumery Tour

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Mosaic Art RetreatsCarol Shelkin, with studios just outside of Philadelphia, is an artist with over 25 years of teaching experience. She attended Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Scuola del Mosaico, Italy. She shows her work both nationally and internationally with acceptance into juried shows and galleries, and her artwork is also held in private collections. She has been a presenter at the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand and teaches at the Society of American Mosaics Artists’ annual conference. She is a founding member of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia and President, as well as being a Juried Member, of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. For more information about Carol, please visit her website.

TO REGISTER:

  • ALL RESERVATIONS REQUIRE a 50% DEPOSIT. Reservations cannot be held without a deposit.
  • Deposits can be made by US Check, Money Order, PayPal or wire transfer.
  • PayPal to: carol.shelkin@yahoo.com (If paying with PayPal, Please include PayPal fee of $8.75)
  • Checks: Carol Shelkin 830 Morgan Avenue Drexel Hill, PA 19026 USA
  • Balance is due 60 days prior to your arrival date.

CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY:

  • All cancellations are subject to a 20% handling fee.
  • Reservations cancelled prior to 90 days, 50% is refundable, less 20% handling fee. Reservations cancelled prior 60 days, 25% is refundable, less 20% handling fee. Reservations cancelled prior 45 days prior to registration, the registration fee paid is non-refundable.
  • Should any workshop/retreat be cancelled the entire amount paid will be refunded within fourteen days. Once this occurs, Carol Shelkin and Donna Smith have no obligations regarding any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations.
  • Carol Shelkin and Donna Smith accept no liability for any airline penalty incurred by the cancellation of a non-refundable ticket.
  • Carol Shelkin and Donna Smith accept no liability for any canceled flights.

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Faces, Flowers and the Human Form: Mexico 2012

15 Oct

Mosaic Retreat: Mexico
Faces, Flowers & the Human Form in Mosaic
with Carol Shelkin
December 2 – 8, 2012
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Mosaic Art retreat Carol ShelkinJoin mosaic artist Carol Shelkin for her second week-long mosaic workshop and retreat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Faces, Flowers & the Human Form in Mosaic is a unique make-it-your-own workshop only offered during weeklong sessions or weekend intensives.

Faces, Flowers and the Human Form will be held at Hacienda Mosaico, an artist-owned retreat located in a lush walled garden property within the Colonia Versalles. Hacienda Mosaico has been invited to be on the Puerto Vallarta Home Tour. Art abounds! Made-on-site mosaic tables and fused glass tableware serve to enhance your breakfast in this lush garden setting. Palm, mango, guayaba, and banana trees, along with flowering ginger, hibiscus, jasmine, bird of paradise as well as the ever-present bougainvillea create delight for all the senses. Workshop space includes swimming pool and inviting common areas.

Puerto Vallarta  is a tropical environment, and an inspiring place to be creative in the outdoor, setting, available for use 24/7! Join me! ~Carol

Highlights:

  • 6 nights / 7 days lodging at Hacienda Mosaico
  • Daily or evening instruction with Carol Shelkin
  • Sunday welcome reception with cocktails & traditional Mexican appetizers
  • Delicious full breakfasts & hearty lunches served poolside
  • Unlimited open outdoor studio time 24/7
  • Free time to explore Puerto Vallarta
  • Two optional excursions to museums / or sightseeing.
  • Saturday departure brunch
  • Wireless Internet – free!

More information about Carol Shelkin is here.

More information about Hacienda Mosaico is here.

Registration Information is here.

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All About Costa Rica

8 Oct

Mosaic Retreat: Costa Rica
Flora & Fauna
Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
November 23 – December 1, 2013
$1960

The smallish country of Costa Rica is BIG with heart-thumping nouns: Rainforest; Jungle; Puma; Volcano; Rapids; Blue Morpho; Cloud Forest; Waterfalls; Toucan; Lava, Strangler Fig.

The numbers-story goes like this:

  • 19,700 square miles, ranking 129th in landmass worldwide, and, closer to home, about the size of West Virginia or Denmark.
  • 801 miles of curvy coastline on the Pacific; 132 miles fronting the Caribbean, much of which is inaccessible by car.
  • Elevation ranges from 0 – 12,530 feet above sea level
  • 12 distinct ecosystems
  • Within only .25% of the world’s landmass, Costa Rica hosts 5% of the world’s biodiversity
  • Constitutionally abolished its army in 1949, and is one of the world’s 22 longterm stable democracies
  • In 2012 Costa Rica is scheduled to become the first country on the continent of the Americas to ban recreational hunting
  • In 2007, the government announced an initiative to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021
  • Literacy rate of 94.9%
  • 11 degrees North of the Equator, with a tropical climate determined by elevation

Impressive? Absolutely! But numbers pale up against the visual stimulation of this land filled with gentle people and wild nature. Below is a little gallery of photos from my trips to Costa Rica over the last 13 years. Click on the first image to flip through paradise in larger format.

Get up close with us in Costa Rica — what better place to capture the splendor of quirky and art-inspiring  flora and fauna?

Read Retreat Description here.

Read about Pam’s Virgin Trip to Costa Rica here.

Contact us here.

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Mosaic Retreat in Costa Rica: November 2013

8 Oct

Mosaic Retreat: Costa Rica
Flora & Fauna
Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
November 23 – December 1, 2013
$1960

Join us in the jungles of Costa Rica to work fauvist portraiture magic on local flora and fauna. Whether you’re drawn to the lush foliage and floral exotics of the rainforest or the brilliance of toucans, macaws, the Blue Morpho butterfly, or beady-eyed tree frogs, we’ll spend a week creating mosaic “portraits” of Costa Rican beauties.

We’ll explore forest paths, gardens, and sanctuaries on our first day, allowing ample time to capture the photographic images that make your heart go pittypat. We’ll then work to simply images for mosaic via photo editing and collage techniques. The rest of the week will be yours to work with the group or alone, with optional daily instruction, demos, and personal attention.

We’ll also schedule a free day for adventure activities, as well as one or two shorter excursions. At the top of the list will be a visit to nearby Arenal Volcano, as well as a good soak in the local hot springs.

Accommodations will be at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, an eco-lodge and organic farm situated in a private rainforest preserve adjacent to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. The lodge includes 7 rooms with bath and wrap-around porches, plus individual or family garden cabinas, pool, jacuzzi, and spa with a wide range of treatments available. Daily organic meals prepared onsite by a Slow Food Movement chef will be included. Special Request meals can be accommodated. All rooms are single accommodations with one queen bed. A very limited number of double accommodations may be available. Please contact for pricing if a spouse wishes to join you.

$1,960 price includes arrival and return shuttle for our group from San Jose Airport to Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon Farm), accommodations for seven nights (Saturday – Saturday), seven breakfasts, five lunches, and five dinners, one guided farm tour, one guided rainforest tour, six days of instruction including one-on-one time, and Welcome Reception. Students will be responsible for bringing materials, tools, and substrates. Optional activities at an extra cost include guided Arenal Volcano Lava Hike, two lunches and dinners in town, Butterfly Garden or Cloud Forest Tours, Zipline Canopy Tour, Rafting, or Hanging Bridge Canopy Tour. One day will be set aside for On Your Own Adventures. Airfare, local transportation (excluding airport shuttle), optional tours, alcohol and gratuities are not included in the trip cost. Class is limited to 12 participants.

Room selections will be made in order of full payments received.

Average high in November is 82; average low is 68.

For a tentative daily schedule or more information, please email Pam.

For more information about Carol Shelkin, please visit Carol’s website, or Carol’s class description.

For more information about Pam Goode, please visit Pam’s website or business page.

To register, please email Pam with name and contact info. Deposit of $500 (1/2) may be made through PayPal or by check. Payment in full must be completed by October 1, 2013.

Cancellation and refund policy:
All cancellations are subject to a 20% handling fee. For reservations cancelled 90 days or more before workshop, 50% is refundable. If cancelled less than 60 days before the workshop, 25% is refundable. If cancelled less than 45 days before the workshop, fee is non-refundable.

Should any workshop/retreat be canceled the entire amount paid will be refunded within fourteen days after the tour’s cancellation. Instructors have no obligation regarding any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations. Instructors and Finca Luna Nueva Lodge accept no liability for any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non-refundable ticket or for canceled flights.

Travel Insurance
It is strongly recommended that all workshop participants purchase Trip Cancellation, Emergency Medical Evacuation, Baggage, Accident and Medical insurance from a reputable insurance company.

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