Tag Archives: Edicational Travel

Light and Color Study in Amsterdam and Belgium with Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode

24 Jul

Light and Color Study in Amsterdam and Belgium
with Carol Shelkin and Pam Goode
May 15 – 26, 2015
$2975

Mosaic Art RetreatsHouseboat lodgings, canal cruises, visits with international mosaic artists, and a flower festival — how can you go wrong? Timed to coincide with the floriferous color inspiration of southern Holland’s most famous blooms, this retreat will be a delight for the senses as well as a networking mecca.

Mosaic Art RetreatsAMSTERDAM

We’ll dive into the artistic, architectural, cultural and culinary heart of Amsterdam, wandering among the 165 waterways (more than Venice!), discovering art, neighborhoods, hidden courtyards, local mosaics, and charming cafes. Amsterdam’s museums and private art collections feature stunning work by Rembrandt, a host of Van Goghs, and the light-drenched masterpieces of Vermeer.

Mosaic Art RetreatsWe’ll couple an art walk with a canal cruise, a trip to the museums with a mosaic session, visit the Anne Frank House, and tiptoe through the seven million flowers of the world-class Keukenhof Gardens.

Mosaic Art RetreatsWe’ll enjoy Amsterdam the way the locals do, with houseboat and apartment accommodations in the charming Jordann neighborhood. Fall asleep to the gentle rocking of calm waters and wake to the sound of ducks and swans paddling towards breakfast.

Shopping at Dam Square, floating flower markets and a skip through the legendary Albert Cuyp market (with multi-cultural street food) will fill our afternoons, and an evening will be spent visiting the lovely canals, Gothic-Renaissance architecture, and action of the Red Light District.

BELGIUM

Art TravelBelgium, famous around the world for the highest quality chocolate, beckons us to Brussels for a chocolate walking/tasting/making tour. We’ll tour Grand-Place, considered one of the most beautiful medieval squares in Europe, and revel in sumptuous Art Nouveau of the tree-lined and fountain-y Squares District, considered a laboratory of late nineteenth-century architecture, and the Magritte Museum.

Mosaic Art RetreatsDay trips to Bruges and Ghent will deliver two of Flanders’ most picturesque countryside havens. We’ll see Bruges’ Lake of Love, Beguinage, Our Lady Church, Market Square and lunch at a cafe close to Town Hall Square (Burg) — food lover’s dream and a beer lover’s heaven. We’ll also wander through architecture from the Middle Ages and head for a stroll along the North Sea. A highlight will be an afternoon spent with Belgian mosaic artists, talking shop over tea and chocolate.

Logistics

To make the most of our time, we’ll fly into Amsterdam, travel by high speed train to Belgium, and return home via the Brussels airport. Local transport will be via train and tram.

Included

Double Occupancy Accommodations in Amsterdam and Belgium
Transfer from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS) to City Center
Amsterdam Tram Tickets
Kukenhof Gardens
Sunset Canal Cruise & Dinner
Mosaic Workshop with Greet Weitenberg at Amphora Art
Ann Frank House Entrance & Self Guided Tour
Red Light Walking Tour
Two Museums: Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh
Train to Belgium
Chocolate Making Tour & Workshop
Day Trips to Ghent & Bruges
Transport to Brussels Airport (BRU) for Return Flights

 Not Included

  • Airfare
  • Meals
  • Personal Expenses
  • Travel Insurance

About Carol and Pam

Carol and Pam have many years’ experience traveling the world both separately and together, having teamed to lead several international art retreats. Limiting the tour to 10 adult travelers will allow us to form friendships and bonds that last a lifetime. Learn more about Carol here. Learn more about Pam here and here.

For More Information or To Register:

Registration forms are available; just email Carol or Pam. A detailed itinerary will be available shortly.

 

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Mosaic Mandalas and Mystic Immersion with Deb Aldo

2 Jul

Pebble Mosaic WorkshopMosaic Mandalas with Deb Aldo
July 27 – 28, 2013
Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Members $335 / Public $355

Mandalas are contemplative tools for moving between the inner and outer experience, helping to restore a feeling of peace and calm. Get a taste of what it’s like to work on a mosaic, in a fun and meditative atmosphere. Class will begin with a short lecture and demo on how to cut, fit and combine mosaic materials in a radial pattern. Next a discussion and reflection on why creating art is important, even for those who do not consider themselves artists. Finally you will be taken on a brief meditative journey to call forth your creative muse. A variety of materials will be available, including stone, glass, pebbles and shells. All tools and materials and design possibilities /suggestions provided. All levels welcome. No experience necessary!

To register or for more information, call (860) 536-7601 X 213 or email.

Staying for the weekend? Ask MAC education staff about discounted Mystic hotels.

 

Mystic Immersion with Deb Aldo
Friday, July 26, 2013
6:30pm – 7:30pm
FREE and open to all Mosaic Mandala class participants

Meet and Greet at Mystic Arts Center

Immerse yourself in Mystic for the weekend! Relax and meet the instructor and fellow students at a reception just for class participants. Enjoy the MAC galleries with a private viewing of Mystic As Muse, MAC’s centennial exhibition, and a glass of wine. Free .

Saturday, July 27

Students are welcome to join the instructor for lunch and a walk in downtown Mystic. Lunch is at your own expense.

See you there!

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Mosaic Intensive with Sonia King: Paros, Greece, 2013

6 Nov

*WAIT LIST ONLY

Mosaic Intensive: Greece
Working in White on the Greek Island of Paros
with Sonia King
June 17 – 21, 2013
$2375

Mosaic Art Retreats GreeceJoin Sonia for an intensive five-day mosaic workshop on the sun-drenched island of Paros in Greece.  Paros is famous for the beautiful white marble that the ancient Greeks carved into statues like the Venus de Milo. We’ll take our inspiration from this amazing material and work all in whites, tone on tone. This will be a rare opportunity to enhance your mosaic skills in an inspiring and stimulating environment.

Sonia King Intensive GreeceCreating mosaic in a monochrome palette emphasizes the focus on cutting, laying style, reflectivity, scale and texture. Limiting possible decisions to the primary principles of mosaic offers learning opportunities that color can mask. Technically, there will be extensive inquiry into cutting techniques, methods of laying and broadening your skill set. The class specifically covers working with texture, scale, andamento and spacing; achieving effects through varied cutting and laying styles and/or mixed materials, working direct. There will be discussions about design, the complexity of working with more than one material, reflectivity and more. Most importantly, you’ll leave the workshop with an elevated sense of what mosaic is about, a new way of thinking about your work and the knowledge to enable you to push to the next level. Prior mosaic experience is recommended. Some white materials will be supplied. (A list of the supplied materials will be sent in advance so class participants can bring additional materials, or even additional colors, if they wish.)

Mosaic Art Retreats GreeceThere will be an optional side trip on one day, by ferry, to the island of Delos to see ancient mosaics.  Participants may choose to come along or to remain in the studio working.  The atmosphere will be relaxed and there will be ample time for swimming and sunning on the beach steps away from our hotel.

Mosaic Art Retreats GreeceThe course fee includes:
* Get-acquainted dinner on the evening before the workshop begins, June 16
* Individual instruction/coaching by Sonia, structured to meet each participant’s experience level and goals.
* Group discussions on the art of mosaic, cutting techniques, ergonomics, technical issues, the business of art, critical thinking and problem-solving strategies for design/implementation and more.
* Substrate, adhesive, marble and the use of a hammer/hardie. Bring your own hand tools. Participants may also want to bring additional materials to work with, such as glass, unglazed ceramic, smalti, beads, found objects, etc. More info on recommended tools and materials will be supplied.
* Optional day trip to visit ancient mosaics on the island of Delos with lunch and shopping opportunities on Mykonos
* Closing night dinner party, June 21

Not included:
* Transportation (airfares, ferries, taxis, etc.)
* Meals (other than breakfast at the hotel and the get-acquainted and closing dinners)
* Optional side trip to visit the ancient mosaics on island of Delos plus lunch & shopping on Mykonos

Mosaic Art Retreats GreeceSpace is limited so early registration is recommended.  Cost is $2,375 US. Ten participants are required for the class to be held. A deposit of $500 is required on booking and the class fills on a first-come basis. Balance of the fee is due by February 1st, allowing ample time for buying air tickets at the best price.  After February 1st, refunds will be given provided the opening is filled. (There is always a wait list so a refund is likely.) Refunds will be less any money transfer fees. Payment may be made by US $ checks, US $ wire transfer, Western Union or PayPal. (PayPal incurs a small percentage transaction fee)

Direct inquiries to Sonia.
Include contact info (name, address, phone, e-mail). As the workshop approaches, recommended tool information, details about materials and advice about logistics will be sent.

See images from the 2011 workshop on Paros

Click here for a flyer in PDF format for printing

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Get Out

30 Sep

One of the biggest problems I have when it comes to creating is getting OUT of my own head. Schedules, an ever-expanding To Do list with far too few check marks, voices reminding me of imminent emergencies that always take precedence over creative time (sigh . . . I can’t finish that book/painting/quilt/journal when this toaster clearly needs washing!) and day-to-day necessities (food and the occasional shower) crowd my brain and pull a veil of shetland wool over any creative urges that long to see the light of day.

My solution to getting out of my own repetitious agenda is to get OUT of my head by getting OUT of my house. Even walking to the mailbox on the corner or driving for a spin through a few distant neighborhoods is enough to reset the gears and give my creative side a little voice. Oooh, look at the colors in that tree! Wow, I had no idea this park was here. I wonder where this path leads? The sound of the birds replaces my routine inner humming; the curve of a petal resets my spacial imaginings; a pop of chartreuse refracts possibilities through my eyes.

But the best recharging I do is through travel. I long to get far enough away from myself and my neural travel paths to reset everything inside me. I love wandering through a country with new eyes, particularly when my grasp of the language is timid enough to keep me mostly silent and watching, alert for nuances and glimpses into other cultures, other ways of being. Exploring new places is always fun, but the complete makeover of SAME OLD ME is life-giving. Suddenly everything is new — unfamiliar recipes tickle the palate; regional patterns and colors excite and inspire; vistas across the Italian countryside parallel a sense of endless possibility; cultural curiosities encourage you to go deep inside to pull your own mysteries into your art.

Grab a backpack or the Louis Vuittons, book that ticket, and get out. Dive into the unfamiliar and let it envelop and transform you. I guarantee you two things: a new outlook and a heap of inspiration.

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