Summer Workshop, Tour, and Outreach
with Valerie Nicoladze and Laurel True
June 21 – 28, 2014
$2600
Immerse yourself in an educational trip and tour that will leave you inspired and creatively invigorated for the rest of the year! Enjoy the lavender in bloom, farm to table food, wine tasting, exploration of local markets and exhibits, and time to create in an inspiring studio environment.
Join professional mosaic artists and educators Laurel True and Valerie Nicoladze at Valerie’s Esprit Mosaique Studio in Avignon, France to explore and celebrate color and creativity through mosaics. Laurel and Valerie are teaming up for the second year in a row to offer a very special, specifically curated and inspiring trip that will combine hands-on studio time, a community project at a local social center, incredible insider sightseeing and experiential learning, and amazing food … and wine … and cheese … and shopping in Provencal villages … and more.
Esprit Mosaique Studio is full of joyful color and provides a welcoming place to learn, create and spend time in community with other mosaic enthusiasts. This is a wonderful opportunity for cross-cultural exchange with French mosaic artists and the North African community served by the Orel Social Center in Avignon. Participants will leave Provence feeling like family — having shared food, wine, stories and creation.
Each instructor will offer lessons focusing on various techniques including fresco cement as a background treatment, demonstration of the uses of stacked and layered substrates, and precision cutting and setting techniques for glass and ceramic. We’ll work with each student according to their experience level; all student levels are welcome.
Esprit Mosaique Studio offers a huge array of beautiful materials for students to use in the creation of their mosaic pieces — drawers and drawers full of colorful and exotic materials from all over the world. Participants will have the opportunity to work with french-made materials that are not often seen or used in the US. Students will enjoy a guided exploration of materials and color through the creation of a piece that they will take home.
One day will include the creation of mosaics elements to be installed at Orel Social Center in Avignon. We’ll combine elements we make with elements made by mosaic students from the social center trained by Valerie, creating a group mosaic project to be installed there. We’ll also spend an evening meeting our co-creators and share a delicious couscous dinner together.
In addition to time in the studio, participants will have the chance to enjoy creative meals together, stay in a cute Provencal hotel, tour Avignon and nearby markets including St. Remy and Les Baux de Provence (in a medieval village with an incredible view AND violet gelato), visit the breathtaking and indescribable exhibition at Les Carrieres des Lumieres, as well as enjoy educational wine tastings and a Provencal backyard BBQ at the home of Valerie and her family.
We’ll end our time together with a picnic in a local lavender field and a visit to the Village of Salut.
Our trip in 2013 was an indescribable experience for everyone. We can’t wait to offer this trip again this summer!
Cost: $2600
Includes: Mosaic workshop instruction, accommodations from June 21-27, breakfast and lunches, Tuesday night family BBQ and Thursday night couscous dinner, transportation from train station or Avignon airport and to and from workshop, and all touristic visits to markets, exhibits and wine tastings. Cost does not include flight, dinners (except Thursday) and personal expenses. Both instructors are bi-lingual and workshop and activities will be in English and French.
To Register for this workshop, please e-mail Valerie Nicoladze at: espritmosaique@free.fr
Questions? Contact Valerie (above) or Laurel at info@TrueMosaics.com
Payment: 50% due at time of registration to hold your space. Payment can be made through Pay Pal. We have only 10 spaces and expect this workshop/tour to fill quickly.
Itinerary 2014
Saturday, June 21: Participants arrive and get settled in Hotel de Atelier.
Sunday, June 22: Studio orientation and intros at Esprit Mosaique Studio. Tour of Avignon. Evening free (get over your jet lag and gear up for a great week ahead!).
Monday, June 23: Project lessons and demonstrations; materials selection and begin first project. Lunch at Restaurant La Strada. Afternoon studio instruction and work time. Evening free.
Tuesday, June 25: Studio work time and instruction. Lunch at Restaurant La Strada. Afternoon studio time. Evening wine tasting at Tavel winery and backyard Provencal BBQ at Valerie’s house.
Wednesday, June 26: Visit Provencal market in village of St Rémy de Provence, with lunch at Villa Glanum Restaurant. Afternoon art exhibit at Carrières des Lumières and In Les Baux de Provence. Evening free.
Thursday, June 27: Studio work time and instruction. Lunch at Restaurant La Strada. Afternoon studio work time and instruction. Evening free.
Friday, June 28: Mosaic studio time to create elements for community project for Orel Social Center. Lunch at Restaurant La Strada. Install mosaic elements at Orel Social Center. Couscous dinner with families involved in social center mosaic project.
Saturday, June 29: To conclude our week together, we’ll take a gorgeous walk in a nearby lavender field and enjoy a Provencal picnic, 9:00 – 2:00. Afternoon: Goodbyes and departure!
Mosaic Art Retreats 