Kathy Dunham www.kathydunham.com Internationally known artist, instructor and author, Kathy Dunham is a “go to – hands on” teacher who has taught all levels of drawing and watercolor at a variety of venues, including aboard cruise ships. Kathy’s strength lies in her ability to communicate the challenging concepts of understanding the basic elements of drawing and watercolor and how to create images through line and color. Having authored a book on “Artist’s Projects You Can Paint – 10 Floral Watercolors” in addition to several magazine articles on painting, Kathy is a master at keeping her instruction “understandably simple”. Kathy’s own beautiful watercolors have won numerous awards and hang in both public and private collections across the United States. Inspired by a passion for nature, Kathy is constantly searching out floral and plant life to create her dynamic, “larger than life” paintings. This workshop is designed for all levels of students. Kathy emphasizes the understanding and application of good basic skills to create energetic paintings. Learn tips to take the fear out of painting in watercolor. You will be shown the creative use of color and how to obtain depth and dimension through the proper use of light and shadow in addition to exploring the techniques of design and composition.
John Farnsworth www.johnfarnsworth.com
A painter with a contemporary eye and a traditional hand, John Farnsworth has been a full time artist for forty years. His paintings and photographs are in collections across the United States and abroad. He has worked in acrylic, oil, and watercolor using only the primaries since 1978. John has taught workshops in Spain, Peru, Mexico, Lincoln County, Taos and Santa Fe in New Mexico, and Canyon de Chelly on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.. His classes have included Computers for Artists, Watercolor, Beginning Watercolor, Pastel Equus, the (Un)limited Palette, and Digital Photography.
John will demonstrate ink and watercolor sketching for this workshop, and will be available at all times to help both painters and photographers with framing, composition, lighting, planning, correcting for conditions, and finding the heart of the subject so that participants may work in their chosen discipline, whether plein air or studio painting, oil, watercolor or pastel or photography. He will also share his (Un)limited palette (his use of only the primaries. www.johnfarnsworth.com/(un)limited-palette.htm
As a gallery owner for the past twelve years, and a webmaster for nearly as long, John is always happy, as well, to share his experience and knowledge in these areas.
A firm believer in “you learn to do by doing”, John will help you find your own voice, develop your own “eye”, rather than simply showing you a technique or an approach to copy. He will encourage you to express your own vision and make suggestions to help you improve your work and achieve your goals as an artist, whether in painting or photography.
While exploring the beauty of the Dordogne, you will also explore the beauty and insight to be found in your own inner responses.
Both photographers and painters are welcome, as are all levels from beginner to advanced. Those using digital will, of course, have the advantage of seeing and discussing their work at each day’s end.
Students should be familiar with their cameras, as we will be focused on the seeing side of photography, rather than on the technical. Be sure to bring along your manual, just in case it’s needed, and you laptop, if you have one, with your favorite image editing program.
Transfers from/to Bordeaux, and all transportation by private coach
Entry fees for included sites, ample time to enjoy optional ones
Private & Group Instruction & Critiques
Itinerary
Independent Arrival in Bordeaux
Depart U.S.A. on overnight flight to any European gateway city. Catch a connecting flight to Bordeaux. If you fly into Paris, the TGV fast train is an option.
Day 1
4:00 p.m. Meet our Private Coach in Bordeaux for the scenic, two-hour drive into the Périgord and Petit Rousset. Welcome Dinner.
A sampling of our Destinations
Our explorations of the towns and villages described below will often be on bustling Market Days. We’ll visit other villages as serene as stage sets, waiting for us to bring them to life. We will also enjoy a guided visit to a cave with prehistoric paintings, a medieval fortress, a Renaissance chateau and a water mill where they make paper by hand, the old fashioned way.
Petit Rousset – Our home, a 17th century farmhouse, provides many opportunities for painting, sketching & relaxing – in the studio, in the garden, on the terrace, by the pool.
Eymet – Our ‘hometown’ is a 40-minute stroll from Petit Rousset, past rows of grapevines, fields of sunflowers and meadows of grazing cows. This bastide has a perfectly intact 13th century center square which bursts with activity on Market Day. Little streets radiating off the square are dotted with houses made of wattle and daub. As we explore, we’ll learn about the medieval conflicts that gave rise to the region’s many bastides.
Bergerac – The town made famous by the poet-Musketeer, Cyrano, is now the capitol of the wine-growing region. At an earlier time, its fame rested upon its tobacco production. A museum of this now much maligned weed documents 15th century globalization. We’ll visit Old Town, with its medieval houses clustered along the banks of the Dordogne River. Nearby is the fairy tale Renaissance Chateau de Monbazillac. We’ll visit the chateau then taste the golden, mellow wine of the same name.
Les Eyzies – The capitol of Prehistory, we’ll visit a cave embellished with polychrome prehistoric paintings.
Beynac – We’ll visit the village with the Chateau at its summit. Built during the One Hundred Year’s War, the Chateau de Beynac perches high atop a cliff dominating the Dordogne River. Now we marvel at the views of the valley below, but its imposing profile attests to its original military purpose.
Sarlat – Founded as an Abbey Town, when Charlemagne visited, he brought a fragment of the True Cross with him. Nearly all of Sarlat’s restored town houses were built during its years of greatest prosperity, from 1450-1500, giving it a rare architectural unity preserved by the Loi Malraux.
Monpazier – Hailed as the most perfectly preserved bastide in Southwest France, the 13th century houses surrounding its totally intact market square, are identical in size, unique in appearance.
Final Day – St. Emilion – After breakfast, depart for Bordeaux. En route, St. Emilion, a favorite of both medieval popes and English kings, in 1999 it was classed a world heritage site, the first vine-growing area to achieve this status. After free time in St. Emilion, Coach drop off at Bordeaux airport and/or train station. Onward journeys after 4:00 p.m. are advised.
