2017 has been a memorable year for me, with travels all over the country to teach, and three trips to Europe! It was a little bit crazy, but I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. It was wonderful! And 2018 promises to be another exciting year. Take a look at what I have planned in the way of workshops and classes….
My first workshop of the year will be in a new location for me, Keeton’s Art Supply in Bradenton, Florida.
They have a fantastic new classroom with plenty of work space for the students and a multi-media system for the instructor, so everyone can easily see all the details of the sketchbook pages I share. I’ll be teaching a two-day workshop called “Sketch Your Life: An Introduction to Sketchbook Journaling” January 29-30, 2018.
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| Student pages from one of the “sweet” exercises we do in the Sketch Your Life workshop |
It’s a fun, no-stress way to get started with sketchbook journaling, and it’s in Florida…in January…why not join us and soak up some sunshine on the Gulf Coast? Click here to register. (Scroll down to Jan. 29 Sketch Your Life!)
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| Florida sketch from a teaching trip in 2015 |
While I’m in Florida, I’ll be stopping by Marie Selby Botanical Gardens for “Painting Flowers in Watercolor”, February 1-2, 2018.
I’ll be mixing things up a bit in this class. The first day we’ll make an accordion-fold watercolor journal and paint several varieties of flowers in it, like roses, poinsettias, hibiscus, and orchids. The next day, we’ll venture out to draw some of the flowers that are blooming in the Selby gardens, then finish up our floral studies back in the studio, where I’ll be available to guide and assist. The end result: a beautiful handmade journal filled with colorful floral vignettes.
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| Learn how to paint this pretty pink rose in my Selby workshop |
April 3-8, 2018, will find me on the west coast for my “Watercolor Sketching in San Francisco” workshop with French Escapade. We’ll have four days in the city, painting iconic spots like the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf, and we’ll venture afield one day for a visit to the wine country of Sonoma County. All the details will be taken care of – just come and enjoy!
Read all about the workshop in this post and register on the French Escapade website.
In May, I’ll be returning to Cheap Joe’s in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for my 5-day “Sketchbook Journaling Comes to Life” workshop.
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| Me and my buddy, Joe Miller |
The facilities at Cheap Joe’s are the finest I’ve found anywhere, and the southern hospitality that the staff always shows toward me and my students makes this one of my favorite teaching venues. We’ll be spending the week exploring how to bring your sketchbook pages to life with exciting page designs, varied lettering styles, and creative subject matter. And I’ll give you plenty of pointers on watercolor technique, too, so you can enjoy the painting process instead of stressing over it.
So, come along with me on a spring road trip to Cheap Joe’s, and enjoy sketching, painting, shopping (for art supplies!), feasting on yummy southern cooking, and exploring the quaint little town of Boone. I promise you’ll love it! Register for the workshop on the Cheap Joe’s website.
When summer rolls around, I always dream of Maine, where wild purple lupines cover the hillsides in early June.
This year, my dream will come true as I host two week-long painting retreats at Primrose Cottage in Owls Head, Maine.
There’s nothing like a week in Maine to recharge your creative spirit! We’ll visit beaches, lighthouses, gardens, harbors, and towns, recording our impressions on the pages of our travel journals. I’ll share tutorials on painting rocks, water, skies, as well as give you tips on keeping a travel journal. But there will also be hours of free time to spend as you will: watching the tide roll in, searching for sea glass on the beach, reading a book, or going for a walk. This is a time to connect with kindred spirits and reconnect with yourself.
There are only a few spots left on this very special painting retreat. Click here for more information.
Then, in August, I’ll be back in Boone for another week at Cheap Joe’s – this time for my “Step-by-Step Watercolor” workshop. This class will feature five days of lessons on how to paint a wide range of subjects, everything from a wine bottle to a crashing ocean wave. And, as with all my classes, I provide a full-color spiral-bound handbook for each student that contains all the step-by-step lessons we’ll be covering during the week. It’s a reference that can be referred to for years to come. These lessons teach the techniques that I use in all my sketches and paintings. Once you learn them, you can paint anything!
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| Final page of my lesson on painting summer trees |
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| Student paintings from a step-by-step painting workshop |
As with every workshop at Cheap Joe’s, we’ll take plenty of breaks to slip into the outlet store that’s right next door to the classroom – gotta take advantage of that student discount they give to every registrant! And you’d better wear loose-fitting pants to class, because you’re bound to eat too much southern barbecue and peach cobbler for lunch – it’s so yummy! Seriously, taking a workshop at Cheap Joe’s is just so much fun – it’s a wonderful venue in a fantastic location, you’ll meet people from all over the country, you’ll learn more than you ever thought possible, and you’ll have five full days of “me time”. Ya’ll do come! You might even get to see Joe dressed up like Elvis…
Register for “Step-by-Step Watercolor” here.
After Boone, I’ll start packing for Italy. I’ll be teaching back-to-back workshops in two new locations – Sicily and Northern Italy.
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| Windmills at the salt pans in Sicily |
September 15-22, 2018, is my week-long sketching workshop on the island of Sicily. Its varied landscape, sparkling waters, and historic sites make it the jewel of the Mediterranean, and we’ll be painting those blue waters, towering cliffs and ancient Roman temples in our travel journals as we explore this incredible place.
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| Mt. Erice, Sicily |
Visit the “Sicily Workshop” page, or, to see the full trip itinerary, click here. This workshop (through Artravelitaly) is filling fast, so reserve your spot soon to get the best choice of rooms at Villa Salinara, our host hotel.
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| Sicily |
After I wrap things up in Sicily, I’ll fly to Milan to meet up with the folks from the Blue Walk to begin my sketching tour of Northern Italy.
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| Cinque Terre |
This workshop tour will start out in Milan, then take us to the Italian Riviera towns of Portofino and Rapallo, with a side trip to Cinque Terre, which is quite possibly my favorite place in Italy. Then we’re off to Lake Como for days of cruising, sketching, shopping, and exploring the historic villages that dot the shoreline of this gorgeous lake at the foot of the Alps. Sound good? Visit the Blue Walk website for a full itinerary, plus registration information. We’ve even added an optional 3-day trip extension to Venice, Padua, and Verona, so, if you just can’t get enough of Italy, check it out and think about joining us.
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| Lake Como |
Each one of these European trips offers safe small-group travel to gorgeous locations. And all the details are taken care of for you. It’s the perfect way to get away!
When I return from Italy, I’ll barely have time to catch my breath before flying off to San Clemente in November for back-to-back workshops at San Clemente Art Supply.
November 2-3, 2018, I’ll be teaching “Sketchbook Journaling Explorations”, a fun, playful two-day class where we’ll explore a variety of new techniques and materials that will inject new life into your sketchbook pages.
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| My 2017 class at San Clemente Art Supply |
Then, on November 4-5, we’ll be heading outside for some on-location sketching during my “Sketch Your World” workshop. Locations have not been finalized yet – I’ll be announcing them over the summer – but I’m sure they’ll be just as wonderful as our visit last year to Casa Romantica.
Everyone’s sketching practice can use a dose of inspiration now and then, so come on over to beautiful San Clemente and get jazzed about sketching! Call the store to inquire about registering: 949-369-6603.
Last, but definitely not least, let’s talk about Sketching at Summerhill, the monthly mini-workshops that I offer at my house throughout the year. Whether we’re sketching roses in the garden….
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| Susan sketching roses |
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| Student sketches from a class entitled “50 Ways to Sketch a Garden” |
or learning how to paint lavender fields in the studio…
we always have a great time together.
Each class consists of a step-by-step watercolor tutorial, free time for sketching indoors or out, and a delicious homemade meal.
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| Spring lunch at Summerhill |
We always end with a sharing session where everyone can show off what they’ve been working on lately. Sometimes I think the sharing time is the best part of Summerhhill Sketching. Everyone leaves happy and inspired (and full, from all that delicious food my mom and I make for them!) To see all the 2018 Sketching at Summerhill dates, click here.
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| Pat shares two recent paintings |
I may add a few more classes here at my home studio in the coming year. Let me know if you’re interested in an “Intro to Watercolor” weekly class, or a 3-day “Sketch Your Life: An Introduction to Sketchbook Journaling” workshop. I might be able to squeeze them in – drop me an email to let me know.
To see detailed descriptions of all of my 2018 US workshops, click here.
I hope to see you in class in 2018. It’s going to be a GREAT year!
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| 2017 Provence workshop group |
