Winter in the mountains can be remote, quiet, introspective and inspirational. In these still places at higher elevations, we find light, energy and sparks of ephemeral magic. Join local artist Nikki Frumkin — well-known for her watercolor mountain paintings on Drawn to High Places website and Instagram account – for a two-part watercolor and ink workshop to capture some of these wild, winter landscapes on paper.
This workshop is designed for the beginner and seasoned painter alike and everyone will have the opportunity to create their own plein air paintings. Bring reference photos of your favorite landscapes and mountains, or simply use the spectacular surroundings of the Diablo Lake neighborhood in North Cascades National Park as creative juice for your own work over the weekend. As we paint, there will opportunities to talk about creative voice, technique, process, art as a business, sharing art on social media and more.
Day 1: Watercolors want to capture light, movement and energy, but they can be a tricky medium. Our first day together will be spent learning foundational watercolor techniques that will serve as primary tools in our painting tool kit. There will be time to play, practice and experiment with new techniques. Depending on the weather, we will go into the field to do some painting, so bring your raingear and puffy coats! Later, join us for a cozy evening of delicious local food and part two of our workshop the following day.
Day 2: The mountains tell big stories. There is so much power in the interplay between ridges, valleys and summits. Together we'll head outside to paint the landscape around the Environmental Learning Center plein air. There will be plenty of time to talk about creativity, artistic voice, and ways to represent what you feel on paper. We will be applying our watercolor techniques from day one in different ways that suit the development of your creative voice and style.
Participants can choose between two options for the Painting the Peaks retreat with Nikki Frumkin: the option above has participants arriving Friday afternoon and includes two days of instruction with Nikki, six meals (dinner Friday - lunch Sunday) and two nights of lodging (Friday & Saturday). A less-expensive Option B has participants arriving at the Environmental Learning Center Saturday morning and includes two days of instruction with Nikki, three meals (dinner Saturday - lunch Sunday) and one night of lodging (Saturday). Click here for information on Option B.
Tuition Includes six meals, two nights of lodging (Friday & Saturday) and two days of instruction
Cost with no Lodging: $190.00