Painting Trips

The Vancouver Art Guild has planned and organized a number of painting trips for its members.

Painters are often accompanied by spouses who find their own diversions and/or aid and participate in the exploration of new environs. In Europe and Mexico we stay in one place, find an accommodation with meals where possible and use rented vehicles to explore the neighboring villages and countryside when not painting on location. We sometimes travel with an instructor.

Trips completed include Oaxaca, Mexico, November 2007; Ronda, Spain, September 2005; Umbria, Italy, September 2003; Big Bar Ranch, BC Cariboo, September 2002; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, March 2002; Freyssinet, France, in the Lot Valley, 2000, 2001, 2002.

While the Guild hasn't organized a Painting Trip recently, some members are still actively traveling together to find new painting opportunities. In the summer of 2010 there were two 10 day art workshops in South West France: one, back at the lovely Le Vieux Couvent in Frayssinet, with Fran Alley, the founding artist of the Guild and its original art teacher; the second, organized by Cheryl Fortier, another popular instructor with Guild members. Cheryl was in France as the on-site Administrator of the Virginia Centre for Creative Arts at Le Moulin a Nef campus in the historic village of Auvillar. Both workshops included studio work, Plein air and excursions to the surrounding countryside, villages and points of interest as well as accommodation and delicious meals. Both locations border the picturesque areas of the Dordogne and Lot Valley.