Under The Tuscan Sun

September 17-29

Painting workshop and holiday with Donna Bonin for Dreamscape Getaways. Paint the hill towns and country villas of Tuscany, combined with stays in Florence and Rome. For details go to www.dreamscapegetaways.com.

Autumn Colours at Bridgewater Retreat

with Donna Bonin. October 1-4, $160

Compose and paint vibrant fall scenes in the environs of Bridgwater. Discover the joy of painting rich autumn colours in "plein air". Brief group instruction daily sets the focus for the day's subjects followed by individual instruction and instructor demos at a variety of "on location" sites close to Bridgewater. Plenty of studio time is also allocated for help putting in those all important finishing touches. Instruction will emphasize; composing alluring landscapes; using a variety of tehniques for capturing the realism, impression, or mood of the students' chosen subjects; and achieving colours and values that "make" a painting. While Donna paints primarily in watercolour, the instructional emphasis of this workshop is suitable for all media. Beginners are most welcome.

Painting Trip to Le Monastere, Southern France

with Donna Bonin. July 22 - August 6, 2011

Le Monastere is a premier artists' destination in Southern France. I am honored to be among the few North American instructors invited to conduct a workshop there. A fully modernized medieval monastery, Le Monastere, is a unique small hotel in a heart of Limoux complete with an artists' studio.

Subjects to paint in the area are endless. There are winding old town streets, rivers and bridges, the Mediterranean shore, the snow capped Pyrenees, pastoral farm lands, Cathar Castles, gorges, foothills and forests, and vineyards and flowers everywhere. We will be living in centuries of history with not only something unique to paint, but something to learn at every turn. Experience Grail lore associated with Rennes le Chateau; Learn about the Cathars and the Crusades; find out the secret origins of Champaign, and spend a day in Carcasonne, the medieval town after which Walt Disney patterned Disney Land.

For more information call (613)395-5959.