Say it with Colour in Greece
Painting holiday in Nafplion
Monday 6 – 13 October2008
The aim of this painting holiday is to introduce you to a different kind of life in an exciting new location and enable you to paint for your enjoyment. The daily structured lessons and demonstrations arebased on a variety of subject matters from the surrounding landscape of the historic town of Nafplion in the Argolid.
Experiment in mixed media or use your water colours and crayons to capture just a few of the images that you are about to discover and experience. Designated picturesque locations are in close proximity.
Daily programme
- Painting session 9.30 – 16.30 in different locations
- Museums and Art Galleries visit
- Free evenings to enjoy the outdoors in the Old Town
Cost £590 p.p based on two people sharing a twin room.
Included: Seven nights with breakfast at the traditional guest house “Anthemion”, six days painting tuition, use of painting materials (acrylics) and easels, transport to painting locations and toand from the Athens airport.
Not included: Flights to Athens / Travel insurance, Meals.
Single room supplement £100
Non-participating partners £350
Contact: Lena 07790 795025 e-mail:
Accommodation:
Say it with Colour in Greece
An itinerary of our painting holiday
Monday 6 – 13 October 2008
MONDAY – ARRIVAL DAY
After a personal welcome at Athens airport, we transfer to Nafplion by car with a halfway stop at the Corinth canal. We settle at the guesthouse “Anthemion” and we go for an evening walk to Nafplion town.
TUESDAY – INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW LOCATION
We climb up to the Venetian fortress of Palamidi which crowns the town of Nafplion so we can have a bird’s eye view of the historic town and the surrounding landscape. Then we go for a short drive to Karathona sandy beach. We start with a painting session on sketching with coloured pencils and wash in your sketch books.In the evening we can go to Nafplion town, walk through its narrow streets and take the ‘lift’ to the top of the rock where we can enjoy the view of the fortified islet Bourtzi, afloat in the middle of the bay.
WEDNESDAY –WALK AROUND AKRONAFPLIA ROCK
In the morning will walk around Acronafplia peninsula with its imposing rocks and prickly pear cactuses and the backdrop of the deep blue sea.We will wander through the picturesque streets of the neoclassical old city and have a painting session on perspective and recession. We are also going to see how to use figures in the landscape. Back to the guesthouse garden kiosk, we have a session onhow to compose the information from your sketches into a bigger composition – scaling up your format.
Visit Nafplion Art Gallery and the Art Shop.
THURSDAY –SHORT TRIP TO A FISHING VILLAGE
We are going to drive to Nea Kios, a fishing village by an estuary and draw the fishing boats. Back in the guesthouse we paint with acrylics. Problem solving.
Visit the Peloponnesian Folklore Museum.
FRIDAY –PAINT OR DRAW AT KARATHONA BEACH
We will go on a short drive back to the nearby beach of Karathona and put into practice what we have learned on composition of landscapes. Paint in your watercolours or draw with pen and wash or pastels. Problem solving.
Visit the National Gallery Annex.
SATURDAY – PAINT THE VIEW FROM PALAMIDI VENETIAN FORTRESS
We revisit the Venetian fortress and we paint in watercolour or we draw with pen and wash the amazingbird’s eye views. Those who dare, walk down the 999 steps to the old town. Back to the guesthouse we have a session on painting with acrylic and mixing your media.
SUNDAY –PAINT OR DRAW AROUND THE OLD TOWN
We have a final day morning discussion. Then, back in the old town, we paint ordraw buildings which combine Venetian and neoclassical architecture with wooden balconies and cascading flowers, Turkish fountains and fascinating mosques. The Archaeological Museum is in the central Constitution Square surrounded by outdoor café tables and plane trees.
MONDAY – DEPARTURE DAY
After breakfast it is time to pack before our return journey. On the way back we can stop to visit the Isthmus, the Corinth Canal, before we go to Athens airport.
Painting conditions
There are mostly gently sloped locations within close proximity to transport. Some steep steps in the old Town. Trips by car are no more than 5 – 10 min drive.
Say it with Colour in Greece
Painting holiday in Nafplion
Now that we are approaching our painting holiday I’d like to draw your attention to a few points of interest that we will be concentrating on when we get there.
- Sketching in your sketch book – format, basic shapes, tone and shadows
- Scaling up your format – composition – the golden intersection
- Composition of landscape
- Perspective and recession – the built environment and people
- Fishing boats – the negative space
- Explore texture – mix your media
For your travel kit I recommend a sketch book (A5), pencils, watercolour or ink pencils, pastels and watercolours. You could bring a pad primed for acrylics (A3) as acrylic paints, pallets, easels and stools will be there for you to use.
You can also be adventurous and use biro pens, felt tip pens, sticks and cotton buds, anything you would like to use experimentally in a casual way.
Please remember to have sensible clothes and a hat with you to protect yourself from the sun or from a cool breeze.
When in Greece I can be contacted at my mobile: (0044) 6979 479 522
Looking forward to seeing you all there,
Lena Papapanagiotou