Brittany, France!

Plein Air Painting in Brittany with Sennelier! June 10 - 19, 2020!  Postponed due to Covid-19! 

New Dates! Due to overwhelming response, we have scheduled TWO tours! Both groups are SOLD OUT, however we can add your name to our waiting list in case a spot opens up! 

June 8 - 17, 2022 

and

June 22 - July 1, 2022

Registration is now open for my plein air painting workshop in Brittany, France, co-hosted by Sennelier! The first group sold out quickly and we are now taking reservations for the second group (ALL GROUPS ARE NOW SOLD-OUT)! We will paint the castles and chateaus, forests and parks, and the seaside villages and beaches of the northeast coast of Brittany.

We also have an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime invitation to visit the Sennelier factories in Saint Brieuc, and the Raphael and Leonard brush factories, where we will be treated to hands-on demonstrations and given art supplies to use.

And, as the honored guests of Sennelier, we will be the featured artists at the annual Dinard Plein Air Festival! This annual plein air painting event encompasses the seaside resort of Dinard with it's picturesque squares and markets and breathtaking beaches.

UPDATE! I just found out that there will also be a Concours d'Elegance in Dinard during the plein air festival. Painting these beautiful automobiles will be a real treat for the artists!

When I was painting in Provence in few years ago, I ran into my old friend Yves-Marie Salanson, director of Sennelier. It was serendipitous, and Yves-Marie invited me to bring a group of artists to Brittany so they could visit his companies. 

Yves-Marie of Sennelier with Annie Strack in Provence

Yves-Marie and I became friends many years ago in the early days of Twitter when I was working as a Contributing Editor and Columnist for Professional Artist Magazine, and I later helped him when he was developing his new formulas for the Sennelier watercolors. I tested and reviewed paint samples for him, and I introduced other artists to him to also work on the project with us. 

It's been over a dozen years and we've been friends ever since, although we had never met in person until we ran into each other, quite by accident, while I was painting in Roussillon with my students in 2018. We made plans then and there, that I would soon bring a small group of artists to Brittany where his company is headquartered so he could show us around as his guests. 

Well, we finally got it all organized, with help from Mathieu of Provence Art Experience -- Mathieu is the world's best when it comes to organizing trips for artists, and this is shaping up to be our greatest trip. 

This trip is already half full (only ONE space remains in the second group!) so please don't wait to reserve your spot! (SOLD OUT, join our wait list). Because we are limited to a small number of guests on this trip, we are only able to accommodate artists in this group. We are not able to offer discounts to non-artists wishing to join us. 

These groups are limited to just seven artists -- that's less than half the number of people you will find in any other tour group, which means that every person on our trip is pampered with individual attention. These small intimate groups allow us to be flexible and spontaneous with our itineraries so that each person gets more than just a tour - they get the freedom to create their own personalized adventure. 

My tours are special, as I include lavish extravagances that all the other workshop artists simply can’t do because they just don’t have the resources or connections that I have. So, I only do one European tour per year, as it takes a great deal of time to plan and create these extraordinary travel experiences.

(Private concert by the Gypsy Kings on our veranda in Provence)

Lots of artists are now teaching workshops overseas, but my trips are so much more impressive than the standard, “copy and paste” itineraries that everyone else is offering. Other artists are all selling the same old cookie-cutter tours over and over again, and taking their groups to over-crowded tourist locations where hordes of artists are already staked out elbow to elbow as they all paint the exact same scene.

(Attending a wedding in the village square)

The artists who travel with me enjoy upgraded rooms in luxurious accommodations, gourmet meals prepared by award winning personal chefs, unique special events that are created exclusively for my groups, and no hidden fees or expenses (everything is included except for airfare!). Click HERE for tips on packing artist equipment and supplies for air travel.

My unique position as an Artist Ambassador for the world's most recognized brands of artist materials and my long history of working with art supply manufacturers and retailers means that my workshops are always sponsored by companies that produce fine artist materials and generously provide supplies to my participants. 

This trip is superior to all others, and provide one of a kind VIP experiences that other artists can’t even begin to offer. I take my groups to see extraordinary sights and paint at breathtaking locations that other artists don’t even know about.

Our house in Brittany!

We've secured an entire castle just a short walk from the beach for our accommodations. More photos of our Brittany house are posted here, check it out! There are five days in between, when the the first group of artists leaves on June 17, and the second group of artists arrive on June 22. So, for a small daily rate, artists in group one can add a few days on to the end of their trip, and artists in group two can add a few days onto the start of their trip. Ask Mathieu for the details. 

We have unrivaled entertainment on our tours as well, which can range from celebrity encounters, private concerts, personal tours of famous places, exclusive invitations to exciting events, and so much more. 

Travel restrictions are being loosened, be sure to keep up with the latest travel information on the official government website for travel to France. 

Many artists return year after year to take my workshops, and as a result, space is extremely limited to new attendees. Reserve your place now while there is still space available. 

To read my tips on packing light for this trip (or any plein air painting trip overseas!) click here.  

Sign up at Provence Art Experience Tours, and be sure to follow this event on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates!

Plein Air Essentials for Watercolor Painters!

I paint en plein air often and teach classes and workshops, and my new students often ask me what gear they need to come join me on these excursions. I first started painting outdoors back in the early eighties, when I worked as a State Game Warden in the Florida Everglades. Back then, I kept a small box with my painting supplies in the back of my truck so I could sketch and paint the landscape around me.

Later, when I lived in California I organized some artist friends to join me on weekends to paint the breathtaking scenery of the valleys and coastlines. Back then, we called it painting outside or paint outs -- "plein air" was not used as a noun until recent years.

The supplies I carry with me haven't changed much over the decades. Paint, brushes, and water are the essentials. I prefer pan watercolors and I keep a penknife, pencil, eraser, sandpaper, salt, and travel brushes with the folding palette. The travel brushes have self-storing handles that protect the brush when not in use. I like to use a watercolor easel such as this one, but when I was younger I would just sit on the ground and hold my painting on my lap as I worked.

I show a selection of water containers in this photo, and they all have one thing in common -- they collapse. The dog bowl holds enough water to paint a larger painting, or the smaller camping cup can can be tucked in a bag with a sketchbook to be handy for impromptu sessions. The red rectangle in this photo is a value finder. Looking through it helps artists to see values, and both in their subject and in their painting.

The right paper is a major component of painting. I like a small sketchbook such as this spiral bound one from Hahnemuehle for sketching on the go and small studies. For full size plein air paintings, I use 140 paper mounted in block form, such as this 12x16 block of Cezanne paper from Hahnemuehle.

Annie Strack teaching plein air painting in Spain

Acrylic Painting Demos at Plaza Art Stores!

Come join me at the Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing stores in Washington, DC, Fairfax, Towson, and Baltimore for free acrylic painting demos with Amsterdam Acrylics! These are hands-on demos, meaning you can try the paints and mediums for yourself! I'll also be giving away free samples and there will be special sales in the stores to celebrate these awesome events. You won't want to miss it!

More new paintings, again!

December is getting off to the busy start, with classes filling up and lots of new bookings for workshops and demos. Still, I've managed to find a little time to paint for myself, in between the myriad of holiday parties and travel. I just finished this watercolor painting of dinghies, from a reference photo I took on one of my recent trips to St. John. I love the water in the Caribbean -- it's as warm and inviting as it looks! I'll be entering this painting in competitions this year, and hopefully the judges will like it as much as I.

Destiny Awaits, 14x20 watercolor

This floral is a demo from one of my classes in my studio. I have several stems of silk flowers and an assortment of vases, and every now and then I arrange them for a still-life painting exercise for my students. It's a wonderful break from painting from photographs, and I can rearrange the flowers and lighting to give my students some different experiences in colors, compositions, designs, and values. This one is on Arches rough paper, and painted with my Mission pan watercolors. I used squirrel mop bushes, which combined with the rough paper helps to give it a looser feel.

Floral Demo with Mission Watercolors

Last week, I drove down to Rehoboth Beach for the Delaware Watercolor Society's holiday party. They gave all the artists a cute little apron with their logo on it, and the Signature Members received an additional gift of a lovely tote bag. I'm always toting bags of stuff around, so a new tote bag always comes in handy!

Signature Member gifts from the Delaware Watercolor Society

New pens for plein air watercolor painting!

I just tried some new products for watercolor painting en plein -- opaque white gel pens. These pens are lightfast and archival, making them ideal for watercolor painters. The Uniball pen was a given to me by my dear friend, artist Deb Watson. The Sakura and Marvy pens I found in the crafts department of a fabric store chain. Both the Uniball and the Marvy are 1.0 mil wide, and the Sakura is .04 wide. The wider ones are better for watercolor. Because these are opaque, they cover very well and can be used to add whites to a watercolor painting at the end. This makes it perfect for painting en plein air, when it's inconvenient to use masking fluid. 

 In other news, my workshop in Spain next Spring is almost full! There are only a few seats left, and prices go up after November 2016 so you don't want to wait until the last minute to reserve your space!

As an added bonus, I'm giving away white gel pens, traditional sketching pens, and a special sketchbook to each artist in this workshop!

another new painting!

Here's my latest watercolor painting! I just finished this one, and sent the image off to the National Watercolor Society for jurying. Wish me luck! I've been recovering from surgery for the past month, and spent the time in my studio working on the complexities of this painting. I'm writing a step by step tutorial using this painting, and soon I'll post the link to where you can find that free tutorial. Many thanks to my friends on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter who come to my rescue and help me with the titles for my latest paintings!

A Tug at My Heart, 20x14 watercolor 

 More sponsorships are rolling in for Plein Air Brandywine Valley! We are now up to thirteen Merit Awards of fabulous merchandise and gift certificates, including the latest from Vasari Oil Colors. Vasari oils are completely hand made of the finest oil and pigments and made in the US. Two lucky artists will win $250 Gift Certificates from Vasari, who has also generously provided two $100 Gift Certificates to be used as awards in the Quick Draw and the Nocturne painting competitions!

Merit Awards provided by Vasari Oil Colors

Recent demo paintings from my classes and workshops!

I've been so busy since my return from teaching a workshop in New Orleans, that I never got around to posting my demo paintings! I painted eight paintings during my 3-day workshop for the West Bank Art Guild, but I only have four paintings to show you because the other four paintings all sold during the workshop to some of my lovely students. The West Bank Art Guild purchased my primary painting from my workshop, and they will raffle it off to their members. The primary painting contained boats, water, trees, and buildings, so we worked on it a little each day of the workshop. We also did a couple or more "studies" each day, to practice the techniques for painting skies, water, reflections, values, mixing colors, using masking fluid, drawing perspective, creating textures, and tons of other great secrets and tips.

Awesome Artists hard at work in my workshop for the West Bank Art Guild!

Beach, 18x24 watercolor $195.

Beach, 18x24 watercolor $195.

Lake Road, 18x24 watercolor $195.

Marsh Sunset, 18x24 watercolor $195.

In my weekly class at the Community Arts Center, we worked on identifying cool and warm colors and optimum placement of them in compositions. We then painted a simple sunflower painting using a split primary palette system, learning how to mix all the necessary secondary and tertiary colors using a warm and a cool triad of primary colors. 

Split primary color wheels.

Sunflower, 16x12 watercolor, $95. 

Paint with me in Spain!

I've just been booked (yesterday!) to teach a watercolor workshop in Costa Brava, Spain -- and it's already selling out fast! There are only 8 spaces left! This plein air watercolor painting workshop is May 1 - 8, 2017. The itinerary includes museums, medieval villages, botanical gardens, castles, fishing villages, and the beautiful coastal seashore of the Costa Brava in northern Spain.

Sign up NOW to reserve your space, before it's all sold out! Contact Jackie at French Escapade tours for more information or to sign up!

Painting en Plein Air at Fontainebleu Park!

I just got back from a trip to New Orleans where I taught a watercolor painting workshop for the West Bank Art Guild. I had a fabulous trip, although I had to dig out from Winter Storm Jonah before I left home. I had a great group of artists in my workshop, and I'll post some photos of that next week! After the workshop, I spent some time visiting with old friends and getting in a little painting en plein air.

(Carol Hallock painting the beach  with oils at Fontainebleu.)

 I stayed at my dear friend Carol Hallock's home on Bayou Lacombe while I was down there. I used to live in Lacombe years ago, and Carol and I are old painting buddies. We both pursue the same subjects in our paintings, although she prefers to paint with oils while I usually reach for watercolors.

(Mary Monk using soft pastels to paint Fontainebleu beach.)

 It was nice to catch up with Mary Monk while I was in town! Mary is an old friend, and stayed at my house while she was painting in the Plein Air Brandywine Valley competition last year. She's always a lot of fun to hang out with!

(Carol Hallock, Mary Monk, and Annie Strack painting en plein air at Fontainebleu State Park.)

 I painted two small watercolors en plein air while we were at Fontainebleu State Park, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. It was foggy when we got there, and the fog lifted and the light changed dramatically. We stayed out painting until sunset, and I shot some fantastic photos of the changing light to use for studio paintings later!

Fontainebleu Beach, 6x12 watercolor $79.

Fontainebleu Park, 6x12 watercolor $79.

It was a busy couple of weeks and I'm still not caught up with my studio paintings, new painting courses, and other work. I've also been inundated with requests for workshop proposals -- I'm getting those out as fast as I can, and so if you've just sent me a request you can expect to hear back within 2 days. I'm adding new workshops to the Calender Page of this website all the time, so be sure to check back often to see the latest listings. Workshops sell out quickly, so if you see one you like, you need to jump on it and register before it's sold out!

I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to photograph my paintings from the Cedarburg Plein Air last week! I pulled out of the Plein Air early and spent the last week visiting my sister and her family in northern Wisconsin. I had already turned in my 1st Quick-Paint entry, so I don't have a photo of that one, but here are all the other paintings. Because I only stayed in the Plein Air for the first week, I wasn't able to enter any of these in competition and sale the following week. So these are all available for sale now!

Cedar River Falls, 8x10 oil (SOLD)



Cedarburg Forge, 8x10 oil (SOLD)
 

Port Washington Beach, 8x10 oil

Cedarburg Bridge, 8x10 oil

Foggy Morning, 8x10 oil

Port Washington Sunrise, 8x10 oil

Yellow Water Lilies, 5x7 oil (this was my second painting in the Quick-Paint competition)
 

All of the eight paintings I painted during the Cedarburg Plein Air are on Fredrix canvas panels and painted with Grumabacher Pre-Tested Artist Oils -- my preferred art supplies for painting en plein air!