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A Watercolor Workshop

Program Number: 14504RJ
Start and End Dates:
2/17/2013 - 2/22/2013; 11/3/2013 - 11/8/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Ventura, California
Price starting at: $782.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Painting
Meals: 14; 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 5 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Watercolor is an exciting and challenging medium. Gain skills and confidence while exploring its unique characteristics in a supportive group setting. Critiques – honest and constructive – are focused on your goals and highlight the positive. We’ll end the week with a hotel based art show open to the public – you’ll be delighted by what’s been accomplished!




Highlights

• Improve your watercolor technique under the gentle guidance of noted California artist, Patty Van Dyke.
• Paint in a relaxing and beautiful small-group setting, surrounded by mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
• Visit and converse with local artists in their studios or art galleries.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to three blocks on flat paved sidewalks during bus field trip.



Program for those with previous watercolor instruction.




Date Specific Information

2-17-2013

Focus is “Flowers, Fruit & the Figure.”



11-3-2013

Focus is “Color.”



Coordinated by Road Scholar.




Ventura

A classic California beach community with surfers, art galleries, white-sand beaches and warm breezes, Ventura is situated between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara near the region's museums, historic missions and coastal wonders.
Accommodations
Ventura’s only beachfront property, with balcony rooms and ocean views.

Road Scholar Instructors
These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur.
Patty Van Dyke
“Creativity is the essence of the human spirit,” says California artist Patty Van Dyke. A lifelong painter, Patty began her college studies majoring in fine arts at the University of California Santa Barbara. She has studied under many well-known artists and exhibited extensively. A registered art therapist, Patty owns a private practice in Ventura, teaches art therapy at her studio in Ojai, and has facilitated workshops throughout the United States for the American Art Therapy Association.
 
Meals and Lodgings
   Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
  Ventura, California 5 nights
 Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
Type: Full Service Hotel
  Description: Delight in the year-round sunshine of Ventura, California with its miles of clean, uncrowded beaches, spectacular mountainous back country, and the magnificent Channel Islands National Park on the horizon. At the center of it all, right at the water's edge, stands the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. All of its guest rooms feature magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean and the mountainous curves of the California coastline. It is ideally situated within walking distance of historic downtown Ventura where you will find the San Buenaventura Mission, museums, antique stores, a wide variety of restaurants, bookstores, cafes, clothing shops, and art galleries.
  Contact info: 450 E. Harbor Blvd.
Ventura, CA 93001 USA
phone: 805-648-2100
web: www.cpventura.com
  Room amenities: All rooms are equipped with Crowne Plaza "Sleep Advantage" bedding; coffee maker; iron/board; hair dryer; high-speed Internet access; 27" TVs; ocean-view balconies; in-room movies. All rooms are non-smoking.
  Facility amenities: The ocean-front Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach is a 12-story tower with balcony rooms, all with ocean views. There's a great walking path next to the hotel which stretches for miles up and down the coast. Guests enjoy a host of amenities including convenient parking; restaurants with outdoor patio dining; lobby lounge with ocean-front patio seating; room service; heated ocean-front swimming pool; exercise room; and laundry & dry cleaning with same-day service as well as a coin-op laundry. Wi-Fi Access: Road Scholar participants receive complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access as part of their package. The coverage includes all hotel guest rooms and public areas. Although there is no charge for this service, a password is required. This may be obtained from the front desk staff.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Based upon availability Call Laura Moran at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel at (805) 652-5142 to make a reservation for additional nights before or after the program and to inquire about rates.
  Check in time: 4:00 PM
  Additional nights after: Based upon availability Call Laura Moran at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel at (805) 652-5142 to make a reservation for additional nights before or after the program and to inquire about rates.
  Check out time: 12:00 PM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
Program registration is between 4:00-5:00PM in the hotel lobby. You will be staying at Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach that night.
  End of Program:
Please arrange your transportation so you can join us for the final morning watercolor class which will end about 11:00AM. You will be staying at Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. The Road Scholar Participant Information Form is required. This form can be completed online or via traditional paper forms. Please refer to the page of this packet titled Important Information for more information. Whether you use our online form or the print version, please complete your information as soon as possible, but no later than February 2, 2013. On the enclosed Participant Information Form, please indicate to us the name of your roommate/traveling companion. Also let us know if you are traveling with other individuals and wish to be assigned a room near them. Photo ID
  Parking availability:
Complimentary parking is available in the outdoor lot adjacent to the hotel. The parking pass needs to be validated by the front desk staff.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Ventura, California
  Nearest city or town:  Santa Barbara
  Nearest highway: Highway 101 passes through Ventura
  Nearest airport:  Los Angeles Int'l Airport
  From End of Program
  Location: Ventura, California
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Los Angeles/LAX to Ventura, CA

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
Ventura Co. Airporter Shuttle
phone: 805-650-6600
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$35 P/P to drop-off point in Ventura; then taxi to Crowne Plaza @about $14
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hr 15 min to drop-off point + taxi ride (additional 15-20 min for wait time and ride) 
 

Distance:

 

71 miles from LAX to Crowne Plaza-Ventura Beach
   

VCA Shuttle offers 8 daily trips to/from LAX and Ventura at a great price p/p. However, it drops off passengers at the Holiday Inn Express at Ventura Harbor, 3.5 miles from the Crowne Plaza Hotel. From the drop-off point you need to call a taxi to get a ride to the Crowne Plaza. Call Yellow Taxi Cab at 805-659-6900 at $14 per ride. ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. VCA Shuttle website: www.venturashuttle.com
 

Los Angeles (LAX) to Ventura

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
Prime Time Shuttle
phone: 800-733-8267
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$66.50 per person each way
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hr 20 min, depending on traffic 
 

Distance:

 

71 miles from LAX to Crowne Plaza Ventura Hotel
   

Call for current rates and to arrange pickup time. Advance reservations are required. Price is estimated and subject to change. Website: www.primetimeshuttle.com for online reservations and exact fares. On arrival at LAX, claim your luggage, proceed outside and look for the shared ride van sign on the inside curb just outside of baggage claim. Alternate passenger van service: SuperShuttle at 800-258-3826 or www.supershuttle.com
 

Ventura/ Amtrak Station

 

From Train Station

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi
Yellow Cab
phone: 805-659-6900

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

Minimum fare of $10 per ride one-way will be charged
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

Under 2 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

Amtrak Station is .2 miles from hotel
   

Amtrak (1-800-872-7245) provides transportation service to Ventura via the Pacific Surfliner route. The covered Amtrak platform is located outside Seaside Park (Ventura County Fairgrounds) at 20 W. Harbor Blvd. near Figueroa St. You may walk two long blocks from the station to the hotel. For those who prefer taxi service, call Yellow Cab at 805-659-6900. Amtrak website: www.amtrak.com
 

Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR) to Ventura

 

From Train Station

 
 

Service:

 

Train
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
phone: 800-872-7245
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$21 one-way (Call for current price)
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

Train ride is about 1.5 hours between Burbank and Ventura 
 

Distance:

 

Around 65 miles from Burbank Airport to the hotel
   

Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner makes about 5 stops/day between the Burbank-Bob Hope Airport Station and the Ventura Station, located near the Crowne Plaza Ventura Hotel. See notes for Ventura/Amtrak Station. The Burbank-Bob Hope Airport Station is located at 3750 Empire Ave., Burbank, CA 91505. The station is unstaffed. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or visit their website at www.amtrak.com for schedule and ticket information.
 

Santa Barbara/ SBA to Ventura

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
Road Runner Shuttle
phone: 800-247-7919
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$75 per person one-way
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

40-45 min from Santa Barbara Airport to the Crowne Plaza-Ventura Beach 
 

Distance:

 

38 miles from Santa Barbara Airport to the Crowne Plaza-Ventura Beach
   

Call for current rates as prices are subject to change without notice. Advance reservations are required. Website: www.rrshuttle.com Roadrunner Shuttle local phone: 805-389-8196 Santa Barbara Airport website: www.flysba.com
 
Driving Directions
  Northbound Highway 101 to Crowne Plaza Ventura Hotel Going north on Hwy 101, take the California St. exit. Turn left on California St. at the top of the exit ramp and go over the freeway. Turn right on Harbor Blvd. then immediately left into the hotel parking lot.
  Southbound Highway 101 to Crowne Plaza Ventura Hotel Going South on Hwy 101, take the Ventura Ave. exit. Turn right on Thompson Blvd. and continue for approximately 4 blocks to California St. Turn right on California St. and go over the freeway to Harbor Blvd. The Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach hotel will be directly ahead. Turn right onto Harbor Blvd. then immediately left into the hotel parking lot.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Independent Arrivals
(Sunday, February 17)
   
 Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Check into Ventura Crowne Plaza after 4:00pm.

PROGRAM REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and pick up your arrival packet which we'll review during our orientation session before dinner.

ORIENTATION: Begins before dinner. We'll have an overview of the program ahead and review the up-to-date schedule, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, any other administrative issues, and answer your questions. Please be aware that local circumstances may require adjusting program elements. In the event of changes, we will notify you as quickly as possible. We appreciate your understanding.

 Dinner: Dinner at hotel

Menus are contracted for the program and are designed to offer balanced, healthy meals for the participants.

 Evening: CROSSING POINTS: Participants introduce themselves to the rest of the group.

Enjoy the remainder of the evening getting to know your fellow participants and discovering what you share beyond a love of lifelong learning.
   
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Watercolor Class and Painting
(Monday, February 18)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: WATERCOLOR THEME FOR THE WEEK: Flowers, Fruits and Figures

CLASS: Flowers: Shape and Composition

HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Petal Techniques and Color Schemes

 Lunch: Lunch at hotel
 Afternoon: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Complete Painting: Constructive Critique
 Dinner: Dinner at hotel
 Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: Watercolor Demonstration with Local Artists
   
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Watercolor Class and Painting
(Tuesday, February 19)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Fruit, Shape & Shadow

HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Fruit, Texture

 Lunch: Lunch at hotel
 Afternoon: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Complete Painting: Constructive Critique
 Dinner: Dinner at hotel
 Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: View optional watercolor DVDs.
   
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Bus Trip to Ojai to Paint and Visit Artists in Their Studios
(Wednesday, February 20)

Note: Bus trip involves walking several blocks on flat, paved sidewalks.
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Painting from Photographs

FIELD TRIP: Board the bus at the hotel for a field trip to Ojai. Paint with Patty in the park, depending upon the weather, and visit artists in their studios.

Ojai has provided a shelter for artistic temperaments and free spirits since the early 1900s. Over the years, the valley has been home to illustrious residents including Aldous Huxley, Krishnamurti, Beatrice Wood, and Maynard Ferguson, who migrated to Ojai for its beauty, serenity, and low-key lifestyle.

 Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant in Ojai
 Dinner: Dinner at hotel
   
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Watercolor Class and Painting
(Thursday, February 21)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: The Figure - Composition and Proportions

HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: The Figure - Skin Tones - Letting Watercolor Work for You & Using What You've Learned with Flowers & Fruit

 Lunch: Lunch at hotel
 Afternoon: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Complete Painting: Constructive Critique
 Dinner: Dinner at hotel
 Evening: Celebrate Our Art with Group Art Show

Display works of art created during the week.
   
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Morning Class/Independent Departures
(Friday, February 22)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: HANDS ON EXPERIENCE: Final Critique and Discussion of Creative Process

HOTEL CHECK OUT: This concludes the program. We hope you have enjoyed our Watercolor program and will join us for other rewarding adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

   
Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Time Opportunities
  
  Ventura, California Mission San Buenaventura
211 E. Main St.

Ventura, CA 93001

(805) 643-4318

Mission San Buenaventura was founded in 1782. It is the ninth of California's 21 missions and the last to be established by Father Serra. Visitors will discover a small museum with mission artifacts such as Chumash basketry, a quiet courtyard, and 250 year-old paintings of the Stations of the Cross. For additional information, visit www.mission.net/california/ventura

  Museum of Ventura County
100 E. Main St.

Ventura, CA 93001

(805) 653-0323

One of the museum's permanent exhibits explores the community's past from the Chumash era through the 21st century. It consists of a fascinating collection of artifacts and displays focusing on Native Americans, Spanish and Mexican pioneers, and European and Yankee settlers. Especially notable are the George Stuart Historical figures, which are intricately carved figures from history that are dressed in elaborate period costume. For additional information, visit www.venturamuseum.org

  Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau
Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau

101 S. California St.

Ventura, CA 93001

805-648-2075 or 800-333-2989

Ventura offers a variety of recreational opportunities such as beach walks, biking and hiking trails, bird watching, camping, golf, sport fishing, water activities and whale watching. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is situated next to the beach and an oceanside boardwalk that stretches for many miles. Some trail heads are within walking distance of the hotel. For additional information, visit www.ventura-usa.com

Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


Artist's Color Manual


Author: Simon Jennings


Description: Developed by the same team that created Artist's Manual and Art Class, both top-selling art reference books, Artist's Color Manual is the ultimate guide to color for visual artists. Whether they work in oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, or inks, artists of all stripes will find information and ideas flowing from every profusely illustrated page. Renowned art instructor Simon Jennings begins with a basic introduction to color theory, the color wheel, and the art of mixing pigments. The heart of the Artist's Color Manual is a comprehensive guide to mixing and creating each color of the spectrum, from primaries to tricky neutrals, flesh tones, and metallics. Additional chapters focus on techniques, such as mixing media, that create color in both traditional and unexpected ways. Examples of work by accomplished artists and interviews with leading painters suggest creative ideas for color use. With expert instruction, detailed information, and inspiring visuals, Artist's Color Manual is especially helpful for those who are learning to paint, yet speaks with definitive authority to all artists looking to perfect their craft.



Painting What You Want to See


Author: Charles Reid


Description: If you've ever wanted to control your art so that you can paint anything and paint it well, this is the book for you! The mediums are oil, watercolor, and contour drawing but this is a book about making good paintings, not learning a particular medium. The subject matter is broad, ranging from still lifes to figures and portraits, to landscapes. Again, the point is that if you can paint, you can paint anything! But you must never feel compelled to paint what is before you. You must feel free to paint not what you see, but what you want to see in the way you want it to look, and this book shows you how.





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