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A Watercolor Workshop

Program Number: 14504RJ
Start and End Dates:
7/21/2013 - 7/26/2013; 11/3/2013 - 11/8/2013; 2/16/2014 - 2/21/2014;
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

7-21-2013

Focus is “Personalizing the Landscape.”



11-3-2013

Focus is “Color.”



2-16-2014

Focus is "Water and Sky."



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. On the enclosed Health & Safety 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 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 Crowne Plaza-Ventura

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
SuperShuttle
phone: 800-258-3826
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$71 for 1st person one-way; $9 each additional person; or $40 each
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hr 20 min depending on traffic 
 

Distance:

 

71 miles from LAX to Crowne Plaza-Ventura Beach Hotel
   

Call or visit their website www.supershuttle.com for online reservations and exact fares. Advance reservations are required. The price is estimated and subject to change. SuperShuttle vans are a primary shuttle service for LAX and operate continuously. On arriving 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 VAN SERVICE: Prime Time Shuttle at 800-733-8267, or www.primetimeshuttle.com
 

Burbank/BUR to Ventura

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
SuperShuttle
phone: 800-258-3826
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$63 for 1st guest; $9 each additional guest (or $36 each for 2 people)
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hr 10 min from Burbank Airport to Crowne Plaza Hotel (in normal traffic) 
 

Distance:

 

62 miles from Burbank Airport to Crowne Plaza-Ventura Beach
   

SuperShuttle offers door-to-door shared van service from Burbank to your destination. Call for the current fare as prices are subject to change without notice. Advance reservations are required. For online reservations and exact fares, visit www.supershuttle.com ALTERNATE VAN SERVICE: Prime Time Shuttle. For info and reservations, call 800-733-8267; www.primetimeshuttle.com
 

Los Angeles (LAX) to Ventura

 

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 @ $15
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hr 15 min to drop-off point + taxi ride (additional 20-25 min for wait time and ride) 
 

Distance:

 

67 miles from LAX to Holiday Inn Express at Ventura Harbor
   

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 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 $15 per ride. Advance reservations are required. For pickup times and current fare, call VCA Shuttle or visit their website at www.venturashuttle.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 0.2 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 4 blocks from the station to the hotel, or call a taxi. Amtrak website: www.amtrak.com
 
Driving Directions
  Northbound Highway 101 Going North on Hwy 101, take the California St. exit. Turn left onto California St. at the top of the exit ramp. Turn right onto Harbor Blvd., then 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.
Equipment Requirements: Participants will receive specific information about which watercolor brushes, paints and other watercolor items to bring in the packet of program materials. Watercolor materials will vary by theme for each Watercolor Workshop. The program provider will send the program materials around six weeks prior to the program start date. Bring several mats that fit your paper for the art show on the final evening.
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, July 21)
   
 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, July 22)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: WATERCOLOR THEME FOR THE WEEK: Personalizing the Landscape

CLASS: : Personalizing the Landscape-Foreground, Mid- ground, Back-ground, Atmospheric Perspective

CLASS: Trees and Foliage

 Lunch: Lunch at hotel
 Afternoon: CLASS: 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, July 23)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: CLASS: Color Choices: Emotional vs Local Color

CLASS: Moving the Furniture, Rearranging the Landscape

 Lunch: Lunch at hotel
 Afternoon: CLASS: 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, July 24)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: Class: Painting from Photographs
 Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the bus at the hotel for a field trip to the Ventura Harbor.

Paint with Patty in the harbor, depending upon the weather. If we are able to paint and you want to take a break in your painting, explore the specialty shops in Harbor Village and Michel Petersen’s 29 murals which depict local history and the marine environment.

Visit Harbor Village Gallery

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

Day 5: Watercolor class and painting
(Thursday, July 25)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: CLASS: Adding Figures to the Landscape

CLASS: More Substantive Figures: Proportion

 Lunch: Lunch at hotel
 Afternoon: CLASS: 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, July 26)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel
 Morning: CLASS: 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—the way you want it to look—and this book shows you how.





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