Art Whispering

27 - 31 May, 2020
Cancelled due to the coronavirus

BOOK
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Colourful days in the inspiring landscape of southern France with teacher Jan van Boeckel
This wildpainting course will again have its base in the medieval French village of Bize-Minervois in the Languedoc region. The course will be taught both in English and Swedish.
 
Wildpainting is allowing yourself to paint in ways you may have never attempted before and to immerse oneself in a natural environment that invites opening all of one's senses. There are the smells of rosemary, sage and thyme. The soft sound of the rippling water of the river La Cesse, the crickets in the sycamore trees, or a distant lark, high in the sky above. The mild evening breeze cooling your skin after painting for hours in the sentient landscape.
 
The German philosopher Herder once said, “We are full of interconnections of the most different senses . . . in nature all the threads are one single tissue. . . . The sensations unite and all converge in the area where distinguishing traits turn into sounds. Thus, what man sees with his eyes and feels by touch can also become soundable.”

Practical

Painting Course

Participants arrive latest on Tuesday, May 26.We will start painting on Wednesday morning. The course will be taught in both English and Swedish by Jan van Boeckel.  Jan is an experienced Dutch artist and art teacher. All participants will receive personal tutorials as well. Sunday afternoon, May 31, we will have a vernissage party to close off the course.
A wine-tasting event and excursions to surrounding medieval Cathar villages and a local farmers' market are also scheduled.
Course Fee

The course fee is €650 and includes transfers from and to the train station in Narbonne or from Beziers and Carcassonne. Also included in the price are excursions, a warm lunch and snacks during the course day, as well as at the vernissage party on the final course day. To book, please contact Birgitta Elfström ([email protected]). Please note: in the event of too few participants, we reserve the right to cancel the course. In this case we will offer the participants the opportunity to enrol in another course or to receive a full refund of the course fee (see Terms & Conditions). Notice: We want to encourage participants to come to our courses through public transportation rather than flying. Therefore those who travel from afar and choose to come by train or bus (and are able to show proof of this) will get a discount of 25% of the course fee!
Lodging

Lodging is not included in the course price. There are several nice and price-worthy guest houses within short walking distance. We advise to wait with making bookings for accommodations, trains or flights until you have received confirmation that the course will indeed take place. Once you have received confirmation, it can be wise to be early with your bookings of flights, trains and accommodation, in order to get a good rate. Our host, Birgitta Elfström, can assist you with this.
We suggest the following accommodations: 
Lunch and Wine tasting

We aim to provide high quality meals that are reflective of the local region and culture. If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please inform our host Birgitta in advance.
The wildpainting course in Bize-Minervois has now almost become a summer tradition to look forward to.
Take a look at the previous Wildpainting courses.

Wildpainting is also a group on Facebook!

Location

Our atelier is Flodhuset, (Maison de la Rivière or, in English, The River House)
Birgitta Elfström
Maison de la Rivière
4 Rue des Remparts
Bize-Minervois
Contact:
[email protected]
+46 (0)70 787 9448


Travel options:
- Train to Narbonne railway station
- Flixbus to Narbonne
- Car
- Flight to Montpellier, Toulouse, or Barcelona. From there the train to Narbonne (Obs: there are no more Ryanair flights from Skavsta to Beziers!)

Comments by former participants

Somehow I feel less controlled and more playful when I paint in stronger colours, I can let go. And I allow my ‘personal handwriting’ to grow, and the pictures develop to be much more expressive. I feel that I have finally found my own ‘language’ in how to paint.                                               Susan
Good tutorials, the theoretical and practical exercises go hand in hand. Good to have breaks, to reflect on the progress and to learn from each other. Good company! A quiet environment, relaxing. A good combination, with the yoga and the food.
                                                   Lisa
Good atmosphere. "Högt i tak", as we say in Sweden. The food - made painting even better!! Nice reviewing sessions.
                                                Karin
Art Whispering
five day course ​in Bize-Minervois
27​- 31 May, 2020
€650
including:​
- art materials
- warm lunch and snacks
- excursions
- wine tasting
- vernissage party
- if requested: shuttle service from and to railway station in Narbonne


Read more about:
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WILDPAINTING

JAN VAN BOECKEL

PROGRAMME 2020