The crowning jewel of this Art Adventure is our 7 night stay in a fabulous Eco Retreat nestled in the hills of Catalonia. It is here that Chris will join us for a series of morning painting workshops with afternoons put aside for you to keep working on your art with myself assisting you.

Our Host and Creator of this beautiful Eco Retreat is Gerard Bofill

“Life has taught me that the most beautiful thing about our path is to share it. Giving and receiving love makes you happy. And seeing others happy is the most beautiful thing there is. Nature and animals, above all.” Gerard Bofill

While at the Eco Retreat all meals (farm to table) will be prepared for us. Everything is done for you.

All you have to do is PAINT EAT REST.

Prior to meeting up with Chris at our fabulous ECO RETREAT we have 6 nights in regal Madrid.

While here we will visit the PRADO art gallery which boasts having one of the worlds most revered collections.

During this week we will take a day trip to stunning Toledo in search of paintings by an artist who was way ahead of his time, El Greco.

After our 7 night stay at the ECO RETREAT we will complete our journey with 6 nights in Barcelona to visit more art galleries and be amazed by Gaudi’s architecture.

During this time we will take a day trip to Salvador Dali’s Surrealist Theatre in Figueras and visit his home in Cadaqués.

Painting with Visual Artist Chris Aerfeldt

The reason this experience has been designed is for painters like yourself to enjoy this rare opportunity to be guided and to learn different ways of approaching your art practice with one of my favourite contemporary artists Chris Aerfeldt.

I love her compositions and painting style. She is authentic, original and always has something meaningful to say through her paintings. What is wonderful about Chris is not only her gentle and giving personality but also that she is constantly pushing herself to explore new and diverse ways to make her art.

Chris is an inspirational and highly regarded visual artist. Collectors of Chris’s work include Charles Saatchi and many other equally important names in the art industry.

Artist Statement - Chris Aerfeldt

Chris Aerfeldt blends references from art history, folk tales, fashion photography and daily rituals.

Her paintings reflect an intense inner world where personal dilemmas, yearnings and complex desires play out on the canvas. We see potent heroines within magical landscapes where both the everyday and the miraculous coexist. And it’s all dealt out with a ton of playful humour.

Aerfeldt was born in Australia, the daughter of Estonian migrants. Growing up with rules and regimentation, painting was her escape.

Today, each artwork is intended as an act of freedom; a form of resistance against what is expected of us.

A note from Chris Aerfeldt regarding the workshop at the Eco Retreat:

“Experiment with new and original and different ways of idea generation, AI being one of them.  To think outside of the box when it comes to ways of generating images and using materials. I would like to base the workshop on Brian Eno's 'Oblique Strategies' and use the accompanying set of cards. I would guide and facilitate the thought processes and art-making that results.   AI and Procreate are one way to go, but we could also incorporate the environment around us, some of the materials, colours or imagery. Think broadly. NB: To work with AI each person will need access to a computer/iPad and register with an AI website.”

“To work with AI each person will need access to an iPad, laptop, or other tablet and to register with a simple AI website. We recommend a paid subscription to Clipdrop, and will be using it to access Stability Fusion XL during the workshop. https://clipdrop.co/. If you prefer to use other software this is fine, but our focus will be on creativity, and not on the technical aspects of any particular software.” Chris Aerfeldt

Check out Chris’s website : http://chrisaerfeldt.com

Above are photos from my 2023 Art Adventure to Chris’s studio in Barcelona

YOUR INVESTMENT / TOTAL COST is only $13,000.00

*If you want to bring a non-painting partner along to share your room, an extra $2500 is all they need to pay!

Your deposit of *$2500 is due once your Registration has been approved. I will need this to confirm your place in the retreat. I will then send you an invoice for your deposit and a payment plan for the remaining amounts to pay.

Places are limited so don’t delay your expression interest.

*Please be sure of your commitment as the deposit and all other payments toward the Eco Art Retreat are non-refundable. If you take out Travel Insurance from the date of your paid deposit you will be able to make claims that way if illness dictates cancellation. *There may be extra amounts to pay over the $13,000 Investment due to unforeseen increases in hotels and transfers costs. Please be aware this is beyond my control and I will do my utmost to keep as close to budget as possible.

MADRID 3 nights in Apartment Hotel accommodation

Hop on Hop Off Bus (2 day pass)

Entrance fee to Museo del Prado

TOLEDO 3 nights in 5 Star Hotel

Train to Girona from Madrid

Private Coach to Eco Retreat from Girona

ECO RETREAT 7 nights in luxury accommodation North Eastern Spain (28 km from Girona)

Catering Eco Retreat, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are provided during our stay here

Private Coach from Eco Retreat to Girona

BARCELONA 6 nights in 4 star accommodation

Hop on Hop off Bus (1 day pass)

DAY TRIP Barcelona to Figueras and Cadaqués (may be extra to pay)

Dali Museum Ticket, Dali House Entrance Fee

Art Tuition / travelling mentoring on Art Journal practices with Liana Vargas

Art Tuition (4 sessions / 2.5 hours each) at the Eco Retreat with Chris Aerfeldt

Assistance over 4 sessions / 2.5 hours each) at the Eco Retreat overseen by Liana (supporting Chris’s mentoring)

All art supplies are included for Eco Art Retreat

We will not be using oil paint at the Eco Retreat but rather Flashe vinyl pain, plus various different mediums, eg fluid medium, gels, matte mediums etc

International Flights

Travel Insurance (I highly recommend this)

Food and Drinks (with the exception of all meals while at the Eco Retreat)

Taxis or public transport

Extra sightseeing costs that you would like to do that are not set out in the itinerary

Paintbrushes, iPads, *iPad pencil

Paintbrushes and aprons, please bring your own

MADRID

DAY 1: Monday 29 September

Arrive Madrid where we will stay in a  4 Star Apartment Hotel

Rest Settle in Free Time

7:00pm Meet for Dinner

DAY 2: Tuesday 30 September

11:00am Hop on Hop Off Bus (2 day pass so we can get around Madrid easily)

Royal Palace area

2:00pm Lunch

4:00 Plaza Mayor for Sketching in Art Journals

8:00pm Dinner

DAY 3: Wednesday 1 October

10:00am Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour (2 day pass so we can get around Madrid easily)

12pm Reina Sofia Gallery (booked and paid for - ticket 10am to 9pm)

2:00pm Lunch

4:15pm Visit the Museo Del PRADO (audio guide skip line)

7:30pm Dinner on the Art mile

TOLEDO

DAY 4: Thursday 2 October

11:00am Train to Toledo

1:00pm Settle into 5 Star Hotel

2:00pm Lunch in old town Toledo, Bring Journals

Free Time

7:00pm Meet for Dinner

DAY 5: Friday 3 October

11:00am El Greco Gallery

2:00pm Lunch

3:30pm Roaming through Toledo Jewish Quarter, Bring Journals

7:00pm Meet for Dinner

DAY 6: Saturday 4 October

11:00 Toledo Cathedral and other sites, Bring Journals

1:00pm Lunch

Free afternoon

7:00pm Dinner

CAN BUCH ECO RETREAT

DAY 7: Sunday 5 October

10:00am Train to Girona (will have to change trains via Madrid 5 hours)

4:00pm Arrive in Girona - Pickup with private coach and drive to Eco Retreat 28 km

5:30pm Early evening arrival at Eco Retreat

7:00pm Dinner

DAY 8: Monday 6 October Workshop

9:00am Breakfast

10.00-12:30pm Mentoring Session Composing your painting and An introduction on how to use Procreate (or other similar) and Ai technology  (Chris)

1:00pm Lunch

2:30 - 5.00pm Continue Pulling together your ideas for composing your painting  (Liana)

7:00pm Dinner

DAY 9: Tuesday 7 October Workshop

9:00am Breakfast

10.00 - 12:30pm Mentoring Session: The Drawing up, Underpainting, First layers  (Chris)

1:00pm Lunch

2:30 - 5.00pm Continue from Chris’s morning session (Liana)

DAY 10: Wednesday 8 October Workshop

9:00am Breakfast

10:30am Exploring the area and visit Besalú.  Bring Art Journals for Sketching - depending on transport - to be confirmed

7:00pm Dinner

DAY 11: Thursday 9 October Workshop

9:00am Breakfast

10.00 - 12:30pm Mentoring Session: The Drawing up, Underpainting, First layers  (Chris)

1:00pm Lunch

2:30 - 5.00pm Continue from Chris’s morning session (Liana)

7:00pm Dinner

DAY 12: Friday 10 October Workshop

9:00am Breakfast

Last Day at the Eco Retreat is yours to do as you wish

1:00pm Lunch

7:00pm Dinner

DAY 13: Saturday 11 October

Free Day

DAY 14: Sunday 12 October OFF TO BARCELONA

9:00am Breakfast

10:30am Check Out

11:00am Private driver and coach pick up to Girona

1:00pm Lunch in Girona

2:30pm A quick look around the old town, if you are a Game of Thrones fan, this part of Girona represented the city of Braavos and the Cathedral steps were used for the Great Sept of Baelor scene

5:00pm Train to Barcelona

BARCELONA

Day 14: Sunday 12 October continued

6:00pm Arrive Barcelona and settle into 4 start Hotel Catedral

7:30pm Dinner

DAY 15: Monday 13 October

10:00am Barcelona: 24 or 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour - 9am to 7pm

Lunch

2:00 Park Güell, Bring Art Journals for Sketching

7:00 Dinner

DAY 16:  Tuesday 14 October

11:00am National Museum Art of Catalunya,  (BOOKED - with great rooftop look out)

1:00pm Lunch

4:00pm Sagrada Familia (12 booked)

7:00pm Dinner

DAY 17:  Wednesday 15 October

9:00am Full Day Trip to ‘Figueras’ to visit Dali Museum and ‘Cadequas’ Dali’s home (BOOKED)

DAY 18:  Thursday 16 October

Free Day

7:00 Dinner

DAY 19:  Friday 17 October

10:15am Montserrat for 1/2 day Monastery visit (BOOKED), Bring Art Journals for Sketching

7:00pm Dinner + Rooftop Drinks at Skybar, Grand Hotel Central

DAY 20: Saturday 18 October

10:30am Check Out

Flight Home - or continue on your own journey