Introductory Painting Retreat
Spend an afternoon painting by the water at Green Forest Gallery on Bass Lake. We start with a short talk about how I build colour in my own wildlife and landscape work, then move to the easels. You will work on a single acrylic study from block-in to final highlights, with individual guidance the whole way through. No experience needed, and no pressure to make something perfect. The goal is to look closely at the natural world and translate what you see into paint.
What you will create and explore
- One finished acrylic study on canvas
- A working colour mixing chart you can take home
- A simple approach to blocking in shape and value
What is included
- All paints, brushes, palette and canvas
- Use of easels and studio space
- Catered lunch and refreshments
- Individual guidance in a group of six or fewer
What to bring
- An apron or clothes you do not mind getting paint on
- A reference photo of a bird, animal or landscape you love, optional
What a day looks like
Come for the day, leave with a painting
- First half hour
Arrive, coffee in hand, and find your spot. Everything is set out for you, so there is nothing to carry in.
- Then
We look closely at the subject together and I demonstrate the first moves, colour mixing, and where the drawing wants to start.
- The long stretch
You paint at your own pace. I come round to each easel, and we talk about what your painting is asking for rather than what mine did.
- Midday
A catered lunch together, brushes down, usually the part where everyone relaxes and starts comparing panels.
- Last hour
Final touches, then we stand everything up side by side and look at the work as a group. You take your painting home with you.
$85 CAD
per person, materials and catered lunch included. One seat left.
Payment is handled securely through the studio shop. Small group, so seats are held in the order they are booked. Questions first? Email jen@boxofpaints.ca.
About Jennifer
Jennifer Claveau is a Canadian painter working by Bass Lake, inspired by the shorelines, lakes and wetlands of Oro-Medonte and Muskoka. Her practice moves between wildlife portraits, landscape and experimental colour and soil work, and she teaches the same way she paints: close observation first, then permission to push the colour.
Read more about the artistGetting here and access
Green Forest Gallery is a ground level space on Bass Lake in Oro-Medonte with parking directly outside. Please get in touch if you have mobility, sensory or dietary needs and I will do my best to accommodate you.
Cancellation policy
Full refund if you cancel more than seven days before the workshop. Within seven days your spot can be transferred to another person or to a future class, since materials and catering are ordered in advance.