l'Atelier aux Couleurs: Plein-Air Painting Tours

This is an example of a Five Star Tour that we held in April of 2003. This was a custom designed tour.

In April 2003, our group followed in the footsteps of Sorolla and Velasquez
while joining two of the premier plein air painters of the United States for
two weeks of painting experience in some of Spain's best known and
visited sights surrounding Madrid.

Paintings by Joseph Mendez

Joseph Mendez is a multiple award winner at the Oil Painters of America, Salmagundi Club,
American Artist Professional League and more. He is also a signature member of the Oil
Painters of America, the California Art Club and the Plein Air Painters of America.

Paintings by Camille Przewodek

Camille Przewodek is a multiple award winner, a member of the
California Art Club, the National Association of Women Artists and a
signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters and the Oil Painters of
America. In November of 2000, she was a guest artist at Catalina Island
with the Plein Air Painters of America.

Mendez and Przewodek taught together for the first time among lavish Baroque palaces,
luxuriant gardens, monasteries and key historic sites. We enjoyed museum outings,
sampled some of Spain's fine cuisine and wine, and spent memorable evenings
in a luxurious 4 star hotel.

What we Provided:
A Spanish interpreter, Joseph Mendez.

A room-mate matching service.

14 nights luxurious accommodations with breakfast included
at a four star hotel within walking distance of the Prado Museum
and some of Madrid's finest restaurants.

A short evening orientation upon arrival at the hotel.

10 days (50 + hours) of painting instruction by Joseph Mendez
and Camille Przewodek (group and individual).

Adequate lunch breaks so that one could sample some of Spain's
ethnic cuisine. (A list of vegeterian options were provided)

Transportation by private bus for the students and their materials
for our painting and museum excursions.

A day's excursion to the Sorolla Museum and the Prado Museum
in Madrid.

Students enjoyed one day of sight seeing on their own,
engaging with other students & enjoying Madrid's night life at
their own pace.

One evening slide presentation and one half day critique
finishing with conversation and cocktails.

A "Welcome Package" was presented upon registration which
included: flight information from the student's city of departure,
packing tips, suggested materials list, guides on ordering food,
the local restaurants, transportation maps, using the metro,
internet cafés, festivities, night-life, ethnic music venues, money
conversion, using the telephone, spanish customs, health,
museums, local history and more.

We offered a special price to Madrileños. Spanish only speakers
were encouraged to register.

We also offered activities and tours for the spouses, partners
or guests of the students.

Prior to our departure, we offered to book tours and
suggested activities for those who were sharing a student's
accommodations but not participating in the workshop. Upon
request, we also offered to book tours for students for
their day off.

The Tours we Suggested and Booked Upon Request were:
Half Day Madrid Artistic Tour (exc. Sun/Mon) ~ US$34 extra
Half Day Toledo Tour ~ US$47 extra
Full Day Toledo Tour with Lunch Included ~ US$71 extra
Full Day Toledo/ Escoral Valley with Lunch Included ~ US$101 extra
Half Day Escoral/Valley of the Fallen ~ US$50 extra
Panoramic City Tour ~ US$22 extra

Our Accommodations in Madrid
The hotel, which opened its doors in August 2002, was conveniently
situated near the famous Golden Triangle (the Prado Museum, the
Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum), adjacent
to the historic nucleus of the city which includes the Puerta del Sol
and the Plaza Mayor. All of Madrid's main attractions were within
walking distance from the Museum golden triangle to the Congreso
de los Diputados to the tapas bars. The remains of the building date
from the beginning of the century and still has the original neoplater-
esque façade of 1917.

It was only a few metres away from the Plaza Santa Ana, known to
be one of the best places for tapas nationwide, and close to the
most popular theatres in town.

The hotel building, part of the historic heritage of the city of Madrid,
has kept some of its most representative, original features, such as
the classical façade dating from the 18th century, the main wooden
stairs and the entrance hall, which was decorated in a classical style
with a genuine coffered ceiling. One of the main features of the
building is its interior patio, a typical Madrid-style "corrala" adorned
with wrought iron bars and embellished with flowers.

The student's room had a full marble bathroom, equipped with the
latest amenities and conveniences in a perfect blend of traditional
decoration and modern, functional settings to provide the student
and his or her guest with the ultimate comfort.

Each room was facilited with parquet floors, air conditioning and
heating, direct telephone line, mini bar, satellite TV, Canal +, safe
deposit box and card key.

The following facilities were at our disposal:
A library room, A bar/cafeteria,
A first-class restaurant with international cuisine,
Free buffet breakfast with dietetic corner,
Laundry and dry-cleaning services, and
Fax and e-mail service at the reception desk

The Prado Museum

Our Leisure Time
The hotel was situated close to the nerve centre of the city, and
a great number of sights were within walking distance. Among
the many routes available, we recommend visiting the centre of
the Villa of Madrid. From the hotel one can walk to the Plaza
Mayor, a charming square full to the brim of terraces and bars!
Just a few metres away, going up the calle Mayor one would
arrive at the famous Puerta del Sol, in the heart of the city, with
its statue of the Bear and the Madroño tree.

Our Schedule
Tue, April 22nd – Day 1
We checked in at hotel and had an evening orientation and cocktails.

Wed, May 23rd & Thu 24th - Day 2 & 3
We departed the hotel at 8am and painted in Aranjuez, a little oasis
in the parched Castilian plain, famed for its asparagus, strawberries
and lavish Baroque palace, where the eighteenth century Bourbon
rulers set up a spring and autumn retreat. Their palaces and
luxuriant gardens, which inspired the composer Joaquín Rodrigo to
write the famous Concierto de Aranjuez made it an enjoyable place
to spend an afternoon painting. Hemmingway described Aranjuez as
“an oasis of trees”. Joaquín Sorolla spent much of his time painting
in these palaces.

Fri, April 25th & Sat, April 26th - Day 4 & 5
We departed our hotel at 8am and paint in San Lorenzo del Escorial,
which lies just Northwest of Madrid, in the foothills of the Sierra de
Guadarrama. Its one of Spain's best known and most visited sights
– Felipe II's vast monastery palace of El Escorial. Travel writers
tend to go into frenzies about the symbolism of Felipe II's vast
monastery palace of El Escorial – "a stone image of the mind of its
founder" was how the nineteenth century writer Augustus Hare
described it – and it is indeed a key historic sight. There is also a
large collection of Goya’s paintings here.

Sun, April 27th - Day 6
We departed our hotel at 7am and pained in Avila, which has
eleventh century walls surrounding it. The mystic writer Santa
Teresa was born here and her shrines are a major focus of
religious pilgrimage. Set on a high plain, with the peaks of the
Sierra de Gredos behind, the town is quite a sight. Its Roman-
esque cathedral is one of the oldest in Spain. This is where
Joaquín Sorolla spent much of his time painting.

Mon, April 28th- Day 7
We had a day off, with a slide presentation in the evening. We
served coffee, tea, mineral water, sparkling wines, refreshments,
cervesas and vermouth, assorted fresh fruit, breads, an assort-
ment of hor d'oeuvres with ham, anchovies and cheese, Salmon
hor d'oeuvres marinated in soybeen oil (Tacos de Salmon
Marinado con Soja), Roasted Red Peppers marinated in olive oil
on mini toasted bread (Tostadas de Escalibada y Anchoas),
Sheep's Milk Cheese (Dados de Queso Manchego con Acsitunas),
Pork sausages with Honey and Sesame (Salchichas Salteadas con
Miel y Sesamo), Fried Prawns on mini toasted bread (Tostada de
Gambas y Sesamo Frito), and spanish cookies and sweets (Pastas
y Dulces Variodos).

Tue, April 29th- Day 8
We left for the Sorolla Museum at 10am. The museum is the
former house of Valencian painter Joaquín Sorolla, whose familiar
Mediterranean beach scenes from the turn of the century are
easily recognized and enjoyed by even the most novice of art
lovers. For art lovers though, it’s a step away from heaven on
earth to be viewing such magnificent paintings in person. We had
lunch at a restaurant near the museum. Then left for Museo del
Prado at 2pm. Our hotel was a short walk from the museum.

Wed, April 30th – Thu, May 1st- Day 9 & 10
We departed from our hotel at 7:30am and painted in Toledo, the
capital of Spain in medieval times and setting for the famous
paintings of El Greco. Toledo is one of Spain's greatest national
monuments for art, history and spirituality. Imperial Toledo towers
towards the sky of Castile, surrounded by the river Tajo. It is a
walled town with eight access doors to the old quarter the principal
one being the Bisagra door. Throughout the town you can appreciate
the architectural styles of Arabic, Mudejar Gothic and Renaissance
whilst walking through its charming narrow alleys. We painted
among its many beautiful sights including the amazing Thirteenth
Century Cathedral, medieval castle, synagogue and of course its
stunning El Greco masterpieces. This city sits on a rocky mound
isolated on three sides by a looping gorge of the Río Tajo. Every
available inch of this outcrop has been built upon: churches,
synagogues, mosques and houses are heaped upon one another in
a haphazard spiral which the cobbled lanes infiltrate as best they can.

Fri, May 2nd – Sat, May 3rd- Day 11& 12
We departed our hotel at 8am and painted a spaniard model that
posed for us in the village of Alcalá de Henares, an old university
town and Cervantes's birthplace. We saw the Renaissance University
founded by Cardinal Cisneros, Cervantes’s House, and the Santa
María Collegiate Church.

Our Model, Alberto

Sun, May 4th- Day 13
We departed our hotel at 7am and painted in Segovia. Its granite
aqueduct, over 800m long, supported by 166 arches and 120
pillars and at its highest point towering some 30m above the Plaza
de Azoguejo, stands up without a drop of cement. No one knows
exactly when it was built, but probably around the end of the first
century BC under either Emperor Domitian or Trajan. It no longer
carries water from the Río Frío to the city.

Mon, May 5th- Day 14
We had a half day critique in the hotel's conference room. Afterwards,
we served coffee, tea, mineral water, sparkling wines, refreshments,
cervesas and vermouth, assorted fresh fruit, breads, an assortment
of hor d'oeuvres with ham, anchovies and cheese, Salmon hor
d'oeuvres marinated in soybeen oil (Tacos de Salmon Marinado con
Soja), roasted red peppers marinated in olive oil on mini toasted
bread (Tostadas de Escalibada y Anchoas), Sheep's Milk Cheese
(Dados de Queso Manchego con Acsitunas), Pork sausages with
Honey and Sesame (Salchichas Salteadas con Miel y Sesamo), Fried
Prawns on mini toasted bread (Tostada de Gambas y Sesamo Frito),
and spanish cookies and sweets (Pastas y Dulces Variodos).

Tue, May 6th- Day 15
We checked out of the hotel. Or atleast most of us did!

Total Package Cost for this Tour Was:
Only $2,960 for 14 nights, to share a double room with a roomate,
guest, spouse or partner

Only $3,945 for 14 nights, for a single person in a single room

Only $2,000 for 14 nights, for guest, spouse or partner

($150 discount per person for groups of four or more)

Fees that were not Included
Air fare and expenses such as lunches and dinners, extra tours,
tipping, phone calls, laundry, beverages, room service, rental
cars and other personal expenses were not included.