art retreat in provence with canadian landscape artist gordonharrison may 2018 1
nine-day art retreat with award-winning canadian landscape artist gordon harrison in provence, france and tuscany, italy in provence We will visit and paint plein-air numerous picturesque regions of Provence including: Aix-en-Provence, following Cézanne s footsteps and walking through the painter s life, from the house where he was born to his final resting place in Saint-Pierre Cemetery; Saint-Rémyde-Provence where Van gogh painted the gardens of Saint-Paul hospital while he was a patient; Avignon on the Rhône river where the famous French song Sur le Pont d Avignon was written; Vaison-la-Romaine, a medieval village and roman ruins; Châteauneuf-du- Pape, famous for its red wine Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation d origine contrôlée. accommodation: Villa les Dentelles in Beaumes-de- Venise Provence France Limited to 16 participants per session. Seven rooms are shared by two participants and one room is shared by four participants. All rooms have their own private bathroom. dates session one depart may 5, 2018 session two depart may 15, 2018 in tuscany The capital of the Italian renaissance known for its landscapes, artistic legacy and wines and home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, as well as museums like the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace in Florence. We will visit and paint plein-air numerous picturesque regions of Tuscany Limited to 18 participants per session. Rooms are shared by two participants and have their own private bathroom. accommodation: Villa Il Palagio di Panzano In Chianti Tuscany Italy dates may 2019 cost $3000 for Provence and $3500 for Tuscany. Includes coaching, accommodations, all meals at the villa, easels and brushes. Excludes flights, transportation, shipping of paintings back to Canada and painting material. 3
inspiration The idea of an art retreat in Provence and Tuscany came about after our friends Ingrid and André invited us in 2017 to join them in Provence. So special thanks go to them for giving us the inspiration to add this to our journey. Special thanks also go to Suzanne, Francoise, Marc and Daniel two wonderful French couples we met at our bed-and-breakfast in the Laurentians who took the time to share two days with us in Provence. And to our friends Michele and Suzanne who flew in to share the journey with us. I always say that art always brings beautiful people together in our lives. Special thanks also go to the lovely Dominique Whitehead who invited us for lunch at her home in Rochegude and served us a freshly ground cup of coffee out of her coffee roasting studio. I never felt that connected to someone in so little time. Dominique I will always cherish our chat and meeting you. Gordon and I spent two weeks in May 2017 visiting Provence and planning this retreat. It became quite the journey filled with emotion as we stood where the great master painters stood and painted Provence. Today these master painters continue to inspire millions of visitors and those who paint. Gordon and I wanted to share this journey with you. We are delighted that you are joining us. You will be staying in a 5 star villa, eating gastronomy food, drinking some of the best wines, and of course, painting; all in the beautiful landscape of Provence. Looking forward having you join us. Phil and Gordon 5
In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. Julia Child 7
welcome to your new home villa les dentelles Gordon and I had an opportunity to visit the villa and it is exceptional and luxurious. Villa les Dentelles is an ancient wine estate near the town of Beaumes-de-Venise. The name stems from the hills just behind the house: Les Dentelles de Mont Mirail, a very picturesque area between the plains of the Rhone valley and legendary Mt. Ventoux. The domain is located on the site of an ancient Roman Villa and is close to the beautiful Romanesque Chapel Notre-Dame d Aubune. Beaumes-de-Venise is famous all over the world for its sweet Muscat wines, appreciated as a fine desert wine or a cool aperitif. The town offers plenty of restaurants and terraces and can be easily reached by a footpath which is directly accessible from the property, a 10 minute walk. Arriving at the property, the first thing that stands out are the huge centenary plane trees protecting the house and the courtyard from the mid summer sun. Ample shaded parking is available. The house has been renovated recently to a very high standard. All floors are stone or wood and all doors, windows, shutters and wall panels are of beautiful French oak. There are two spacious kitchens, tastefully designed and equipped to the latest standards. All bedding is of the highest quality. The whole house is equipped with under floor heating, making it perfect for off-season stays as well. In front of the house is a courtyard dominated by a beautiful restored façade. The courtyard opens up onto the parking and jeu-de-boules area. Just behind the courtyard you ll find the magnificent pool (12x6m) with adjacent fully equipped pool house, overlooking the vineries and the plains of the Rhone valley up to Les Alpilles, near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Villa les Dentelles is situated at walking distance from the charming Provencal village of Beaumes-de-Venise, where you will find shops, restaurants and bars. It s a 90 minute drive from Marseille Provence Airport, 30 minutes from Avignon, 1 hour from the sea and 60 minutes from Aix-en-Provence. 9
I dream my painting and I paint my dream. Vincent van Gogh 11
5 6 4 3 87 1 2 PROVENCE A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art. Paul Cézanne 13
day 1 we arrive in provence Arrive at l Aéroport de Marseille in Provence. Bienvenue à Provence! Move your clock ahead 6 hours. Marseille is located 103 kilometers 1 hour, 22 minutes from the villa. Wait for the group to arrive. Walk out of the airport to the car rental location across the road from the airport. The two identified drivers per vehicle are to sign the documents. Make sure to add damage insurance waiver, that you have a GPS and to inspect the vehicle very carefully. Set GPS to 846, route de Vacqueyras 84 190 Beaumes-de-Venise. Hit the road Jack! We head for Villa Les Dentelles in Beaumes-de-Venise. Follow attached directions once you get near where the large hands monument is in the roundabout. The villa is 50 meters away. Our cellular number 613-806-6853 and email is info@gordonharrisongallery.com. It will take you about 1 hour, 22 minutes to arrive at the villa. Spend the day at the villa. Rooms will be allocated based on preferences and order of registration. We will review the program for the week. Cocktails and dinner will be served at the villa. 15
day 2 plein-air painting aix-en-provence Located 104 kilometers 1 hour 10 minutes from the villa. Today you will be painting plein-air on Le Terrain des Artistes where Paul Cézanne painted. You will be painting a scene of Sainte-Victoire one of the views most painted by the great masterpainter. Parking and directions Set your GPS to the following address 9 Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence. Park your vehicle on chemin Marguerite. To get there, drive to Atelier Paul Cézanne and continue up the road and turn left on Filipi and first right is chemin Marguerite. Visit to Paul Cézanne s studio (and toilets) You can walk down Paul Cézanne street to l Atelier Paul Cézanne (a 10 minute walk) during the plein-air session and visit the grounds and studio of his very last studio on the second floor of the building. Cézanne painted mostly in his studio and at times on Le terrain des Artistes where he painted Sainte-Victoire. There is small fee to visit his studio. There is no fee to visit the gardens and souvenir shop. Lunch and parking Around 1 pm once your plein-air painting is completed, take all supplies and painting to your vehicle. Move your vehicle into the parking garage Le Parking Pasteur located at 1, avenue Pasteur at the bottom of Paul Cézanne street. Lunch will be at Café le Grillon located at 49 cours Mirabeau in the old historical town of Aix-en-Provence. To get there, walk all the way down Paul Cézanne street although the street will change names along the way. At the very end, turn left on rue Espariat and then turn right on the first street rue Clémenceau and walk up to les Cours Mirabeau. The café is on your left at the corner. Lunch will cost you about 15 20 euros. 17
day 2 day 2 Cours Mirabeau is one of the most popular and lively places in Aix-en-Provence. It is lined with many cafés, one of the most famous being Les Deux Garçons and during its history was frequented by famous French cultural figures Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola and Albert Camus. The street has wide sidewalks planted with double rows of plane-trees and is decorated by fountains, the most notable of which is the Fontaine de la Rotonde, a large fountain that makes up a roundabout at one end of the street. The street also divides Aix into two portions, the Quartier Mazarin, or new town, which extends to the south and west, and the Ville comtale, or old town, which lies to the north with its wide but irregular streets and its old mansions dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. after lunch We will visit Musée Granet situated in two buildings which are two blocks apart. One admission fee for both locations. It is where you will see original paintings by Rembramdt, Cézanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Braquet, and Giacometti. After the museum you may go shopping along Cours Mirabeau and enjoy the 30 + water fountains in the city and its boutiques. There is an art gallery on Cours Mirabeau to visit if you wish. You can walk around in the alleys of Aix-en- Provence and take photographs. We meet back at 6 pm sharp at Café Grillon to return to the villa for cocktails and dinner. 19
day 3 plein-air painting vaison-la-romaine Located 24 kilometers 31 minutes from the villa. Set GPS to Palace du Chanoine Sautel Vaison-la-Romaine. Park your vehicle on avenue Général de Gaulle, around the office of tourism. Vaison-la-Romaine is one of Provence s most magical ancient villages when the Counts of Toulouse built its12th century castle. The historical roman and medieval town is comprised of Colline du Château and Colline de la Villasse well known for its roman ruins, medieval town and cathedral. It is also a place where many writers, painters and actors live. You will paint a scene of the medieval town from the terrace of Hotel Le Beffroi in a rose and herb garden overlooking the medieval town. Lunch will be served on the terrace of Hotel Le Beffroi. after lunch Everyone aboard le Petit Train de Vaison-la-Romaine we will travel through 2000 years of history. It takes about 45 minutes. There is a small fee. After the train ride, chose among the following activities: archeology roman site where you will discover the place of trade for romans and gallo-roman sites. antique roman theater which is still operating. Cathédral Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth there are also a few artist studios in the vicinity where you will be painting. 21
day 4 plein-air painting st-rémy-de-provence Located 52 kilomaters 1 hour 10 minutes from the villa. Set GPS to Route des Baux Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is where van Gogh voluntarily checked himself in in 1889 as a bi-polar paitent at l Asile de Saint-Paul de Mausole now known as le Monastère de Saint-Paul de Mausole. It is there he painted his last 143 oil paintings (including his famous Irises and View of the Alpilles mountains paintings) and 100 drawings in 53 weeks before he died. You will hear strange sounds as you travel through the gardens they are from the patients. Start the visit by visiting the monastry, the gardens and the room where van Gogh spent the last 53 weeks of his life. Just imagine life then. You will be painting a view of the Alpilles mountains just like Van Gogh did. Lunch will take place in the old historical town of St-Rémy-de-Provence at Rocco on chemin de la Commune. after lunch Visit the many boutiques and artisan shops in the village around the restaurant. Departure time is 5 pm at Rocco. 23
day 5 plein-air painting beaumes de vénise with visit to avignon The grounds, vistas and gardens around our villa are so magnificent that we will be painting these scenes before we have lunch and visit Avignon located 32 kilometers 36 minutes from the villa. Avignon between 1309 and 1377, during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided in Avignon and in 1348, Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I of Naples. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France. The town is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts. The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral, and the Pont d Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The medieval monuments and the annual Festival d Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism. after lunch Depart for Avignon to explore the town. Set your GPS to Place du Palais des Papes Avignon Provence. Parking park in the underground garage beside le Palais des Papes. All aboard le Petit Train d Avignon a 40 minute ride on a train that takes you around le Palais des Papes and le Pont d Avignon where the legend of the song says that people used to dance on the bridge and in the streets of this medieval town. Visit le Palais des Papes and just imagine what life was like at the time. Pope Clement moved the papal court from Rome to Avignon in 1309 until 1377. Visit the town s annual art symposium le Printemps des Couleurs 5 pm - 8 pm 150 artisans and artists exhibit their work and paint live. At 7 pm meet at a specific place you will all agree upon and drive back to the villa for dinner! Quick quick! 25
day 6 plein-air painting châteauneuf-du-pape Located 24 kilometers - 34 minutes from the villa. Plein-air painting located on the grounds of the winery Domaine Mousset and the restaurant-hotel called Chateau des Fines Roches Set your GPS to avenue Baron Le Roy - Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is located near the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape built in the 14th century by Pope Paul XX11 - the second pope to reside in Avignon. The town is famous for its red wine and 320 vineyards - 180 wineries. We will lunch on the terrace of le Château des Fines Roches - Domaines Mousset overlooking the beautiful vineyards. Get a taste of the great wines that this region of France offers. after lunch We will visit the following wineries: Château Fortia Château la Nerthe Château de la Gardine Château du Beaucaste 27
day 7 plein-air painting malaucène Located 15 kilometers 20 minutes from the villa. Set your GPS to 3, rue de l Église - Malaucène. We will paint plein-air on a mountain forming part of Mont Ventoux. We will first visit the town of Malaucène located 15 km and 20 minutes from our villa. We will stop at l Église Saint-Michel, a 14th century fortified church located a 3, rue de l Église in Malaucène. We will visit the church then walk to a high point in the village to view Mont Ventoux and the spot where we will set out to paint. Mont Ventoux is the highest mountain in Provence and nickednamed the giant and is part of the Tour de France cycle race. It is named Ventoux which means windy as there are strong winds at the summit as high as 200 mph. We will go along the road to the summit but stop and paint at a scenic view well before the summit. We will lunch at a restaurant called La Source Du Grozeau which is on route to Mont Ventoux along route D974. after lunch Time to head back to our villa for some relaxation time and a swim, glass of wine and dinner! 29
day 8 plein-air painting suzette Located 10-15 minutes from the villa. Suzette is a tiny town which offers spectacular views of les Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux. We will set up and paint from the terrace of Domaine Mathiflo, a private winery owned by Fabienne and Thierry since 2012. You have an option of painting the village square adjacent to the winery or the view of Mont Ventoux. Lunch will be served on the terrace of the Domaine while you enjoy the finest wines from this winery. after lunch Head back to our villa for relaxation, cocktails and dinner maybe a swim today! 31
day 9 home Return home with beautiful memories of the places you visited and people you met. You will need to be at the airport 2.5 hours before your flight departs. Paintings will be left at the villa to dry and shipped to the gallery at the end of June 2017. Remember that you can only bring back 1.5 litres of wine with you and purchases up to $800! Return vehicle to the car rental location. Once you drive to the airport there is a sign that says return car rentals here follow the sign. 33
notes things to bring with you passport (it has to be valid 6 months after your return date to Canada) driver s licence camera hat sunglasses sun tan lotion bathing suit ipad or lap top (we have wifi at the villa) if you bring your cell phone call your service provider to purchase a plan for europe For example, Telus offers a $10 a day plan to maintain your current plan in canada with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and same data a portable field painting easel a canvas board brushes, oil paints, canvasses will be available on site electrical outlet converter get the flat cover type 35
gordonharrison canadianlandscapegallery ottawa gallery 495 sussex drive, ottawa ON K1N 6Z5 613.746.6853 studio 67, rideau terrace, new edinburgh, ottawa ON K1M 2A2 info@gordonharrisongallery.com laurentians studio and bed & breakfast 90, chemin du lac-violon, sainte-marguerite-du-lac-masson QC J0T 1L0 450.228.2539 25 minutes from saint-sauveur 45 minutes from mont-tremblant 2.25 hours from ottawa 1 hour from montréal 6 hours from toronto gordonharrisongallery.com