Watercolor Sketching in Croatia
with Leslie Fehling
10 days on the Island of Korcula
May 22-31, 2022
For the tour website and to register, click here.
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| Korcula town, with mainland Croatia in the distance across the water |
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| The color of the water in Croatia is AMAZING! |
Croatia is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in Europe, and it’s easy to see why: the people are friendly, the food is fresh and local, the wine is world-class, and the architecture and scenery are spectacular, offering limitless subject matter for artists.
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| The water is so clear, it almost looks like the boats are floating in the air! |
When you travel as an artist, rather than just a tourist, it changes what you see and how you experience a place. You’ll begin to notice details, marvel at light and shadows, and see possibilities for compositions everywhere.
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch of a scene in Orebic by Leslie Fehling |
Instead of snapping a photo and quickly moving on, you’ll take the time to soak up your surroundings as you sketch what resonates with you. And when you return home, you’ll open up that sketchbook, and the memories will come flooding in.
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch by Leslie Fehling |
You’ll remember the warm sun on your shoulders, the vivid colors of boats bobbing in the water, the fresh smell of sea air…
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| Sketchers on the tiny island of Vrnik |
the quiet murmurs of your painting companions and a red geranium on a whitewashed windowsill.
From the time we step off the plane, we’ll be in the best of hands with our tour guide, Lynda Milina, whose family has lived in Croatia for generations. All the details will be taken care of for us, leaving us free to focus on painting and relaxing. It’s the best way to travel!
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| Student sketching in Racisce |
We’ll be picked up at the airport in Dubrovnik the day before the tour begins and taken to our lodging, then we’ll share a welcome dinner, giving us a chance to get acquainted and learn more about what to expect in the coming days.
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| Dubrovnik |
The next morning, we’ll enjoy a tour of Dubrovnik and learn about the complex history of this stunning city, know as “The Pearl of the Adriatic”.
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| Lovric Pension in Lumbarda on Korcula island |
The hotel is a mere 50 yards from the sea, and it’s just a short walk to the downtown area. The rooms at the family-run Lovric are bright, clean, and comfortable, and there’s even a winery on site!
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| Balcony at the Lovric |
Lumbarda is a small port on the eastern part of the island of Korcula.
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| 15″ x 7-1/2″ sketch of Lumbarda by Leslie Fehling |
It’s known for its local wine called Grk, so you can expect to see picturesque vineyards, as well as beautiful shorelines, a bustling harbor, hiking trails, cafes, and wineries. (A wine tasting is included in the tour package.) There will be plenty to do during our down time there! We’ve even included one day during the tour that’s completely unscheduled, to give all of us a chance to do whatever our hearts desire. Go for a hike, take an island tour on the boat taxi, sit in a cafe and sip a cappuccino, or paint for hours in a location that’s been calling to you. You’ll have the luxury of time to do what you please…or do nothing at all!
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| Boat in Lumbarda harbor |
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| A cool wall in Korcula town |
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| 15″ x 7-1/2″ sketch of the frame wall in Korcula by Leslie Fehling |
and sturdy city walls,
in shady streets filled with flowers…
and in quiet coves with aquamarine water.
Mornings will find us visiting scenic areas such as Racisce, Zrnovo, Vrnik, the city of Korcula, Orebic and the Peliesac Peninsula. We’ll draw and paint for a few hours in these beautiful locations then take a break for a picnic lunch.
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch by Leslie Fehling |
Afternoons will be spent in a variety of ways: sketching, watching a painting demo on location, going on a walking tour of a village, visiting a monastery, watching a jewelry-making demonstration, and enjoying wine-tasting at a local winery.
When we return to our lodging later in the afternoon, there will be time to relax before the evening meal.
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| Chilling out on the island of Vrnik |
These will be full days, but not frantically busy ones. We won’t be rushing from one place to the next, trying to squeeze in everything in the guidebook.
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| Sketching boats in Racisce |
This tour offers a slower pace of travel, with plenty of plein air sketching time, making this a trip where you actually will have time to create that travel journal you’ve been dreaming of for years.
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch by Leslie Fehling |
All meals are included on this tour. Breakfasts and dinners will be served in the restaurant which is attached to the Lovric, while most of our lunches will be on location when we’re out and about. The food will be fresh, local, and absolutely delicious! (For a few of the lunches, you’ll have the option to eat on your own in a restaurant, but a bag lunch will always be provided, if you prefer.)
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| Some of the participants swam daily during my 2019 Croatia tour |
or have a glass of wine and get to know your fellow artists.
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| Wine tasting in Lumbarda |
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch by Leslie Fehling |
One evening during our stay, you’ll have the opportunity to see a traditional sword dance performed in Old Town Korcula. (This is an optional activity.)
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| Sword dance |
At the end of the tour, on day 10, we’ll head back to the Dubrovnik area, with a stop for lunch on the way in the little village of Ston, famous for its amazing 14th century stone city walls. We’ll have time to explore the town for a while (and maybe squeeze in one last sketch) before driving to the quaint coastal town of Cavtat, where we will enjoy our last dinner together before flying home the next day.
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| The gorgeous harbor in Cavtat |
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| Cavtat |
Now, let’s talk about the art portion of the trip…
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| 2019 participant with her sketch from the village of Zrnovo |
My teaching will focus on illustrated watercolor journaling and how to create a colorful, varied, and personal record of your experiences on the trip.
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch of a scene on the island of Vrnik by Leslie Fehling |
You’ll learn how to design dynamic pages with unique layouts, borders, and hand-lettering styles, and I’ll offer daily demonstrations of techniques for painting the subject matter you’ll encounter each day, everything from a village street scene to an easy technique for painting sparkling water.
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| 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ sketch of a street on Dubrovnik by Leslie Fehling |
Each day I’ll suggest new ideas for filling the pages of your travel journal…one day you’ll give a theme page a try, while the next you might pre-paint a page with a layer of color then draw a sketch over it. And have you ever heard of a flow sketch? It’s a great way to condense an entire day onto one sketchbook page. We’ll try all these ideas and more during our time together.
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| 8″ x 6″ sketch by Leslie Fehling |
Each painter will receive a spiral-bound handbook containing all of the information covered in the workshop. It’s filled with great ideas for designing beautiful journal pages, and it includes a section of helpful step-by-step painting instructions showing you how to paint the textures, colors, and beauty of Croatia.
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| Sketchers from my 2019 trip to Korcula |
Note: We won’t have a painting studio on this tour, so most of our sketching will be on location outdoors. My classes and demos will primarily be onsite, but I will also offer a few teaching sessions in my apartment. You can spend extra time in your accommodations working on finishing up sketches you began on location, and I am always available for consultation. In the event of bad weather, we have the option of using a covered patio at the Lovric Pension for our classroom.
To read about how I handle the art portion of the tour during a typical day, click here.
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| This fun sketch was done prior to my 2019 trip to learn a little bit about the country |
We’re going to have an amazing time together as we immerse ourselves in all that Korcula has to offer. Painting, touring, shopping, eating, relaxing — we’ll have time for it all with this perfectly organized 10-day small-group tour.
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| A morning walk by the Adriatic is a great way to start your day on this tour |
So, if you’d like to improve your painting skills, learn more about keeping a travel sketchbook, and have more fun than you can imagine exploring the unspoiled island of Korcula, I hope you’ll join me for this “Watercolor Sketching in Croatia” workshop.
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| Korcula |
are welcome to come and enjoy the island at their own pace.
• Accommodation the night before the tour starts
• Dinner the night before the tour starts
• Transportation to/from Dubrovnik
• Transportation to/from daily excursions
• All meals, gratuities associated with restaurant meals, accommodations and instruction
