An Imaginary Trip To The Southwest Of France (LVC)

Come and explore the Southwest of France!

In October 2018, a group of artists and I explored the phenomenal areas of the Lot and Dordogne regions of Southwest France…it was beyond our wildest imaginings! From the larger cities to the small villages, it was a treat for the eyes everywhere you looked. Picnics beside small lakes and railroad trestles to wandering around medieval architecture in the gorgeous city of Sarlat to spending time sitting in the gardens at Le Vieux Couvent, this trip was exceptional in every way. And just in case you would be interested in visiting it for real, I will be return to LVC in September 2019 and you’re invited! You can learn more about this ten-day adventure by clicking here.

Sharing My Sketchbook

In this class, I’m going to be going back to work in my sketchbook to capture more of my trip. It was impossible to capture everything while I was there and many pages are not quite complete. I invite you to join me as I show you how I “tidy” up pages, add more info and capture the essence of the trip without falling into the trap of thinking I have to sketch everything.

Class Schedule

The class will run from April 18th through May 9th. There will be four assignments. One assignment will be posted each week during these dates. The last two weeks are for catching up!

In this class, we will be exploring:

• Small towns and villages of Cahors, Castelfranc, and Gourdon
• Saint Cirq Lapopie
• Sarlat
• Frayssinet and Le Vieux Couvent
• Taking pages sketched on location and adding “polish” to them
• Learning how to create “memory sketches” (from photographs) and sketching them as the same style we would if we were on the street
• And a few more surprises!

If this sounds like your kind of adventure, come and join the fun!

The classes are structured to help you build your skills for drawing on location as if we were actually on location. Imagine stepping off the bus and being told we’ll be moving to our next destination in 30 minutes. That means you have thirty minutes to get something down on the page—once you find what you want to sketch! This part of the class is strictly optional. If you just love to draw and paint, you can always ignore the suggested timeframes and create at your own pace.

Video demos are provided for all of the assignments. All techniques are shown so that you can “see” when and where they’re used. You have total flexibility as to when you watch the videos once they are posted. The demos are available for the duration of the class and you can watch them as many times as you like. Some “travelers” find it helpful to paint along with the video, pausing it as needed to learn the techniques Laure is demonstrating. Others watch the video and then apply the techniques to a photo reference of their choosing.

Individual and gentle feedback is given by Laure for each piece of work posted to the private class blog. All feedback is provided in a secure environment along with encouragement from the other class “travelers.” Everyone will have email access for any questions or challenges that come up during the “visit” to Seattle.

The recommended art supply list can be found here.

Students enrolling in this class should have the following:

Art Skills

• Basic drawing skills including an understanding of shapes, shading, values and perspective
• Basic painting skills including an understanding of washes, values, shaping and shapes (While it is not necessary for you to use watercolor, all demos and techniques will focus on using watercolor as the main sketching medium)
• Computer (User) Skills
• Use of email (to receive assignment details)
• Participation in a blog environment (how to post images, make comments)

Computer Technology Requirements

• Computer with high-speed internet connection**
• Email (to receive assignments)
• Scanner or digital camera (for posting images)
• Computer for posting to the private class blog**

**Please note: While you can access the assignments, private class blog and video demos from a tablet (iPad®), you will still need a computer to post your assignments to the class blog. It is rarely possible to do so with an iPad.

 Format And Options

There are four assignments for each class with video demos and pdf handouts provided so that you can see the techniques used. An assignment will be posted each week as noted at the dates above.

The Interactive Class ONLY is for those artists who are looking to receive feedback from Laure via a private class blog and encouragement from the other travelers. This class format also works well for those artists who enjoy a high level of interaction with other travelers and feedback from the instructor, and those who tend to procrastinate because it is deadline driven. The class has a cushion of two extra weeks should you fall behind or have other obligations during the class.

The Self-Study Class ONLY is a great learning style is for those artists who have a demanding schedule, for those not interested in participating in the private blog environment, or receiving feedback from Laure. It is also an excellent format for those artists who work slowly and have no desire to work faster or to work on location.

The artist will have access to the materials for one year from the date the class starts.* All handouts can be downloaded. Videos can be watched as many times as the artist wants, but are not downloadable.

*If the artist signs up for the class after the start date, but before the end date of the class, the class materials will come online in a weekly format and be posted according to the schedule above. Materials  will be available on their respective post date.  If the artist signs up for the class after the last assignment, all materials will be available upon enrolling.

The Interactive and Self-Study Class Bundle combines the Interactive Class with the Independent Learning format so that you can participate in the blog environment as well as hang on to the materials for a year!

Frequently Asked Questions