Art and Inspiration in the South of France
Next workshop: June 2016
Immerse yourself in an educational trip and tour that will leave you inspired and creatively invigorated for the rest of the year!
Enjoy the lavender in bloom, farm to table food, wine tasting, exploration of local markets and exhibits, and time to create in an inspiring studio environment.
Join professional mosaic artists and educators Laurel True and Valerie Nicoladze at Valerie's Esprit Mosaique Studio in Avignon, France to explore and celebrate color and creativity through mosaics. Laurel and Valerie are teaming up for the second year in a row to offer a very special, specifically curated and inspiring trip that will combine hands-on studio time, a community project at a local social center, incredible insider sightseeing and experiential learning and amazing food...and wine...and cheese...and shopping in Provincial villages...and more.
Esprit Mosaique Studio is full of joyful color and provides a welcoming place to learn, create and spend time in community with other mosaic enthusiasts. This is a wonderful opportunity for cross-cultural exchange with French mosaic artists and the North African community served by the Orel Social Center in Avignon. Participants will leave Provence feeling like family, having shared food, wine, stories and
community creation.
Instructors will offer lessons focusing on various techniques including fresco cement as a
background treatment, demonstration of the uses of stacked and layered substrates and precision cutting and setting techniques for glass and ceramic. Each student will work according to their experience level. All level of students are welcome.
Esprit Mosaique Studio offers a huge array of beautiful materials for students to use in the creation of their mosaic pieces. Drawers and drawers full of colorful and exotic materials from all over the world. Participants will have the opportunity to work with french materials that are not often seen or used in the US. Students will enjoy a guided exploration of materials and color through the creation of a piece that they will take home.
One day of the week will include the creation of mosaics elements to be installed at Orel Social Center in Avignon. We will combine the elements we make with elements made by mosaic students trained by Valerie from the social center, creating a group mosaic project to be installed at the social center. We will spend an evening meeting our co-creators and enjoy a delicious couscous dinner together.
In addition to enjoying time in the studio, participants will have the chance to eat delicious meals together, stay in a cute Provincial hotel, tour Avignon and nearby markets including St. Remy and Les Baux de Provence (a medieval village with an incredible view and violet gellato), visit the breathtaking and indescribable exhibition at Les Carrieres des Lumieres, as well as enjoy educational wine tastings and a Provincial backyard BBQ at the home of Valerie and her family.
We will end our time together with a picnic in a lavender field and visit to the Village of Salut, where quaint shops offer all things lavender.
Our trip in 2013 was an indescribable experience for everyone.
We can’t wait to offer this trip again this summer!
Cost of this trip $2600
Includes:
Mosaic workshop instruction
Accommodations for 8 nights (based on double occupancy, we can help coordinate)
Breakfast and lunches
Tuesday night family BBQ
Thursday night couscous dinner
Transportation from train station or Avignon airport and to and from workshop
All touristic visits to markets and exhibits
Wine tastings
Cost does not include flight, dinners (except Tuesday and Thursday) and personal expenses.
Both instructors are bi-lingual and workshop and activities will be in English and French.
To register for this workshop, please e-mail Valerie Nicoladze at: espritmosaique@free.fr
Questions? Contact Valerie (above) or Laurel at laurel@TrueMosaics.com
Payment can be made through Pay Pal
50% due at time of registration to hold spot.
We have only 10 spaces and expect this workshop/ tour to fill very quickly.
