This Art Retreat will be all about recording your travel experience in Morocco with sketches and watercolours in your own Travel Journal. It is all about the creative journey, to have pleasure in creating, letting go and having fun.
Through a journal one can express the feeling of the sun, heat, sand, exotic colours, fabric, tastes and smells, without there being any pressure of completing a “polished” work or art.
This is your journal and diary that you can look back on in years to come, and live through the magical experience all over again.
There is nothing like a “change of scenery”, to get the creative juices flowing, and what better way than in Exotic Morocco.
Teaching process:
My teaching process consist of a combination of demonstrations, tips on the use of watercolour, observation and selecting your subject, composition and colour.
As everyone of us is unique. it is about developing in your own personal style
Skoura "The Palm Grove": In the morning we will discover the splendor of the date palms and the sheltered fruit and olive trees that cover over than 27km square. The local population will warmly welcome you, adding to your feeling of well-being, all this under the heat from the Moroccan sun. The palm grove..... with its flora and its kasbahs, will provide many subjects for the second page of your travel journal.
"The Souq" weekly market : We will visit the souk where traveling merchants, artisans, blacksmiths, leather products and everyday goods of all kinds can be found. After a painting session, immersed in the middle of this Moroccan market we will be on our way to the Gorges Dades, located at the foot of the High Atlas and side by side the anti atlas. then we will continue on towards the Dades Gorges which carve their way through the mountains creating impressive cliffs. In Todgha, you will be facing two steep cliffs of 300 meters’ high, separated by a narrow corridor of around twenty meters: this is an unforgettable spectacle to draw, paint or photograph.
The drive from Tinghir to Merzouga (renown for the highest dunes in the world) passes by a succession of ksour and oasis. This region was one of the compulsory crossing points for caravans of slaves and gold traffic from Sudan and Guinea. Your caravan awaits you for a one hour trip on the back of a camel to watch the sunset from the top of a dune....
Departure from Merzouga to take the direction of our lodging in Skoura, via Tafilalet and Rissani the region of Jewish and Muslim Saints. The whole day would be on the road with full of surprises and adventures.
The Kasbahs of Skoura ": Amridil ". Continue working on your travel journal. this day would be evolving about the traditional architecture and moroccan lifestyle, which you can picture in your artwork. One of Morocco’s grandest kasbahs, this 17th-century marvel once appeared on the 50 dirhams note bank. Signposted just a few hundred metres from the main road, this living museum showcases traditional kasbah life over the centuries.
The eight day is a relaxing morning spent at the guest house to finalize your travel journal finishing sketches, painting, collages and the layout with the advice of the teacher. Lunch break. In the afternoon, free time and an opportunity to shop for souvenirs, or simply let the song of the birds guide your steps in the palm grove. Last night in Skoura.
It is hard to say goodbye. but, this is the farewell day...Transfer to Marrakech-Menara International Airport. or Casablanca
I am a full time artist, specializing in “plein air”, ( painting and sketching out doors ) , travel sketching and journaling. I have hosted Art Retreats and workshops for many years, for beginners and accomplished artist alike.
For the past seven years, I have been the “Artist in Resident ”aboard the “MS Expedition”, a passenger and expedition ship, traveling to the Polar regions, West Africa and South America.
I offer Art workshops to an international clientele, onboard, witnessing and capturing this fragile environment, on paper.
In 2010 and 2019 I was selected as artist in residence at the well renown “International Cite des Arts” in Paris, France, learning and participating with fellow artists from around the world.
I have a diploma in Art and is an “Associate of the Watercolour Society of South Africa”.
Instagram: @yvonneankerart
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Traditional Dishes
One of the most striking features of Moroccan cooking is the quality and fquality and freshnes
hormones or preservatives. Animals are slaughtered just hours before they are este The meat you are offered will generally be mutton, not lamb. Market vegetables whave been gathered that morning. Spices, herbs, fresh fruit, nuts and dried fruthae an invigorating vitality completely removed from the packaged and imported products available in much of Europe and North America.
lo encourage you, here are explanations of some of the most common and popular Moroccan traditional dishes (for details of Arab and French pronunciation,see Language,
Harira: a thick soup of chick peas, lentils and haricot beans often flavoured witn mutton or chicken, lemon and tarragon.mutton or chicken, lemon and tarragon.
Brochettes: Grilled kebabs of mutton, liver and fat.
Kefta: Spicy meatballs made of minced mutton and offal, often served in a n
Pastilla/bastilla: A pie made up of multiple layers of flaky pastry filled With y
chopped pigeon meat, eggs, almonds and spices. Chicken or fish may be used instead
Tagine: Along with couscous, this is the most universal of Moroccan dishes -
slowly simmered stew,cooked in its own juices in an earthenware bowl with a distinctive conical lid. The tagine provides the foundation for using a whole spectrum
of ingredients, spices and styles. The most popular variants found on most menus
alone with prunes); tagine de poisson (bream or sardine stew cooked with tomatoe and herbs); tagine de lapin (rabbit stew); and tagine de poulet aux olives et citron
(a delicious chicken stew cooked With lemon and olives). The lemon gives a deliciou bitter zest to the meat.
Mechoui: Lamb roasted whole on a spit or baked in a special oven. This delicate and fragrant meat, far removed1 from the usual mutton, is eaten with bread. It is, howevel
an elaborate luxury which is often only available if ordered well in advance.
Couscous: This dish is made from half-baked flour which is then ground into
unlikely to be found at its best. It is usually accompanied by sept légumes (seven steamed vegetables) with the odd lump of mutton. It can also be served as a pudding
with sugar, cinnamon and rich, warm goat's milk.
Cornes de gazelle: Croissant-like pastries filled with honey and almonds.
Why you will love this trip
• With the help of a local guide, you will have the impression of going back in time to the Middle Ages wandering the labyrinthine medina of Ait Ben Haddou, Skoura and Merzouga.
• Take the opportunity to travel through the spectacular red dunes of the Sahara by camel and have an unforgettable sunset experience.
• Djemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakech is a city within the city. Explore one of the largest meeting places in the world, joining the night carni
val atmosphere of fortune tellers, dancers and healers.
•Skoura is a town in Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco. Skoura is a fertile oasis lined with immense palm groves. The Kasbah Amerhidil is part of Skoura palm grove alongside more.
Our services
Lodging: Gîte, Kasbah in the heart of the valleys and palm groves Technical support and overall support during all your travels.
Cancellation:
**-In case of withdrawal by a participant within 90 days of commencement of the workshop, the amount already paid will not be refunded.
**-In case of cancellation of the trip by the organisers, a new date will be proposed. Any participant who cannot avail of the new date will be fully refunded of the sum already paid.
**-In the event the organisers cancel the trip with no alternative date proposed, all sums paid by the participant will be fully refunded.
Materials:
The beauty of sketching is that your materials are light, easy to travel with and don't have to be expensive.
You become less precious and more relaxed as you haven’t spent a fortune on materials.
The more simple the materials, the quicker it gets to make decisions on what to paint or draw
Sketchbook:Watercolour paper
A5 size ( +-21 cm by 14 cm OR +- 8 by 6 inches )
Thickness 300g or 400g
Pens:
Fine liner waterproof black pen size: 3 and 8 ( Uni pin/ball or other )
AND/OR fountain pen with waterproof black ink
AND/OR Artline Calligraphy, water resistant pen size 2 or 3
Posca pen white: 0.7 mm
OR Gellyroll size 8 or 10 ( sakura Japan or similar )
OR any white pen you have that will draw on top of watercolour
Pencils:
2 or 4 B and putty razor
Charcoal Pencil: Soft, 4 or 6 B
Watercolours:
A set of 12 colours are normally fine., Make sure you have some mixing wells in your palette.
I use the following:
I have a 16 well portable palette
I buy tubes of the colours I prefer and squeeze them into the wells of my palette. Any brand you have ( I have a mixture of Daniel Smith, Windsor Newton )
Pans are fine as well
The colours that we would mostly use in Morocco are the following:
A warm and cool red: Scarlet red and Alizarin Crimson
A warm Yellow Cadmium type
A warm and cool blue: Cerulean and Ultra Marine
Burn sienna
Sepia
Yellow Ocher or Quinacridone yellow
Sap Green
Indigo
Quinacridone Rose
Possible one or two guest colours
Brushes:
I mostly use the flat 18 and round 8 and a de vinci mop brush no: 2 and 4 and a Round no: 8 and 4 But these are not all necessary
Bring the brushes you would normally use and already have
Other:
Small can of “hairspray” to “fix” the charcoal pencil so it doesn’t smudge
Portable water container ( collapsibleplastic camping cup )
Small spray bottle
Paper towel
4 paper clamps/clips, to prevent your pager blowing in the wind
Portable, compact chair ( a three legged fisherman/camping chair is perfect or other )
Sun Hat and sun protection
Morocco, a melting pot of dynasties and cultures :
Each country has its own history: historical facts, events and important milestones that gave the country its true historical value. The history of a country is one of the events considered worthy of remembrance, which perfectly applies to Morocco. With several dynasties that have succeeded one another over the years: the Idrisside dynasty, the Almoravid dynasty, the Almohad dynasty, the Merinid dynasty, the Saadian dynasty and the Alaouite dynasty, Morocco has gained international consideration as a multicultural country, with several types of heritage recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO. Morocco is one of the go-to destinations for discovery lovers, the most fascinated by nature, history, the art of living and Moroccan hospitality. The experience gained during their journeys in Morocco leave them pleasantly satisfied with their stay.
When we receive your deposit we will email you to confirm your reservation and payment.
Once the retreat becomes guaranteed (minimum number of registrants met) we will contact you to confirm your reservation and arrange payment of the balance for the retreat if only the deposit was paid at registration.
If for any reason the retreat does not become guaranteed, you will be refunded any funds paid (deposit or total amount).
A deposit is required to the teacher :
ankermanyvonne@gmail.com