I don’t know about you, but as soon as I hear that word, I immediately hear Carly Simon singing her iconic song, 🎶 AN-TI-CI-PA-TION. 🎶
Anticipation is my state of mind these days, because very soon along with fifteen others, I’ll be winging my way over the pond to France on my 2023 Dordogne Painting Holiday. Our ultimate destination is Le Vieux Couvent – a former 17th century convent - nestled in a tiny village in southwest France (church bells included), which has been lovingly converted into a charming Art Retreat Center. Oh my! The anticipation is thick in the air!!
This “Painting Holiday” is designed as a Watercolor Art Journaling Retreat. For those of you unfamiliar with this kind of event and activity, it involves keeping a “travel diary” of sorts…but in a visual way. Each day, we paint (and write) in our journals, visually capturing the experiences, sights, foods and landmarks we’ve enjoyed that day. At the end of our French adventure, we end up with a lovely recorded snapshot of where we’ve been, what we’ve seen, and what we’ve experienced. It becomes a treasured book of memories – so much more meaningful than scrolling and searching through our phone photos.
Anticipation becomes even more fun when shared with others! Excitement is contagious! And so, our travel group meets a few times during the year (before our trip) where we discuss all the amazing plans and travel logistics. The highlight of these gatherings is getting to know one another and painting some of the places and things we will be seeing. We chit chat and anticipate discovering these things in person. Because all levels of painters are welcome, I like to provide templates that can be traced or copied. It’s an option that allows us all to paint together - regardless of experience. And who doesn’t love a journal with completed images before we even leave the tarmac! Both anticipation and confidence builds!
That’s one of the things I so love about Art Journaling, especially regarding travel. We get more “bang for our buck” so to speak. We can start anticipating and enjoying our trip beforehand, love the experience itself in real time, and THEN enjoy it over & over again upon our return - just by looking at all the memories we’ve painted in our journals.
Sooo, even though you may not be going with us to France (this year), why not sign up for my online Beginning Watercolor class (available now: https://ruthkorchart.teachable.com/) - in anticipation of joining a future painting trip? Then we can all belt out 🎶 Anticipation 🎶 with Carly together – and be ready with paints, nib, brushes & journals for the next fabulous art adventure!
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