Georgia
Watercolor on the Golden Isles
Program No. 8213RJ
Find inspiration in the beauty of Jekyll Island as you learn the art of watercolor, enjoying daily instruction, demonstrations and exercises to improve your confidence and technique.
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
12 meals (
5B, 3L, 4D
)
5 expert-led lectures
3 expert-led field trips
8 hands-on experiences
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Jekyll Island, GA
Meals:
D
Stay:
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.
Dinner:
Dinner in a private banquet room at the hotel. All program meals are served buffet-style with a variety of options to accommodate most dietary needs. On your health form, only note dietary restrictions that may be difficult to manage by selecting from the buffet. If necessary, we'll contact you to arrange a special plate. If a special plate is prepared for you, it will replace the buffet options.
Evening:
Orientation: 7:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with an expert instructor who will provide educational content, and a Group Leader who will deal primarily with logistics. Due to the nature of the program, most activities will take place at the hotel; a main exception is the use of a trolley to explore the historic district. All meals will be taken at the hotel. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Watercolor Instruction, Open Studio, Driftwood Beach
Location:
Jekyll Island, GA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Activity Note
Full day of instruction and painting. Getting on and off the shuttle. Walking on the beach 30-45 minutes.
Breakfast:
In the hotel’s Victorian-era Grand Dining Room.
Morning:
Our instructor begins Exploring Watercolor with a discussion of watercolor paper, three different brushes that will be used, the limited choice of pigments the instructor has placed on the palettes and choices of palettes that are available. Handouts describe the color wheel and show the group how they are going to create a color wheel from colors on the palette. This process leads to discussion of color schemes like monochromatic, color triads, analogous and complimentary. Group will create some small paintings that explore these color schemes. Group will experiment with different brushes and watercolor papers. These explorations will acquaint the students with vocabulary that will be utilized throughout the entire week. Questions are encouraged and these topics will be reviewed throughout the week. The instructor will continue to monitor what each student is working on and answers questions.
Lunch:
In a banquet room at the hotel, we’ll enjoy lunch together.
Afternoon:
The instructor will discuss ways of maintaining white areas. Students do an exercise to understand value and complete a value study. Instructor discusses ways to achieve the darkest values of a color and students do a second exercise exploring making shapes into three dimensional forms. After these two short lessons the instructor shows the students a series of paintings with step-by-step breakdown for the process of creating a finished watercolor. Regardless of subject matter, these basic watercolor painting techniques remain constant. Instructor discusses format of a painting, a decision that must be made with every new painting. Students make a light drawing, determine white areas, apply light values, begin mixing intermediate washes, textures, add darker “glazes”, add the darkest darks and finishing details. The instructor encourages questions and answers so that everyone will benefit. “Tricks of the trade”, like sea sponges, corks on toothpicks, “artistic” tissue techniques are shared to enhance the watercolors. We will take a short shuttle drive to view Driftwood Beach which will be the inspiration for our upcoming paintings!
Dinner:
Dinner in the banquet room.
Evening:
Students are given time to complete unfinished artwork, begin new pieces, and get one on one attention from the instructor.
Day
3
Watercolor Instruction & Painting; Jekyll Historic District
Location:
Jekyll Island, GA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Activity Note
20-30 minutes of walking/standing on tour. Getting on and off the trolley.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served in the Grand Dining Room at the hotel.
Morning:
Instructor reviews Monday’s lessons on color wheel, value, terms used and steps to creating a watercolor. New ideas are shared that include creating texture, unity in a painting, balance, contrast, emphasis, pattern, movement and rhythm. Students are given additional handouts of oak trees, birds, marsh grasses, and palms indigenous to the Jekyll Island area and coast. Instructor gives brief demonstrations on painting the different trees, Spanish moss, birds and grasses. Students do small studies of each before beginning two different paintings that incorporate some of the new subjects that have been discussed. Instructor continues to give one-on-one instruction as questions arise in the process of completing the paintings. After class, we will take a behind the scenes tour to see how the Jekyll Island Club has maintained its standards of luxurious service for over a century.
Lunch:
Lunch will be served at the hotel.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will take a guided tour of the historic district on the trolley. We will then have open studio with each student finishing or creating new watercolors. Instructor is available for all students’ questions.
Dinner:
Dinner at the hotel.
Evening:
Following dinner, we will paint and enjoy the music and storytelling of local musician Thomas Schuyler. Students are given time to complete unfinished artwork, begin new pieces, and get one on one attention from the instructor.
Day
4
Watercolor Class, Hotel Behind the Scenes, Free Afternoon
Location:
Jekyll Island, GA
Meals:
B
Stay:
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Activity Note
Walking 20-30 minutes through the hotel.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served in the Grand Dining Room at the hotel.
Morning:
Coastal Georgia is known for it’s marshes and today the group begins two paintings of the marsh and islands. Format is discussed again and instructor reviews how she would progress through the painting, sharing step by step paintings of how to get to the final, finished watercolor. Before exploring the island on your own, we will be given a private behind the scenes tour of the Jekyll Island Club where we will learn about the events and people that are a part of the property's fascinating history and how it has maintained its standards of luxurious service.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. As you explore the island, take this opportunity to gain inspiration for your next painting.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions
Day
5
Watercolor Instruction, Art Opening
Location:
Jekyll Island, GA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Activity Note
Full day of instruction and painting.
Breakfast:
Breakfast in the historic Grand Dining Room at the hotel.
Morning:
Students utilize subjects in photos taken on their adventures around the island on Wednesday for two new paintings. The instructor reviews the steps to planning and laying out the drawing for these new paintings. Each participants’ ideas for their last couple of watercolors are discussed as a group so everyone can hear how to plan for different subjects. Instructor continues to monitor and encourage each student.
Lunch:
Hotel meal.
Afternoon:
Students finish paintings and select several of their artworks for the art show that will occur Thursday evening. Instructor answers any remaining questions about finishing the paintings.
Dinner:
Dinner in the banquet room.
Evening:
After dinner we will have an Art Opening. The group gathers around the art show that has been hung in the classroom area. The impact of this final event is so encouraging for the latest group of Road Scholar watercolorists! Wonderful artwork created by each participant are given a positive critique summing up what they have accomplished.
Day
6
Wrap-up, Program Concludes
Location:
Jekyll Island, GA
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11 a.m.
Breakfast:
Breakfast in the Grand Dining Room at the hotel.
Morning:
Some of our group will be leaving before or after breakfast. This gives those participants who wish to discuss their work with the instructor more time to do so. One on one sessions can be scheduled from breakfast time through the morning. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future.
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