THE FLORABUNDA Intensive ART RETREAT in BALI with ESTE MACLEOD
Florabunda Intensive offers you a full week to focus on making a two multi-layered canvases.
A deep-dive week without any distractions from your artwork (well, except great food, swimming and daily yoga), with detailed techniques for drawing, planning and painting floral subjects.
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Another luxurious week where all you need do is turn up each day after breakfast (and perhaps an early-morning dip? ... the snorkeling is fabulous), having taken the short walk in our pretty village to Villa Nilaya, where our first 30 minutes of the day are spent with yoga teacher Angelina, who'll lead us in some calm and focusing breathwork ('pranayama'), and then to art ...
Flowers are integral to Balinese spiritual life; colours signify cosmic directions and the gods residing there. The many-layered spiritual world of the Balinese people - Hindu, Buddhist and animist traditions all combined into a distinctive form of island Hinduism. This week, you too will embrace these beautiful blooms to create an abundant and multi-layered vision of tropical flora - flora abunda!
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And at the end of each day? A deeply restorative, full, luxuriant yoga class with Angelina on our beautiful teak-floored yoga space.
Stretch, breathe and relax deeply ... drift off to sleep, perhaps, to the sound of the lapping sea just meters away .... before padding downstairs as evening gathers, for a healthy, delicious buffet dinner prepared by our own Villa Nilaya chefs, with alternate evenings all yours to spend discovering the seaside dining venues in our village of Mendira, and a little farther away, Candi Dasa.
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Choose from one of three accommodations - from cute Balinese bungalows to luxe-plus resort suites ... all venues have excellent dining facilities if you fancy a night at home. Accommodation
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You're warmly invited to join our small group for this exceptional art experience by the sea in beautiful East Bali.
This is an all-inclusive tropical painting holiday with art and yoga tuition
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ART RETREAT DATES
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STARTS on ARRIVAL 15th September. You will be collected from the airport, it's a settling-in day, with no program.
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ENDS after breakfast on Sept. 22 (Day 8).
WHAT YOU'LL DO
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With 33 hours over 11 art sessions of dedicated tuition time with Este you'll expand you skills in design, planning and creating sophisticated, multi-layered works on canvas.
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You will create two principal artworks on medium sized canvases, with, of course, sketchbook explorations of flowers and floral forms nature, inspired by Nature, and using Este's signature Creative Leap method of drawing as well as other 'hacks' to create an endless repertoire of imaginary forms that will lead the way for the creative processes to follow.
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Este's instruction is detailed and specific - this is the basis of her success as an online arts instructor.
You will use a variety of professional acrylic paints and mediums and experiment with different printing and stamping processes as well as mixing of paints to expand your sense of colour and a deeper understanding of more advanced creative processes.
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Watch Este work on a large 'masterclass' canvas so that you can see all of the techniques in action, and evolving through the week, as you paint side by side with this acclaimed artist and designer whose online classes attract 1000's of enrollments.
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Techniques and processes to be incorporated into Florabunda
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Drawing with pigment pencils and developing unique imaginary florals based on Este’s drawing methods and clever hacks.
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Drawing number-inspired leaves to create stamps, which will be used on your canvas..
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Drawing from Nature on the mountain day tour to inspire layout of painting.
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Learn specialist paint brush techniques - you'll have a set to work with.
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Painting with GOLDEN High Flow to develop ink like marks and stamping.
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Painting with GOLDEN Fluid and medium to explore translucent and opaque layering.
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Mono-printing with GOLDEN OPEN paint.
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Collage with hand painted deli sheets
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Two quality canvases (can be de-stretched for travel).
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Mixed media acrylic plus sketchbook drawing exercises
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ALL ART MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED - no need to buy or bring anything with you
All of the materials you will use are the same materials that Este uses throughout her work. Value GBP 150.
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Paints and Mediums
Golden Paints is a professional artist quality acrylic paints and medium, and Este is an accredited 'Golden Artist Educator'.
You'll mainly be using their versatile and intensely pigmented water-based 'Fluid' and 'High Flow' paints, plus in this retreat Golden's OPEN medium acrylic for the mono-printing part of the course.
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Brushes
New brushes will be provided by Este, similar to those she uses in her studio, and if you wish, you may purchase your set of 4 brushes, at cost, at the end of the retreat
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Sketchbooks and Canvases
You will receive a new sketchbook for the daily design and colour explorations, but feel free to bring a favourite with you too.
You will work on two quality stretched canvases - these works are part of the final night exhibition ...we call it 'floaty dress night' ... it's a cocktail evening celebration of your achievement with a fabulous night of entertainment.
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WHO WILL THIS RETREAT SUIT?
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This painting element to this course is a natural extension to the Bali Botanica Retreat, and is complimented by the Bling Bloom Bijoux Workshop techniques.
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To get the most out of this course, some prior art-making experience is assumed, so it will suit anyone
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who has done any of Este's online course
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already done the previous Bali Botanica Retreat in Bali
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who has a painting practice or experience at any level
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The YOGA is suitable for ALL LEVELS of experience, including novices.
MEET ESTE MACLEOD
Este Macleod is an acclaimed British artist and designer whose way of teaching will show you ways to turn the things you notice into expressive, sophisticated artworks on paper using new dynamic painting and mixed media techniques.
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Her way of teaching will spark your imagination, get you in a creative flow and show ways to broaden your art practice as anyone who's experienced Este's popular on-line courses will know.
Read More...
Este is a free-spirited artist with a background in textile design. She has been teaching on-line art courses since 2015, focusing on processes and concepts to make individuals' creativity blossom. These courses have gained an incredible following, as Este combines carefully-selected materials and techniques and shows different methods to be used for continued exploration.
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"When I teach, I keep guidelines tight and simplify processes, the knowledge gained enables the flourishing of new ideas when applied to individual art practices."
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Este is a professional artist and designer. In addition to her paintings sold in galleries in the UK and internationally, her work is used in a variety of products ranging from wallpapers and textiles, homeware, ceramics, puzzles, stationary and book illustrations.
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Born in South Africa, Este has been living in the UK since 1999.
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Her educational background includes: HND Textile Design, Fine Art Printmaking, BA Hons Ceramics and Glass, MA in Contemporary Jewellery Design.
Creative Living Retreats by Anna Kwiecinska
With a background as an art historian and art gallery owner, my collaboration with artists continues to be a fascinating career which evolved into specialist and art retreats designed to combine seriously good art tuition with authentic cultural experiences.
The practice of yoga has under-pinned Creative Living Retreats, as a source of focus for creative inspiration - so whether you join us as a novice or a yogi, each day presents a new yoga journey with our intuitive teachers to Live Creatively.
Over a decade, many retreatants have returned for our thoughtfully curated weeks of supported creativity.
Loved the whole thing. Food was amazing and plenty of variety. Staff amazing ... I just thought you did the retreat so well. I felt totally satisfied with the way you made it all happen and made us all feel very special. You really were the glue. Very professional.
The exhibition was just so beautifully put together.
Lyn Mowday, Busselton, Australia
How does the retreat work?
Florabubda is a little different to most of our retreats, as it is purely a week of 'painting + yoga', where the yoga is an integral path to focusing your creativity, and providing deep relaxation at the conclusion of each day of painting.
There are no trips or tours in the program, however for those that enjoy an early morning trek, I'd love to take you on a rice paddy walk that leads up into a gorgeously dense jungley ridge and takes us down into the famous village of Tengenan (famed for its rare double ikat cloth weaving). For those that wish to join in, it will mean a couple of hours late starting that morning on painting ... it's just an option if you choose, and there's no extra cost involved.
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So here's what each day will look like ...
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BREAKFAST At your hotel. Walk to the retreat hub, Villa Nilaya - about an 8 -10 minute walk away.
​MORNING 9.00 - 9.30 am on all mornings other than day tour and boat trip days
BREATHWORK yoga 'pranayama' to calm, meditation to focus, 'sound bathing' to inspire
ART SESSION I 9.30 -12.30 with morning tea
LUNCH BREAK 12.30- 2.00
ART SESSION 2 2.00 - 5.00 with afternoon tea
YOGA 5.15 - 6.45
DINNER When at Villa Nilaya, dinner follows yoga, and is a buffet of Balinese dishes, zesty, but not spicy hot
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The full day tour includes a full yoga session, and two art-making sessions
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OPTIONAL boat trip includes a morning picnic
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OPTIONAL early morning paddy-filed and jungle ridge-walk through to the village of Tenganan.
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You’ll also have three free evenings with several dining options within just a few minutes' walk of the villa and your hotel.
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Speaking of food ...
Balinese food is very flavoursome, with complex flavours that you'll learn about in our chef-led cooking experience. Even spicy food is not fiery, but tangy with galangal, lime, coriander and ginger.
Let Anna know of your special dietary requirements at booking.
What does your Retreat include? Practically everything except your airfare !
see all the inclusions ... click here
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A/C Airport Taxi collection with name board on arrival at the International Airport
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Accommodation with Breakfast for 7 nights in your choice of beachside hotels and bungalows
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33 Hours of Art Tuition with Este Macleod over 11 sessions
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All Art Materials (value approx. GBP120 ) these are the same professional materials that Este uses in her professional work, but feel free to bring your favourite brushes or drawing equipment too - more details in pre-retreat information
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Daily Yoga with Angelina (originally from Australia, resides in Bali) – gentle stretchy , restorative and deep relaxation yoga suitable for experienced yogis as well as those looking forward to trying yoga for the first time.
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Breakfasts 8
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Lunches 6 - buffet, provided at Villa Nilaya during the retreat
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Morning and afternoon teas each day
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Bottled Water available throughout the retreat
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Dinners 3 at Villa Nilaya, including:
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‘Welcome Dinner BBQ' at Villa Nilaya (dietary restrictions catered for - please advise)
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Exhibition Night Dinner and concert performance
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Fine dining and jazz dining experience -1
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Balinese Massage - 1
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and surprises along the way!
What's not included
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airfare
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travel insurance
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personal expenses
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return taxi (you can pre-pay this when you book )
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2 dinners - our village of Mendira has several excellent ' warungs' - local restaurants