SUNSHINE PALLETTE MEXICO
Colour revelations in MEXICO
March 12 - 21, 2025
with Margaret Ferraro
Workshop description:
The trip begins in Puerto Vallarta, where we’ll soak up the local culture at an artwalk, and have our opening dinner together, meeting other participants. This is a good time to start collecting images(photos) for your Mexico collection.
The following day, we will drive to the art retreat, right on Pacific Ocean, and take some time to settle in.
I like to take my time with viewfinder in hand, and walk around with my students, discussing the multitude of possible paintings, viewpoints, different takes on same subject, discuss light and effect of painting at different times of the day, and start percolating with ideas. I guide you, to start easy and build.
I’ll be emphasizing the use of the viewfinder as your most valuable tool, alongside making thumbnail sketches. The thumbnails can be a monochromatic value study, or a field study, meaning full colour, but on a small scale. I find keeping to a value study in one colour (monochromatic) allows you to become more aware of good design and composition. This will be discussed thoroughly. No grandstanding, but steady work, with lots of breaks. (notice the pool)
By focussing on design and composition, I find these principles can be applied to any medium, so regardless of your medium, you are welcome to participate. I’ll be bringing both Soft Pastels and some oil painting supplies.
Our painting will start with simple objects, to get a few warm up pieces behind us. I have found over the years, once people have 2 or 3 pieces under their belt, ideas start to multiply, not just of subjects, but colour pallette, lighting, perspective. Your roster of “things to paint” will quickly become infinite.
There’s something about being away from all distractions and excuses to not be painting, at a beautiful locale, where your only job, is to think creatively, and paint. The first two days will set that pace. I will guide each person one on one, as well as give daily voluntary group critique, so students can benefit from sharing their concepts, ideas and creativity with each other. I’ll also be giving plenty of demonstrations. We’re building our utopia of creativity and support for each other.
We’ll be visiting San Blas, a local town with some old and charming architecture, as well as a beach locations other than the retreat, for something a bit different. For sure we’ll have our sunset challenge happening. that’s where we prepare you support, and get some details down for our composition, and then wait for the sun to start setting. You must work quick! and you never quite know what you will get, but the colour will be beautiful. I find when things aren’t quite planned, something magical can happen in the looseness of spontaneity.
My students will have quite a bit of freedom to paint whatever their heart desires, adding to the fullness of the experience.
By the end of our time together, you will have amassed many paintings done en plein air, many ideas for future work from photos, and a wonderful experience of what it’s like to paint and travel with other creative people.
Once the participants have been set, I'll be giving a demonstration of how and what to pack for travel and painting with pastels, and suggestions for other mediums.
Workshop Instructor:
MARGARET FERRARO
Contact info for Margaret:
www.margaretferraro.com
email: marg.ferraro@gmail.com
Someone once described my work as “Tom Thompson on uppers” to which I replied Thank you very much for such a nice compliment.
I am an artist and teacher, specializing in pastel, life drawing, and plein air painting workshops. The two disciplines of life drawing and pastel sustained me for many years, combining drawing and the spontaneous use of colour. Also working figure, into a composition with a creative use of open colour thrills me. Working en plein air, I am at home in the woods and in nature, working spontaneously and loosely.
I have had many solo shows in various galleries around the Ottawa (and others) area, and hosted two shows a year at my home/studio in the Ottawa Valley for many years.
In 2008, I lead my first international plein air workshop to France, followed by many other trips, back to France many times, but also Italy, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica, and Peru.
In 2009, I published my first book, A Time to Dance. This is a collection of 125 paintings of ballet dancers, that I created over a 6 month period.
For the past thirty years, I have been a working artist, and workshop instructor, having set up my studio, in Ottawa, Canada(1993). In 2017, I said goodbye to my home in the Ottawa valley and moved to the Georgian bay region of Ontario, north of Toronto. Since then, I have transitioned into being predominantly an oil painter, with a minor in pastel. I am still teaching a limited amount of classes.
In 2017, I was named Master pastellist-EM by the Pastel Artist of Canada.
My work has been shown in many National and International Art Exhibitions, including the Pastel Society of America (National Arts Club, NYC), The Pastel Artists of Canada (Toronto, Etobicoke, Vancouver and many other locations), and the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada, which exhibits out of Montreal.
In 2023, I am living the dream, working out of my studio gallery in Shanty Bay Ontario, waking up everyday and expressing my passion through painting, constantly discovering new forms of expression through a love of elegant drawing, design work and always, experimenting with colour.
‘Mother’ pastel
MARGARET’S WORK
‘White Mountains, Morocco’ pastel
‘Peacock’ pastel
“Amalfi” pastel
“Algoma Reds” pastel
Tentative Itinerary
PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary might change due to travel restrictions and other unforeseen circumstances
Wednesday
Arriving to Puerto Vallarta Airport
Taking taxi to your hotel,
Meeting at the hotel Lobby at 5:30
for Art Gallery walk and dinner
Thursday
8am - 9am Breakfast
3 hour scenic drive North to Los Cocos, Nayarit, where Casa Buena is located.
Stop at La Penita Art Market
Lunch at Casa Buena
Settling in
Happy hour
Dinner
Friday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 4pm workshop
Dinner
Art discussions or movie in the Casa
Saturday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 4pm workshop
Dinner
Art discussions or movie in the Casa
Dinner at Casa Manana
Sunday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 4pm workshop
Dinner
Art discussions or movie in the Casa
Monday
Early start at 7:00, light breakfast,
7:30 - 10am organized tour to the Jungle
Plein Air painting at Las Islitas
Lunch at the beach
Tuesday
DAY OFF
7am - 9am Breakfast
Exploring and shopping at San Blas
Returning to CB for Lunch
relax for the rest of the day or return to you studio to paint
Happy hour
Dinner
Wednesday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 4pm workshop
Happy hour, siesta
Dinner
Thursday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am-4pm workshop:
Happy hour, siesta, free time
Dinner
Art Show and Tell
Friday
7am - 9am Breakfast
Transport to PV Airport
Art supplies for the workshop
Click here to see supply list
A. for a workshop participant: $3500.00 CAD
including Instructions, some art supplies, 9 days 8 nights accommodation, transportation from and to Puerto Vallarta, all breakfasts, lunches and dinners, entertainment and a field trip to the Jungle.
B. for a non painting partner of a friend: $2750.00 CAD
including 9 days 8 nights accommodation, transportation from and to Puerto Vallarta, all breakfasts, lunches and dinners, entertainment and a field trip to the Jungle. We can arrange other activities, like fishing, whale watching, bird watching, etc. upon request for an extra fee.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS FEE
Airplane ticket to PV and back, your stay at hotel on the day of your arrival, taxi to the hotel and your meals in PV, all alcohol beverages, personal shopping, medical expenses, tipping of staff
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS FEE
Airplane ticket to PV and back, your stay at hotel on the day of your arrival, taxi to the hotel and your meals in PV, all alcohol beverages, personal shopping, medical expenses, tipping of staff
CANCELLATION POLICY
A. If your workshop is cancelled due to Instructor's unavailability, you will be notified immediately and you will receive a full refund.
B. If you can't attend your retreat and notify us 45 days prior to the retreat, you are welcome to transfer 100% of your full payment to another Casa Buena Art Retreat within 2 years of the date of cancellation. You can transfer your payment to another person or any other options that Casa Buena has to offer.
C. If you can't attend your retreat and notify us 30 days prior to the retreat, you are welcome to transfer 70% of your full payment to another Casa Buena Art Retreat within 2 years of the date of cancellation.
D. If you can't attend your retreat and notify us 14 days or less prior to the retreat, Casa Buena Art Retreat will not issue any refunds or transfers to other session. Your only choice is to transfer your payment to another person.
PLEASE NOTE: Administration fee of $100 apply to options B,C and D.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
A. Pay in full upon registration
B. Make a deposit of $600.00 CAD and pay balance 45 days before the retreat.
PAYMENT METHOD
A. Etransfer your 600 CAD deposit fee
B. Send your check (Money draft or certified check if outside of Canada) made payable to Jane Romanishko (contact Jane for her mailing address)
C. Pay via Paypal (please contact Jane for Pay Pal Invoice)
NOTE: There will be 5% extra transaction fee added for using PayPal.
