April 9 - 16, 2025
ABSTRACT MEXICO!
Find your mark…
with Susan Woolgar
While you're busy creating art, your friendly hosts at Casa Buena will be working hard, ensuring that your stay is a memorable one. Outstanding food, accommodations, and field trips will satisfy your desires for both comfort and adventure.
Workshop description:
Immerse yourself in the rich and varied landscapes surrounding the Casa Buena Art Retreat. Working on-site with your sketchbook and a selection of drawing and painting tools, you will learn to observe the textures, shapes and energy of your location.
After a fantastic morning of discovery, you will return to the open-air studio at Casa Buena for a group critique.
Your small mixed-media drawings from your sketchbook, along with your new perspectives and skills will be utilized to create a larger work. Through ongoing critiques and demonstrations, you will develop your mark making and color skills and find a new freedom in interpreting the landscape.
Workshop Instructor: SUSAN WOOLGAR
Contact info for Susan:
www.susanwoolgar.com IG: @susanwoolgar FB: facebook.com/susan.woolgar.7 email: susanwoolgar@gmail.com
“Nature is my greatest inspiration.
I have always admired the bright colours and contrasting textures found in the landscapes surrounding me.
From smooth, dark river rocks to stretching fields of tall prairie grass, the scenery of Western Canada has always served as an unwavering muse”
Susan Woolgar has been working as a professional artist and educator for over 40 years. After graduating from the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) in 1977, she began her career in visual communications as a graphic designer. She quickly discovered a love for teaching and left the corporate environment of advertising to pursue other opportunities.
She dove into the world of fine art, experimenting with an array of mediums including oil, watercolour, acrylic, pastel and various printing methods. All the while, she was teaching for various institutions and communities across Canada.
Susan's love for abstract art emerged during her “Under my Feet” exhibition in 2007. During this time, she began to explore the scale, form and traditional styling of her previous subject matter.
Her unique sense of colour combined with her ability to balance reality and feeling has propelled her work onto an international stage. Through the reach of the online art community, Susan has been teaching her “Abstracting the Landscape” course to students across the globe.
Although she has been focusing on acrylic, her classes range from instruction in watercolour and pastel to mixed media and print making.
Susan continues to work towards an artistic vision that is continually changing and growing. She believes that she will always be adapting her style, and looks forward to the challenge of creating new pieces.
SUSAN’S WORK
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 2.5 hour scenic drive North to Los Cocos, Nayarit, where Casa Buena is located.
Stop at La Penita Art Market and Lunch on the Beach
Settling in, setting up your work space
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
Early start at 7:00, light breakfast,
7:30 - 10am organized tour to the Jungle
Photography lesson in San Blas,
Lunch at the beach
return to you studio for photo editing lesson
Dinner
Monday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 4pm workshop
Happy hour, siesta
Dinner
Tuesday
7am - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 4pm workshop
Show and Tell
Dinner
Wednesday
8am - 9am Breakfast
Transport to PV Airport
Art supplies for the workshop
Casa Buena provides some supplies for the workshop
Studio easels and chairs, containers for your water or turps, extra paper towels,
for each retreat
A. for a workshop participant: $2800.00 CAD
including 5 days of Instructions, some art supplies, 7 days 6 nights accommodation, transportation from and to Puerto Vallarta, all breakfasts, lunches and dinners after arriving to Casa Buena, entertainment and a field trip to the Jungle.
B. for a non painting partner of a friend: $2100.00 CAD
including 7 days 6 nights accommodation, transportation from and to Puerto Vallarta, all breakfasts, lunches and dinners after arriving to Casa Buena, 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 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 $500.00 CAD and pay balance 45 days before the retreat.
PAYMENT METHOD
A. Etransfer your fee to janerom@shaw.ca
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.