# Watercolor Landscape Retreat with Kolbie Blume in Spain Join artist Kolbie Blume on a creative watercolor and landscaping journey in the South of Spain. Learn to love yourself in the creative process and take joy in every improvement you make. Enjoy the support of your peers and Kolbie's clear and compassionate directions that will help you develop your creative mindset. Learn the watercolor basics, mark-making, and plein-air sketching. Gather inspiration for your travel collection from the gorgeous vistas of the verdant Sierra de Grazalema natural park, the charming villages El Gastor and Setenil de las Bodegas (with a special tapas and wine-tasting event), and the historic town of Ronda. Stay at a deluxe private estate rented exclusively for the art group and get pampered with delicious chef-made vegetarian meals paired with premium Spanish wine. ## Details - **Dates:** October 16 - 23, 2024 - **Location:** Sierra de Grazalema, Andalucía, Spain - **Starting Price:** $3,850 - **Category:** Painting ## Program ### Watercolor Landscape Retreat Join artist Kolbie Blume on a creative adventure in Spain. Connect to your inner artist and find inspiration, guidance, and support on your art journey. Become part of a group of like-minded people gathered together to create art and enjoy themselves. Learn to lose your fear of starting and enjoy being a beginner — appreciate the progress you make each day! Kolbie will show you how to create beautiful watercolor pieces and break free from the beliefs that are holding you back. Discover the magic and power of your own creativity. Whether you're struggling with self-confidence, a lack of knowledge or skill, or waging a battle with our friend Perfectionism, you'll learn that you have everything you need to tackle this art adventure and come out the other side ready for another.Watercolor painting and creative mindset techniques that you'll be learning during the retreat:beginner watercolor techniquesbeginner landscape techniquesintroduction to plein-air paintingbuilding courage through a creative mindset creating a sustainable creative practice Kolbie will perform live demonstrations and offer one-on-one tuition throughout the retreat. From beginners to professionals, the retreat is open to all levels. In addition to painting alongside Kolbie every day, you'll also have plenty of time to relax, enjoy the untamed beauty of the Sierra de Grazalema Nature Reserve, explore the famous white villages, and share your experiences with fellow creatives over a glass of delicious Spanish wine.All painting supplies will be provided (paper, paint, brushes, and more). Just remember to bring a bag with you to pack your supplies for the art trips. If you'd like to bring any extra supplies with you, feel free to do so. ### Day 1: Arrival Catch the 2:30 PM transfer from Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), and meet Kolbie Blume and the rest of the art group at Nature Reserve. Explore the vast property rented exclusively for you and your fellow participants and discover its magnificent gardens, the five pools, terraces overlooking the natural reserve, the art studio, and all the gorgeous common spaces. Then, join Kolbie and the other artists in the welcome circle, where you'll sip on some delicious drinks and introduce yourself to the rest of the group. End the day with a scrumptious three-course welcome dinner carefully prepared by the private chef, paired with Andalusian wine. ### Day 2: Art classes at the venue Intro to Watercolor, Sketching, and LandscapesWe’re diving straight into our theme with an overview of supplies, mindset, basic watercolor techniques, sketchbook practices, and foundational landscape painting techniques. This creative crash course will prepare us for our adventure to the white village of El Gastor coming up soon!Mindset Techniques: Beginner’s mind, curiosity, intention settingWatercolor Techniques: Wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, water control, dry brush technique, glazing, color theory, getting to know your supplies, sketchbooks, layers, movement ### Day 3: El Gastor & art class Plein Air Sketching and Color PlayPrepared with an overview of foundational practices, we’ll take our knowledge and passion to the gorgeous village of El Gastor! We’ll spend the morning wandering around El Gastor, sketchbooks in hand, ready to capture messy studies of the beautiful surroundings. Upon returning to the venue, we’ll take a second look at our sketches and linger in the adventure of the day by playing with color palettes and loose landscape studies.Mindset Techniques: Practicing courage, tolerating discomfort, self-compassion, mindfulnessWatercolor Techniques: Mark-making, sketching with watercolor, sketching with fine liner ink, “paint what you see” and “draw what you see,” introductory composition, color theory ### Day 4: Art classes at the venue Watercolor LandscapesWith a few workshops under our belts, Day Four brings us an all-day watercolor painting extravaganza, where we’ll not only practice how to paint specific subjects like trees, hills, and cliffs, but also mindfulness and creative thinking, connecting what we’re learning on the page to the world around us. After a day of sketching, today is a day of stretching!Mindset Techniques: Creative play, curiosity, deconstructionWatercolor Techniques: Landscape composition, contrast, layers, color value, color theory, depth, landscape recipes ### Day 5: Setenil & Art class Gathering Inspiration + Reference PhotosCreativity is a cycle, and while the actual “creating” part is important – so is the part that comes before: rest and inspiration. To prepare for the second half of the retreat, Day Five is all about wandering and wondering, exercising creative thoughts, and allowing the mind to light up with ideas through everyday happenings. We'll visit the spectacular Setenil de las Bodegas village, famous for its cave dwellings - houses dug right into the mountainside. We’ll wander through the village, taking photos, making sketches, and experimenting with color mixing, to prepare for our collections to come. At lunch, we'll enjoy a delightful tapas and wine tasting.Mindset Techniques: Creative rest, finding inspiration, making connections, mindfulnessWatercolor Techniques: Taking good reference photos, mobile phone photography, sketching, color mixing ### Day 6: Painting in Ronda Mark-Making + Style ExplorationAfter a day of gentle inspiration, let’s play with our paints and turn our big adventure into an opportunity for discovery. We'll visit the largest of Andalucía's white towns, Ronda, renowned for its 18th-century Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge crossing a gaping chasm, with incredible views. We'll wander around the city and sketch our favorite views, and then we'll review our favorite work done so far over the retreat. This is to help artists learn how to evaluate their creative work and experiences with self-compassion and curiosity so that they can continue making progress on their creative journey with the goal of discovering what it is that truly lights them up. We’ll also intentionally experiment with mark-making and various styles to expand our perspective and our sketchbook skills.Mindset Techniques: Self-compassion, self-confrontation, mindfulness, curiosity, creative play, beginner’s mind (again)Watercolor Techniques: Creative play, process art, intuitive painting, mark-making, self-teaching, building a sustainable creative practice ### Day 7: Art classes at the venue Planning and Creating a Travel CollectionIt’s time to translate our wanderings into more art. On Day Seven, we’ll talk about what goes into a “real” art collection (because yes, you are a real artist!) and how to use your inspiration to plan and create a series of three paintings, based on sketches and ideas from the week. Think of today as stretching your creative muscles and giving yourself full permission to treat your creative practice with the love and encouragement it deserves.Mindset Techniques: Self-compassion, practicing courage, creative play, creative focus, flexibility, embracing the messy middle, emotional intelligence, and communicationWatercolor Techniques: Breaking down a reference photo, intermediate composition techniques, creative planning, emotional mark-making, layers, contrast, depth ### Day 8: Departure After breakfast, say your farewells, exchange any last contacts, then prepare to catch the 10:00 AM airport transfer to Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (arriving at the airport around 12:00 PM). ## Instructors - **Kolbie Blume** - Watercolor artist and writer ## Accommodation ### Nature Retreat ### Shared bathroom - single standard ### Shared bathroom - single superior ### Shared tower ensuite room ### Single superior ensuite room ### Single standard suite ### Single superior suite ## Book This Retreat Visit [https://uptrek.com/retreat/watercolor-landscape-retreat-kolbie-blume-spain](https://uptrek.com/retreat/watercolor-landscape-retreat-kolbie-blume-spain) to make a reservation. *Provided by [UpTrek](https://uptrek.com)*