I remember the first time I took a workshop. I signed up all alone, just me. The workshop was given by the Plein Air Painters of America in Bennington, Vermont in October in the 90's. 

It involved me booking a flight, renting a car and staying alone at a B&B. At that time, those things were really big steps. I was a beginning painter. But I really wanted to go see what a weeklong travel workshop would be like. Mostly I needed answers, and I wanted to become a better painter. 

That leap of faith led to discoveries that were huge for me. Yes, I could get myself to and from the workshop, I survived and even enjoyed staying alone in a B&B. And yes, I could find another student to have dinner with. I made new friends from afar, saw all kinds of easels that I had never seen before. I tried all kinds of new ways of putting a painting together. 

It was very exciting. And it was the beginning of a journey that has lasted over 30 years into Plein Air Painting. Granted, it does take a while to get the hang of all the equipment and supplies, but once you've conquered all those details, the dividends that a lifestyle of traveling and painting pays are priceless. 

I have such fond memories of all these trips, all the classes I've taken and the classes I've given. All the friends I've made. And I'm grateful for the joy I've found in learning how to paint outside en plein air. 

I encourage you to find a class or an instructor that you are interested in and get yourself involved. Wade knee deep in paint and enjoy becoming a part of the beautiful landscape of plein air painting. 

To answer the question - workshops feel SO GOOD! They nourish the soul, inform the mind and knit you into groups you may never have thought you'd be able to join.  I am planning a Painting Retreat to Lake Garda, Ital in the fall of 2025. Click here to learn about the Lake Garda Region in Italy. (It's beautiful!) 

I have loved every minute of it and hope you will also. Karen