Nina Weiss' Workshop 2012

Nina Weiss' Workshop has its first student for 2012... 7 months ahead!  2012 is looking good!

William McElligotts's Workshop

William McElligotts's Workshop has its first student for 2012... 9 months ahead! This one is going to fill up fast... don't miss out!

Bill Rogers - June 2-11, 2012

William Rogers CSPWC TWSA SCA has been awarded the ‘Creative Catalyst Award’ at the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour’s 86^th Annual Open Juried Exhibition being held at the John B Aird Gallery Toronto from October 25 through November 18^th ,2011. The award was for his watercolour titled ‘Texting’ and the presentation was held October 27^th.

‘Texting’, watercolour, painted from life, 2010

Tom Francesconi - September 1-10, 2012

Tom’s figurative piece, Andrew, has been awarded First Place in the 43^rd Annual

Watercolor West International Exhibition. This marks the 4^th consecutive year that one of Tom’s paintings has been selected for inclusion in Watercolor West and the second time he has been an award winner. The show runs through December 18, 2011, at the Brea Civic and Cultural Center in Brea, California.

Bill Rogers - June 2-11, 2012

Marigold Art Gallery features Watercolour Artist – William Rogers
<http://www.maritimeartlist.com/?p=324>

Slideshow

Visit our website gallery to see the slideshow of our
September photography tour with William P. McElligott
PhotoTour-Sept2011

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Tim houghton to our 2012 calendar!  Tim will be teaching April -29 - May 8.

“Art and travel. Faith and people. Culture and art. Art and creativity. These things have always gone together for me. When I travel I see things in a new way. Painting helps me to stop and really look at the world and hopefully express it in a new way.” - Tim Houghton

Tom Francesconi's Workshop

Tom Francesconi's Workshop already has two students... 10 months ahead! This one is going to fill up fast... don't miss out!

2013 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Ross Paterson to our 2013 calendar!  Ross will be teaching Sept. 27 - Oct. 6, 2013.

“During my lifetime in art, I have rarely deviated from my passion - to capture a moment
in creations mighty span of time; taking the essence of a concept in landscape, [or figurative] in context with its mood and light, envisaging this and interpreting it with feeling and unity.  I tend to look for spatial shape, balance of tone, form and colour and then allow rhythm and feeling to take over” - Ross Paterson 

David Taylor's Workshop

David Tayor's Workshop already has its first student... 8 months ahead! This one is going to fill up fast... don't miss out!

September 22, 2011 - Dubrovnik

Day 10

Today we spent the entire day in Dubrovnik - the old, walled city by the sea. We were up for a 6:15 breakfast on the patio to catch the 7am city bus to Dubrovnik. This is the regular bus line so workers and students filled the bus as we travelled along the coast highway to the city.

We all got off at the first stop in Dubrovnik and walked down through the city streets to the sea side and the entry to the walled city. There are some very special schools within the walled city that students attend from outside the area. 

At this time of day the light is low and creating very long shadows down the main street which make for mysterious, backlight images. We captured some great shots of the locals going to work, school and opening their various shops as we waited for the gates to the wall to open. 

Dubrovnik is surrounded by a wall that has been made available to the public as a walking area - we spent 4 hours on top of the wall shooting down into the city, shooting out to sea and shooting panorama vistas. At the quarter to halfway point the wall widens and there is space for cafes. My favorite cafe is owned and run by a Croat whose family has lived in that house which is part of the wall for over five generations. He makes a great cappuccino. He sells postcards and when asked will offer to mail the card himself - buy the card and stamp there and write the card while drinking your coffee and he mails it! Brilliant. Towards the end of the wall walk when you really need something refreshing there is a whole in the wall with a funky cafe - the beer is kept really cold here.

Lynda arranged a lunch for us at a Lokanda restaurant overlooking the harbor and surrounded by the city walls - the air is cool here under many umbrellas. Small fed fish, risotto, scampi, squid salad and Croatian pate with a crisp Croatian white wine.  After lunch we had time to wander on our own before we met for a private two-hour historical tour of the city that Lynda had arranged with Antonia, a local guild.

Antonia is a native of Dubrovnik so not only did we hear the traditional history of the city but we were also told stories about growing up inside a walled city and what life today is like in a modern tourist destination. The tour is a must - it was so interesting and can be personalized to the interests of the group - we'll do this again.

As our last shoot in Croatia we climbed the many stairs to the small fort beside the walled city. Here you get a different vista into the walled city and long views along the walls up the coast. We took the water taxi back to Cavtat with the sunset over Dubrovnik as our background. Dinner in Cavtat at our favorite restaurant  Galija- packing and then bed. 

Our Pick-up for the airport is 5:25am for a 6:30am flight - no problem as the airport is so close and small enough to get through efficiently. Then to Frankfurt and home to Ottawa by 4:30pm! 

September 21, 2011 - Travel Day

Day 9

Travel day. We returned to Cavtat today taking the 11am ferry. The stormy weather has moved on and the breeze is fresh and skies clear. All the humidity is gone. We had one last breakfast on the patio. Hugs for everyone who runs Lovric Pension. Willie presented a copy of his coffee table book, the Ottawa Canada book, to Silvana who was excited to see where we live.

There is always an opportunity to have a coffee at the docks before boarding the Ferry - it's fun to see who is traveling. The drive back is along the same route but our eyes are now trained to see the photo ops along the way. Going south along the coast the view of the coastline is spectacular - a curvy road at times. Around every bend there is a 'better' vista than the one before. We stop at a few pull-offs to enjoy the view and take a few last photos of the Dalmatian coastline.

As we approach Dubrovnik we can see the cruise ships approaching the harbour close by the suspension bridge. We stop here for vista shots and then head for Cavtat. It's like returning home after a trip - everything is familiar and our rooms are ready at Villa Cavtat - where we ate breakfast before.

A leisurely lunch at the bakery and a short nap finished the afternoon.  Tonight is our night off - a time to buy souvenirs and gifts and to just wander a bit. We'll eat dinner at our favourite restaurant in Cavtat with the wind blowing the fresh sea air.

September 20, 2011 - Racisce, Pupnat & Brna

Day 8


Today Willie asked us to use only one lens for all of our shooting for the day. He picked the lens and everyone shot with a different one. This exercise challenges your photography skills as you have to create the photo instead of simply change the lens to capture the scene. We had a lot of fun with this - the participant who was using the 100mm found she was shooting alone at first because everyone else was shooting with a wider lens and close-up. After a while everyone was shooting from all sorts of distances as they got used to what they could do with just one lens!

We started our shooting at the Ferry dock - capturing graphic images in the rain, reflections and shiny metal. One shot was a super close-up of a white chain against shiny metal - very graphic, another was a stunning shot of the Ferry floor - stark colours and patterns dividing up the space. As like any sport or pastime the clothes make the experience - we were all dressed properly so the rain only added to our creativity.

From there we ventured along the coastline taking a Korcula island road that hugs the seashore. The sky was magnificent, filled with huge grey and white clouds and the sea churning with waves and wind. We started our shoot up high on a lookout giving us panorama views of the seaside village of Racisce - the angry sky was a stunning backdrop for the orange roofs and anchored sailboats. 

As we descended into the village we noticed the rain soaked road and how the light made it stand out. Something to include in the foreground of our shots of the vibrant foliage and stone stairs and walls. Willie found a great way to accentuate colours by shooting through the rain-streaked windshield! We continued along inland to the village of Pupnat and continued our study of reflections, angles and soft, muted light. 

The afternoon was dedicated to our third review. We specifically compared our panorama images to see what each participant had created with this view and their lens. This was a very informative exercise showing us that we can create photographs not just record them. 

We were scheduled to go to Brna for the sunset and on our way we were in the right place at the right time to capture a still angry sky and the most vibrant double rainbow over the mainland. When we ventured on to Smokvica and Brna to assess the sunset possibilities we found that they were not going to happen down by the water so we made an about turn and got ourselves into position on the hill top overlooking the western side of the island. We had wide vistas of sky with clouds of blue-grey, white and all hues of yellowy-orange with islands and mainland to provide depth in the photos. The results were strong, eerie compositions.

When we got back to the Pension a feast of lightly deep-fried octopus awaited accompanied by squid and lobster salad, salt fish and soup. 

September 19, 2011 - Lumbarda

Day 7 

We began the day looking for the locals working in the vineyards - they were off for the day - instead we found a beautiful beach with huge waves crashing on the rocks. A super opportunity to shoot water at slow and fast shutter speeds. The result was spray frozen in time above back rocks or smooth molton-like water running over black rocks both with ancient looking stone cabins in the background.

From there we ventured back to the walled city of Korcula for the morning - alleyways, shadows, laundry, sailboats and local life within a walled city. It was windy with puffy clouds so the light was tricky but interesting.

We had time to talk to the locals and take some portrait shots. They were so inviting and friendly - really interested in what our tour was all about. Two of the participants were invited in for coffee and a tour of a locals 6-storey home. Coffee on the deck that was six storeys up and overlooking the city. Another shooter found a little atelier where the artisan was hand making Croatian-style silver filigree jewellery - the entire process was explained and demonstrated while she took photos of the artisan at work.

A bit of rain showers came through with the wind which made for great opportunities to photograph billowing white sails on boats against dark skies. The clouds were all sorts of colours too.

After a stop for breakfast at the most popular cafe in the city square we all returned to Lumbarda to download images and prepare for a photo review in the afternoon. This time we were asked to choose 12 of our favourite images and present them to the group - everyone was invited to comment and admire the work. Prior to the viewing we were allowed to 'process' the images in Lightroom or Aperture but because our goal in this workshop is to capture the image in the camera to minimize post production time - no-one really had done much to their photos. A touch of straightening and perhaps a bit of opening the shadows - that's all. The images were stunning and really showed how much we had all learned and applied since the first review. I think we all took a well deserved rest and then met for dinner on the patio followed by a stroll around the town and bed.

September 18, 2011 - Vela Luka

Day 6

We were happy to sleep in a bit today and have breakfast on the patio for 7:45am. 

Today we are going a road trip to the far end of the island of Korcula to see the port city of Vela Luka and the mountain of Hum. The trans island road is new and runs along the spine of the island. To access any small towns along the way we had to leave the island road and venture downwards into the numerous valleys along the way. We visited Pupnat, Smokvica, Brna, Cara, all have vine-yards, olive groves, stone walls, buildings and walkways. Photo ops abound and we are planning to visit all these areas over the next few days. 

At Hum mountain you are at the end of the Korcula island and high above Vela Luka for a birds eye view of the city, port and islands in the area. The mountain has a ruin of a pre-1900s military outpost on it so the peeling paint, broken stone walls and rusty doors provide lots of ideas for macro photography. During our photo shoot at Hum the salt filled wind was whipping our cameras and coating us with a fine layer of salt. It was time for a swim so we ventured around Vela Luka over to the far side of the peninsula and found a secluded entry to the sea. Here in this bay the water was especially buoyant with a higher level of salt than any other area we had visited. We could float heads above water without treading water at all! It was eerie at first but then just fun.

We spent a bit of time photographing across the harbour in Vela Luka - sailboats in foreground old hotel and office buildings in background with the western light creating soft hues on the buildings facades. After that we decided to scope out our venue for sunset shooting for tomorrow - Brna is a cute little harour bay surrounded by buildings and filled with sailboats. There is a direct view of the sunset here that is easy to access. We had a refreshment in the cafe and studied the light. This will be perfect tomorrow. 

Then it was back to Korcula city to shoot the western city facade from the bay - the light was fantastic. There were ships and families all along the bay as the foreground and the beautiful stone city and fortifications as the background.

Dinner on the patio tonight - with a slight breeze so I wore a long-sleeve tonight after all that sun today. Stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes, green salad, chicken soup and wine. Cool, fresh watermelon for dessert. And bed.

September 17, 2011 - Badija & Vrnik

Day 5

Sunrise Shoot

Today we met at 5:00am in order to get to the end of the island to shoot the sunrise. No-one is up at this time so we had the coffee made for us to have in our thermoses. It's a quick drive to the sunrise location - we wore light jackets but otherwise it was very pleasant - but dark! It takes a while for the sun to rise - there is a beautiful glow prior to seeing the sun itself so the photo op is fantastic. We all have images of the mountains with the glow in behind and the lighthouse in front. The early morning flights out of Dubrovnik airport left contrails through the photos that glowed with the sun rising. As the sun rose over the mountains the reflection on the water was stunning - everyone got great shots.

On our way back to the hotel for breakfast we passed through the vine-yards where a group of people were harvesting the last of the green grapes that make GRK - a special wine made only in Lumbarda. We stopped to talk and take photos - they gave us bunches of grapes in return. Their vehicle that tows the wagon is something out of Star Wars and the strength they show carrying the grape crates from vines to the wagon is incredible.

From there we had a late breakfast and some free time. We downloaded our images, rested, walked, shopped and swam. In the late afternoon we hired the son of the hotel owner to take us in his 40-year old boat made of wood and powered by a 60-year old inboard motor to two of the islands in the bay. It was an experience being taxied around in this boat, everyone knew we were coming but the style and grace of this traditional old vessel was priceless. The first island has a Monestary that is being restored to host events - old stone & carvings. The other island has a small community and many older boats on the shoreline that make for great photographs. The light is perfect in the afternoon for both these islands as they face south and west. First thing to do on the second island was to have a swim - a few families had already set-up by the water and dogs were frolicking as well. The water is see-through so when on the boat you can't tell how deep the water is even though you can see the bottom - the boat appears to float through the water. 

Saturday evening at the hotel and the dining patio is full. Grilled squid and scampi for dinner with greens, soup, salad and bead. Banana chocolate pudding cake for dessert. A feast!

September 16, 2011 - Korcula & Lumbarda

Day 4


Up at the crack of dawn and it was spectacular. We were able to capture a few shots off the patio while filling our coffee thermos' and heading off to Korcula City for an early morning shoot.

The walled city of Korcula is like a miniature version of Dubrovnik - beautiful stone patios, walls, carvings and boats. The early morning light is perfect as it sparkles off the water onto the walls through trees. The walkways are free of tourist crowds - only the locals are walking by to go for a swim, catch a fish or get to their job at the numerous cafes that open by 9am - just in time for our coffee break.

Here we have the opportunity to shoot all types of light, shadows, silhouettes and starbursts as well as all the shapes that combine to make a good photo - all in one location.

We were back on the patio eating breakfast by 10am. After a rest and time to download and view our morning shoot we met on the patio in the early afternoon to review our shoots from the previous two days. Here Willie leads the discussion giving pointers and tips and guiding the discussion as we view each others images and way of shooting. Afterwards it was time for a rest, swim or quiet read. 


Early evening scouted the grape harvesting, captured some evening glow over a churchyard and timed exactly how long a drive it is to where we will shoot the sunrise tomorrow morning - 6am on location! 

September 15, 2011 - Travel Day

Day 3

Again I have to mention the dinner - a platter of assorted sea food & fish caught locally, grilled and served with spinach & green beans & potatoes. A wonderful feast to end a perfect day.

We're on Day 3 - it's our travel day to the island of Korcula to stay in Lombarda - we will leave Cavtat and travel along the Dalmatian coast passing Dubrovnik and then to a ferry to the island of Korcula.

One last breakfast on the patio in the cool morning air - not a cloud in the sky. The wind last night cleared out the humidity and clouds and it's a blue bird day. Perfect for traveling. The coastal road is built high on the hill so the views as it winds it's way from Cavtat north are spectacular. There are areas to pull off overlooking Dubrovnik which give great vantage points to shoot the city scape. At the other side of the city there is another vantage point to shoot back towards The main harbour filled with cruise ships is flanked by a magnificent bridge that spans a huge inlet providing great back-light & side-light photo ops.

After a stunning drive along the coast we traversed a long peninsula in view of the protected bays that provide perfect conditions for growing mussels. The water is green and the hills grey - you get your first glimpse of purple grape vineyards here. We stopped for a great lunch at a seaside cafe - small fishes (smelts), mussels and seafood salad. Then it was time to get to the ferry.

It's easy to get the ferry this time of year as the majority of tourists have gone. We had time to buy our tickets and then spend some time at a church perched on the hillside above the bay. The panorama view is of the island of Korcula - perfect for getting your bearings and see the lay of the land.

It's a quick 20 minute ferry ride to Korcula and 10 minute drive to Lombarda. As we turned the corner leading to our Hotel Lovric we could see the men working over the grape crushing machine - it's the middle of grape harvest time! The photo ops will be great.

Dinner will be served on the patio overlooking the bay - the cool evening breeze is welcome. Tonight we had a wonderful pasta dish and creme caramel for dessert. Tomorrow - local sea food!

September 14, 2011 - Cavtat

Day 2

Can't go on without mentioning dinner last night - whole fish - Dorado baked in salt - the salt forms a cask around the fish to cook in it's own juices - delicious!

Up early today - 6am for a departure of 6:45am - coffee stop at Bakery and then a nice stroll over to the harbour for reflections shooting and some opportunity to start playing with our macro lenses.

The harbour was super calm so the reflections were stunning. As the sun rose we noticed opportunities to get shadows of people walking by on the softly lit stone walls.

Once the sun was up we took cover in the stone walls shooting flowers, stone walls coloured with mottled paint, rusting hinges, people walking by and cats.

Just as the heat was starting to hit it was time to break for breakfast on the patio - cold cuts and cheese were part of the servings this time.

We had 5 hours off today to explore, organize our latest photo shoot and see how we are doing with all the info given during the shooting.  In the afternoon we joined the locals and swam in the cool, green waters off the promenade - the sailing yachts made a beautiful background to this sea side scene. On our way back to our rooms we stopped for an Americano coffee and fresh apple turnover!

Tonight, before dinner, we are shooting across the water/harbour to capture the lights of the boats, restaurants and townscape. Early morning and evening temperatures have been perfect for shooting.

September 13, 2011 - Cavtat

Day 1

Great sleep had by all. Breakfast on the patio - coffee, scrambled eggs, bread, jam, juice - pleasant morning air but working up to a hot day.

Today we are scouting the area by walking around the peninsula - water on our right - pine trees & hills to our left. It's a lovely promenade from which you can access the sea, view the bathers, boats, people strolling and families enjoying the beach.  At one point we climbed a set of stairs that take you up the hill to the top where a family mausoleum is open to the public. The views are spectacular from there.

We ended our morning with a stroll through the city back to the bakery for a quick sandwich and then back to the rooms to view our images. Our photo review in the afternoon got everyone oriented and into the workshop mode. This evening we shoot the sunset from the mausoleum and then another 3-course dinner!

September 12, 2011 - Cavtat

We were met at the airport and whisked off to our rooms. It has been hot all season here, so the air conditioning and awesome showers were a welcome relief. 

After we were settled we walked down to the harbour to get our bearings and to shoot a bit. Families were out strolling, kids playing water-polo and the big yachts had parked for the night along the walkway. The sunset was gorgeous with boats going back and forth through the orange glow.

By the time we walked over to dinner, the air was cooler but there was no need for a sweater - just a perfect temperature.  After a great three-course dinner we walked along by the yachts to assess possible night shots for this week and then we called it a night.

William P McElligott's Photography Tour

Travelling over to Croatia
The group managed to fly over together....Ottawa - Frankfurt - Cavtat (Dubrovnik)
What an easy flight! 
We had a 4hr layover in Frankfurt so we read, drank coffee and shopped in Parisian-style stores. It's a super easy airport to navigate and all went well.

2013 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Terry Jarvis to our 2013 calendar!  Terry will be teaching May 12-21, 2013.


"Terry is now one of Australia’s most sought after artists, particularly in the field of watercolour. Terry also works in oils, pastels, acrylics and drawing, with watercolour being his favourite."

Croatia Airlines Inflight Magazine

Croatia Airlines Inflight Magazine has a wonderful photographic layout of the Island of Korcula.  Visit our "links" page on our website to connect to the Magazine.  http://slikamilina.ca/links1.html

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome David Taylor to our 2012 calendar!  David will be teaching May 10-19, 2012.


"As we journey through life there are changes to our lives and to the world we live in.
My passion to express myself through my painting remains constant,  the experiences are often challenging, moving and uplifting."

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Lori Putnam to our 2012 calendar!  Lori will be teaching May 22-31, 2012.


"I strive to record my first impression, to capture a brief moment or everyday life. What strikes me is not a [particular subject], ‘noun,’ but instead an ‘adjective or even an adverb:’ the mood of a smile, the sense of place, or the movement of time."

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Tom Francesconi to our 2012 calendar!  Tom will be teaching September 1-10 2012.

"My paintings are a visual statement of my love for life.  However, it is not only the world around me with which I am put in touch but also the world inside of me.  As an artist, I have chosen to express myself through the language of paint.  Stirred emotions are the essential beginnings of that language.  It is my hope that my paintings will echo that emotional response and that the viewer will share in my spirited statements."

William Rogers dates have changed!

 William Rogers dates have changed!  Bill will be teaching June 2-11, 2012.

Croatian Photography Tour

Come join us for an Information Session

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 from  6:30 - 8:00 p.m. 

at the The Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, 229 Chapel St., Ottawa  613.562.782

R.S.V.P. required

Lynda Milina

613-241-9631

contact@slikamilina.ca

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome William Rogers to our 2012 calendar!  Bill will be teaching May 22-31 2012.

William (Bill) Rogers is an Elected Member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) and is currently the 1st Vice President. He is also a signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA) and the Societe Canadienne de l’Aquarelle (SCA).

Most of his landscapes are done “Plein-air” and he also paints the model from life, usually twice a week.

One of these watercolor figures is featured in “Splash 9” from Northlight Books.

He also has a figure drawing  in “Strokes of Genius 2″ from Northlight Books.

Horses are a subject dear to his heart, as he had owned them for over 20 years. These days he just paints them but his intimate knowledge of their anatomy and characteristic actions helps make his horse subjects much sought after and winners of numerous awards.

Bill has extensive teaching experience and sometimes teaches Art part time at StFX University as well as many workshops in Canada and abroad.  William Rogers Website

Photography Tour 2011

Just a reminder that Slikamilina is offering our first photography tour this year!  Come and join us September 13-22.  Visit William McElligott's page.

"Photography is my passport to travel." McElligott says, "It lets me discover new experiences in life and challenges me to strive for excellence in my field - to improve continually on what I have done in the past."

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Teresa R Vito to our 2012 calendar!  Teresa will be teaching October 7-16, 2012.


Teresa has a BA in Fine Art from the State University of New York at Geneseo and has taught and studied at the Art Students League at Denver and the Loveland Academy of Fine Arts. She has expanded her knowledge by taking numerous workshops over the years with artists Quang Ho, Ramon Kelley, Clyde Aspevig, Mike Lynch, Greg McHuron, Laura Robb and Nancy Guzik, Greg Kreutz and Robert Johnson.
Teresa painted with acclaimed Master Artist Richard Schmid for five years.
   
Teresa has conducted workshops and painted in various locations in Colorado and New Mexico as well as Provence, Bordeaux and Burgundy, France, the Copper Canyon in Mexico, Italy, Thailand and Laos, Spain and Morocco.  Teresa loves to travel and paint different inspiring locations and is looking forward to expanded her travel list!

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Cynthia Hargraves to our 2012 calendar!  Cynthia will be teaching September 13-22, 2012.


Cynthia Hargraves has been tutoring art classes in Oxenford since 2003. She has a Bachelor Education and Diploma of Teaching and is a Master Pastellist with the Pastel Society of Australia. She has studied overseas with world renown Sally Strand and Clayton J Beck III ( taught by Richard Schmidt ). Cynthia teachers Art workshops both nationally and internationally. She is a blue card holder and registered teacher. Her paintings are sold worldwide and much of her work is done through commissions. Cynthia regularly exhibits her paintings and more information on her events and work can been seen from the artist page www.artclasses.cynthiahargraves.com

Nina Weiss

Dates are now confirmed for Nina Weiss's Tour.
Join us June 13th through 22nd, 2012!

My landscape paintings draw the viewer into a heightened vision of color and gesture, depicting the natural world with colors that are intense, lush, and dramatic; going beyond the traditional ideas of a green landscape.

Teasing out the complex colors in the landscape I create layers color, line, and form. The works depict powerful moments from my travels through the everyday vistas of our world. –N.W.

Sretan Slikanje! (Happy Painitng!)

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Slikamilina is happy to welcome Nina Weiss to our 2012 calendar!  June dates to be announced shortly.

Nina Weiss is a nationally recognized artist who has been painting and drawing the landscape for over 25 years. She holds a BFA from the Tyler School of Art and K-12 Art Education Certification from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Further study includes Graduate Study at University of Wisconsin, pre-college study at Rhode Island School of Design, and the Art Student league of New York. She is an instructor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, (where she is also an advisor in the Drawing Certification program), Columbia College Chicago, and the Evanston Art Center. In addition to teaching workshops throughout the Midwest, Nina travels to Europe every summer to conduct her European Landscape Workshops. Her work is held in private and corporate collections throughout the United States including United Airlines, Aetna Insurance, McDonalds, Eli Lilly, Avon, United States Customs, and many more. In 2007 she was awarded an Artist's Residencey at the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, IL, and in 2005 Artist in Residence at Acadia National Park in Maine. Her paintings and drawings can be seen in two Hollywood films: John Hughs "Just Visiting" and Harold Ramis's "Ice Harvest". Recent solo and two-person shows include "Nina Weiss & Yelena Klairmont" at the College of Lake County Richard T. Wright Gallery, Solo Show at the Chapter Two Gallery in Corea, Maine; and "Winter Break: Paintings & Drawings of Nina Weiss" at the Joyce Petter Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan. Group shows include "Travel Documents" at the Koehnline Museum of Art, Oakton Community College, and "Contemporary Landscapes", Harris Magee Gallery Jackson, Michigan. Recent publications include Outdoor Illinois Magazine "Cool Globes" (June '07) NorthShore Magazine "Crop Circles"; (November '05) and the Chicago Tribune "Artist's Work Gets Role of a Lifetime" (November '05). Television and radio appearances include WBBM Newsradio 780 "Made in Chicago", and "Artist to Artist" with Enid Silverman, cable T.V. show. Her work can be seen at http://www.ninaweiss.com

Photo Book

May 1-14, 2011 watercolour tour has now come to a close... but with it came a book of the tour!
Anyone can purchase it, but really it has photos of the folks from the tour itself.
Still it give a nice idea of where and what we do. Preview it at Blurb.
Enjoy!

Island of Korčula, Croatia

www.blurb.com

A 14-day painting holiday to the island of Korcula, Croatia from May 1-14th, 2011 Korcula, in Croatia, is one of the most lush & fertile islands found in the Adriatic Sea. Rich in history & culture, it is a unique place of secluded beaches & bays, small & uninhabited islands & breathtaking views –http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2193247

May 14, 2011 - Dubrovnik

May 14, 2011 - Dubrovnik

We decided on an early ferry so that everyone had extra time in the morning, once we got to Dubrovnik, to look around.  

Everyone was up on time and ready to go at 6:30am to catch the 7am ferry.  We had a quick breakfast, our last breakfast, on the front porch.  It was going to be a lovely day.  The sun was coming up and the water was like glass.

Tomi had the bus packed and we were off.  We had a quick stop at Bella Vista restaurant, just before Ston, for coffee and a bathroom break and we then arrived in Cavtat at 10:00am.

We had found out earlier in the trip that there were going to be 9000 people in Dubrovnik today as there were 4 ships coming to port.  As we drove into Dubrovnik we saw 2 parked in port and then as we went past Dubrovnik, on to Cavtat, there were 2 more parked in the bay.

Mihaela had us all organized with our rooms and we were able to get back on the bus by 10:30am so that we arrived in Dubrovnik at Ploče gate to the old city (Stari Grad).  We said our goodbyes to Tomi and we entered the old city.  Already there were a lot of people.  We stopped infront of Saint Blaise church where were would meet at 12:55pm to walk to Lokanda restaurant for lunch at 1pm.

Everyone had a nice glimpse of Dubrovnik before lunch and would see more on our tour this afternoon.  We walked to Lokanda, which is on the back side of dubrovnik where the port  of Stari Grad is, and sat on a large out door patio, covered by white umbrellas, for lunch.  The cold platters came out and we were offered Octopus salad, tuna pate, sardines, anchovies, cheese and olives.  Lunch followed with grilled squid, grilled shrimp, seafood risotto, squid risotto, and grilled small white fish.  This restaurant is known for serving everything in black iron pots.

A few of us had dessert and others coffee, and we were all content by the time Antonija met us at 3pm for our tour.  Antonija took us to the parts of Old dubrovnik the regular tourists do not think of going.  We stayed off the Stradun and went to where the people of Stari Grad live.  It was quiet, peaceful and shady.  We found 2 of the local bars on the exterior of the western walls where you could swim and have a drink.  It was accessed by walking through the walls of Dubrovnik… this used to be the beach for the local residents.

Our tour ended at the water fountain and then everyone had another 1.5 hours to wander around before we met to catch our water taxi back to Cavtat.

Everyone was early to meet the water taxi, as I had threatened that if anyone missed it they would have to get back to Cavtat themselves.  We boarded the boat and left Dubrovnik at 6:30pm.  It is a lovely view of Dubrovnik from this side, although the sun had not set yet so taking a picture was difficult.  The ride back was 45 minutes and I am pretty sure there were a few people that napped on the way back. We arrived in Cavtat at 7:15pm and walked directly to Galija for dinner.  Jodi and Preston were already there as they had taken the 4pm ferry back.  

Dinner started with spinach soup, followed by salad and then vegetarian cannelloni.  Again a few people ordered dessert and coffee.  At about 9pm everyone started saying their goodbyes and we all headed back to our accommodations.  It was a beautiful day and the perfect way to end a wonderful trip.  Thanks to everyone that joined us on our 14 day tour and I do hope we will see you all this way again.

 Cathedral of the
Assumption of the Virgin

Streets of Stari Grad