Slikamilina Painting and Photography Tours

Terry Jarvis Workshop 2013

2012-02-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

How do you like that? 14 mths ahead & Terry already has 2 clients!

Croatian Music Evening in Ottawa

2012-02-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Join me for a Croatian Music Night in Ottawa
If you live in Ottawa, please pass this on. Thx! There will be wine tasting too!
http://bit.ly/CroatianMusic

Weather in Europe...

2012-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Every time I turn on the computer or the TV, I see all this bizarre weather happening around Europe... and here I sit in Ottawa, where we are used to quite a bit of snow, and really our winter has been quite mild. Ottawa's Winterlude is on right now, and with the temperatures around 0, the canal is not frozen, which means no skating on the longest skating rink in the world. According to the American groundhog, it says 6 more weeks of winter, the Canadian groundhog says spring is on the way. Who are we to believe?

I wanted to share this picture of Split. Keeping in mind Split is only 2 hours by boat from the Island of Korcula.

I am totally blown away! I cannot believe that I am looking at palm trees with snow on them!

I talked to Renci and Silvana in Lumbarda on Skype today, and for those of you who don't know them, they are the owners of the wonderful accommodations we stay in... and Silvana is our amazing chef! Anyway, all is good on the island and they had a little snow but nothing like the picture above. They did mention the Bura was very strong.

The Bura is a northern to north-eastern wind. The changeable Bura can often be felt all over Dalmatia, Istria, the Slovenian Littoral, Trieste, and the rest of the Adriatic east coast. It blows in gusts. The Bura is most common during the winter. Once my sister and I flew to Croatia for Christmas and arrived in Frankfurt, only to be told that we would have to fly to Split, not Dubrvonik (where our dad was picking us up!) because the Bura was so strong it had closed the airport and the main bridge. Mother nature is a wonderful woman!

As we prepare for our spring tours I can only hope that the Canadian groundhog is correct and we are all in for an early spring.

I hope this finds everyone well and why not tell us, how has your winter been treating you?

Lori Putnam painting demo

2012-01-31T14:08:00.001-08:00

Lori Putnam painting demo : Balance and Harmony http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xee0aqggsAY

Tom Francesconi - September 1-10, 2012

2012-01-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

Had a wonderful conversation with Jean yesterday and it looks like she is coming and bringing 2 friends! Do not wait to sign up for Tom's tour, if you miss this year you have to wait till 2014!

Here is the question....

2012-01-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

-31°C with windchill in Ottawa.... 10.3°C in Korcula... what exactly am I doing here again?

Nina Weiss' Workshop 2012

2011-12-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

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

William McElligotts's Workshop

2011-12-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

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

Slideshow

2011-10-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

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

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

2011-10-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-17T08:59:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-07-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

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

Croatian Photography Tour

2011-06-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

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

May 13, 2011 - Korčula

2011-05-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2011 - Korčula

Our last day on the Island. We left Lovrić at 9:30pm and drove into Korcula and set up on the southern side, for a different view.

Southern side

Everyone painted until lunch and then we walked into Korčula old town for some last sight seeing and souvenir shopping.

Jonelle, Georgia and Karin returned early to set up for the 5:30pm Art show at the back of Lovric. Everyone would show case 3 pieces of their art from the trip.

Tomi picked us up at 3pm and we headed home.

5:30pm rolled around quickly and everyone arrived, dressed up, for our last evening together. Silvana contributed to the cocktail hour with fried dough treats, pršut, cheese, olives and cookies for dessert and I had brought some red and white wine over of my dads for the occasion.

Everyone's art was wonderful! It was so nice to see how well everyone did :) My Dad, Nick, showed up and was impressed with how professional everyone's work was. It was a lovely time to share with everyone.

Drying fish nets

Old town home

Secondary stairs to Old Town

Our last dinner was "Guests Choice". It started with mushroom soup, followed by ricola salad, grilled sea bream, french fries, and tiramisu for dessert.

May 12, 2011 - Račišće

2011-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2011 - Račišće

The drive to Račišće is the curviest we have been on since driving from Dubrovnik on our first day. Tomi declares it the worst the road on the island.

We arrive in Račišće and the sun is out in full force. We find 2 cafes, one open and one not. The one that is not open has a large patio and so half of our group sets up there… if they open, then they will buy coffee. A few of us start our day with coffee at the open cafe and the rest walk to the other end of town, stopping along the way to find painting spots. Gitta sets up at the end of the pier in full sun… for sure she will be swimming today!

Luckily the closed cafe did not open till 1pm and so we were all able to have lunch in the shade. Our waiter opened after and we were all able to have an after lunch coffee. Gitta came over and said she was going to go swimming before lunch and asked that we keep an eye on her stuff at the end of the pier … wouldn't you know, while she is swimming and large sailboat docks right infront of her… blocking her view.

This boat has cyclists on board and what they do is drop the cyclists off in Korcula, they cycle to Račišće and the boat meets them there. It is a good ride with luckily few hills. The boat loaded up all its people and sailed away… unfortunately Gitta had moved positions and no longer wanted her old view back.

Tomi picked us up at 3pm and we were back at Lovric at 3:45. A few people returned to More wine bar before the 6pm critique. Dinner was pea soup, mixed grill meat, and chocolate cake with nuts on top for dessert.

May 11, 2011 - Pupnat

2011-05-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

May 11, 2011 - Pupnat

I arrived at Lovric looking very sportif and announced that I was going to see if Preston wanted to go on a 3 hour hike!

Pupnatska Luka at
the top

We are going to Pupnat today and just outside of Pupnat is a lovely bay called Pupnatska Luka… the only problem is that it is at the bottom of a very high hill.

Once we dropped every on off in Pupnat, and got Jonelle organized with the lunch, Loris drove Preston and me to the top of the road to Pupnatska Luka. We walked to the bottom in about 40 minutes, had lunch at the bottom at the beach and then headed back up the hill at noon. It had be overcast all morning and now the sun decided to come out to light the way back to Pupnat! It took us about 50 minutes to get back up the hill then and then we were on the highway back to Pupnat. We had another 45 minute walk back to Pupnat and our goal was to make it back before the cafe closed, so that we could have our well deserved beer :) We did not actually know it would take 45 minutes but we made it to the cafe at 1:30 so we had lots of time for beer before they were suppose to close at 2:30pm.

Pupnat

Meanwhile back in Pupnat, everyone had found their location to paint. Cynthia was perched at higher level looking over the town and had been there all morning, when a yellow truck stopped to talked to her. In broken English the guy wanted to know how long she had been painting there, Cynthia said "all morning" and so he wanted to know if she recognized his truck? No, she said, she had never seen it before. This confirmed, for him, that he had not been down this road before. What is funny about this is that Pupnat has a population of about 400 people and this guy was a delivery person who was lost. With one main road and then one smaller upper road, it really is impossible to get lost in Pupnat and that is exactly what this guy was!

Pupnat argricultural area

After Preston and I arrived at the cafe and had been there for about 1/2 hour, slowly the rest of the group started to petter in and joined us for some beverages.

Loris arrived at 3pm and we headed back. We made a quick pit stop in Korcula so that people could get money and then we were home by 4pm.

Critique was at 6pm with dinner to follow at 7pm. Dinner tonight was barley soup, goulash on mashed potatoes, and meringue dessert.

May 10, 2011 - Lumbarda, Vela Glavica

2011-05-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2011 - Lumbarda

Vela Glavica Church

Still a bit windy today but nothing like yesterday. We have an appointment to go and see a local artist, Stipe Nobilo, at 10:15pm in Lumbarda in Vela Glavica. Tomi and Loris dropped us off at the church and we walked over to Stipe Nobilos. Stipe was born in Lumbarda and has always lived here. He has shown his work around the world but never felt the need to live anywhere else. He has a lovely new studio that is attached to his old house, that was designed by his son who is an architect. They did a lovely job of making everything work well together.

After our visit, we returned to the church area and everyone found a place to paint for the afternoon.

Stipe's house

Jim, Sue and I walked into Lumbarda to see if the souvenir store was open but it was not, so we went for coffee instead While we were there Chris, Karin and Georgia joined us and then Georgia and I went to the grocery store to buy some local spices.

Back at the church people were finishing off their paintings and several decided to walk back home, but first stopping at More Restaurant for a drink. The bus came at 3:30pm and we dropped the balance off at More to join the group.

I found out that the souvenir shop was open so I drove back to Lovric to pick up Jima and Gitta so they could buy their Glagolitic t-shirts… they bought me one too as a thank you.

View out from Stipes house

Dinner tonight started with Tomato soup, followed by grilled fish and rosata for dessert.

Brna - May 9, 2011

2011-05-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2011

Out of the wind

The bura is back. The bura is the north wind and although it is not raining the weather is cool.

Because of the bura we have to be on the west side of the island so that we are not blown away. Luckily we are going to Brna today. Brna is where the folks from Smokvica have their weekend houses, so it took us about 40 minutes to get there. There was still some wind but nothing like in Lumbarda.

Mermaid of Brna

Artistic tree

There was a mild panic on my part as the cafe that has always been open in previous years was not open and neither were the other 2 cafes! What would we do about bathrooms? I asked Tomi to hold the bus until we had a solution. Luckily Brna has Hotel Feral and the cafe is open all day for the patrons… there happened to be a group of 30 Germans staying there. Yay we had a bathroom!

Everyone scouted out a spot out of the wind for the day. Lunch was at 12:30pm and it was agreed that we should head back at 3pm instead of 4pm.

Tomi arrived in our nice warm bus and we were off to Sveti Antun to climb 101 steps.

View from Sveti Antun

Sveti Antun church is a small church that is perched at the top of a hill… it has 101 steps to get to the top. Once you are at the top you have the most wonderful views of Sveti Antun village, Badija and Korcula. With the clear sky it was a beautiful photo opportunity. Our group also huddled infront of the church for a group shot.

We returned home by 4:15pm so everyone had a few hours to spruce up their paintings before the 6pm critique.

Dinner tonight was egg soup, meat loaf with a hard boiled egg centre (they call it meat strudel here) and a lemon pastry dessert.

After dinner Robert Vegar, a local jewellery artist, dropped by with his wares, some traditional and some more modern, and we spent 1/2 hour picking and choosing our favourites.

May 7, 2011 - Zrnovo

2011-05-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2011

Today we headed to Zrnovo, a village about 15 minutes from Korcula that has an upper village and a lower village… we went to the lower village.

Front door to old Church

Church inside a Church

We were dropped off in the centre of town a the church within the church. The original church had been destroyed by the communists and only the front door was left standing along with three walls of the back section. They then built a new church inside the back section.

Our group spread far and wide throughout Zrnovo. It was not until lunch rolled around that we realized that Cynthia and Mary Beth had walked to the upper village and were painting the view from St. Vitus church. I told them to stay put at the end of the day and we would pick them up.

oldest house in Zrnovo

Jonelle had been intercepted on her walk by a woman that spoke english well and was shown the oldest building in Zrnovo. Jonelle then took a group of us over… it really was old and it was nice to see that the owners were renovating it back to its former glory.

Lovely view of Zrnovo

Sue was told to take a certain road to the top and she would find the best view of Zrnovo there. We hiked up the road and came to someones home at which point Sue would have turned around but I told her to follow me and we took a small path to the top. it certainly was a beautiful view. On our way back down we found a lovely little restaurant with a wonderful patio. This was a lucky find as the cafe in the centre had closed after lunch as not everyone had got their coffee fix.

Jodi and Preston had decided that they had finished painting for the day and Jonelle had made her rounds, so the 4 of us headed back to the restaurant and had a drink on the terrace.

Sue, in the mean time, had gone back for a drink with a friend. While she had been painting a woman had befriended her and told her to come back later for a glass of wine. Sue obliged and, along with wine, had a wonderful dessert treat, that resembled a truffle visually but was not so creamy.

Tomi and Loris arrived at 3:30pm promptly to pick us up and we headed uptown to get Cynthia and Mary Beth who were patiently waiting on a wall for us. We then turned around and went back through the lower town and took a windy back road down to Zrnovosko Banji, which has the summer homes of the folks from Zrnovo. The view coming down the hill is breath taking.

6pm was critique time again and wow everyone had done a wonderful job! I came back for dinner around 6:30pm and Karin decided that I would not eat unless I could identify which painting was whose! I have to say I did fairly well and was only thrown off course by one painting that was a water painting and Zrnovo has no water… Chris confessed it was hers :)

It looks like the locals have decided summer is here as Lovric had rolled up their plastic dining room walls…we were officially eating on an open terrace. Dinner started with a meat soup, followed by Cebapcece, which is actually the national Bosnian dish, of small sausages made with 3 types of meat. There was a lasagna looking item that was made with layers of phyllo pastry, spinach and tomato salsa. There was also fried eggplant. Dessert followed with chocolate cake.

May 6, 2011 - Badija and Vrnik

2011-05-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2011 - Badija and Vrnik

Mary Beth on Badija

Karen on Badija

There is a bit of wind today but we should be protected by the islands. At 9:30am everyone packed up my car with their gear and had a nice leisurely walk to the marina where we were catching our boat. The boat arrived promptly at 10am and we were off to our first island Badija. Badija has a 14th century Franciscan Monastery, which is presently being renovated, outdoor sports facilities, and a small cafe. There are walking paths that will take you to the top of Badija, where you have a 360 degree view of the mainland and Korcula.

We stayed on Badija for the morning, had lunch at 12:30 and the boat came to pick us up at 1:30pm to take us to Vrnik.

Entry to 1 of the 20 homes

Vrnik is a lovely little island with 2 churches, 20 houses and a quarry in the centre of the island. There is only one permanent resident that lives there all year round, the balance of the houses are occupied and rented out during the summer months. Although you are isolated on the island there is a regular taxi service throughout the summer months to Lumbarda, Badija and Korcula.

We stayed on Vrnik for the afternoon and everyone was spread out. Gitta found the 2nd small church, Jennifer found some old steps, both Cynthia and Mary Beth loved the backside of the larger church.

Gitta's small church

Our taxi came at 5pm to pick us up and we were home by 5:45pm. We went straight into our critique before dinner at 7pm.

Dinner tonight was seafood pasta, starting with a fish soup, and ending with a meringue dessert… finally Chris could eat a dessert!!!

May 5, 2011 - Korcula

2011-05-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2011 - Korcula

Finally the weather is nice enough to visit Korcula! It is such a beautiful town that it really wasted if it seen on a rainy day.

Breakfast was at 7:45am today and wouldn't you know it, Jonelle was done early :) I promise to note that we were early for Loris :)

Sveti Nikola church

Loris came to get us at 10am and we headed off to Korcula. We were dropped off at Sveti Nikola church which is on the north side of Korcula. The church itself is lovely and has a small pier with fishing boats behind it. From here you also have a wonderful view of Korcula and the road leading towards the church that is lined with palm trees. 3 of our group set up in the little marina, Preston set up to paint the church, Chris the coast line and fig tree, Jodi the road way leading to the church and the balance all had different vistas of Korcula. It was a lovely morning with the wind slightly picking up from the north west by lunch.

After lunch we walked into Korcula and everyone left their bags with me at a cafe and set off to do some sketching. We reconvened at 3:30pm and it was decided to head back to Lovric to finish up some paintings from previous days.

Grill squid - lignja in Croatian

There was a 6pm critique and then dinner was served at 7pm. Tonight we started with mushroom soup, arugila salad, then fried squid, followed by tiramisu. A few people were squeamish about the squid but those of us that ate it loved it. It is different then our calamari at home as it is not breaded and sliced in rings, but cooked whole on the grill. The tiramisu was also voted the best dessert yet!

May 4, 2011 - Smokvica

2011-05-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2011

Still overcast but no rain… the forecast is suppose to clear up this afternoon and Jodi tells us that for the rest of the trip it will be 70 degrees and clear weather… we are all hoping that she is right!

3 of our group decided to catch the catamaran to Split for the day. It left at 6am from Korcula and will arrive in Split at 8:30am. They will return on the 4pm catamaran which will arrive at 6:30pm in Korcula.

The rest of us had our breakfast at our usual time of 8am and were finished fairly quickly so that Jonelle could start her lecture 15 minutes early. She has decided that starting tomorrow breakfast will start at 7:45am so that she has more time for her lectures…. we will see as this morning even with the extra 15 minutes she went straight to 10am!

The Purification of Our Lady

Steeple of Our Lady

old and crumbly

Baroque loggia

We all piled into the minivan and headed to Smokvica, a town about 35 minutes west of Lumbarda. Smokvica has a covered area right next to the main church just incase it decides to rain. Upon arriving in Smokvica, I realized that I had forgotten to bring our boxed lunch! Loris suggested that there was a bus going from Korcula to Vela Luka that stops in Smokvica. So Silvana put the cooler on the bus and I waited for the bus to arrive just before 1pm. Everything worked out fine and we got our lunch :)

People continued to paint into the afternoon and then Loris picked us up at 4pm and we were back at Lovric at 4:30pm. Everyone had a few hours before the 6pm critique and then dinner at 7pm. Dinner started with lentil soup, meat in a sauce with gnocchi, and apple strudel for dessert.

May 3, 2011 - Lumbarda

2011-05-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

Darn it all, it is raining again and it is windy. I picked up Jonelle before breakfast and took her to Przina, which is one of Lumbarda's beaches. Przina is located on the west side of Lumbarda and the bay is protected from the wind. Jonelle decided it would not be too windy to paint. On the way to Przina, there is a little church with an open front foyer and a roof, we would be able to paint there too. We had breakfast from 8-9am and then a lecture from 9-10am. Loris arrived at 10am to take us to Przina. Jonelle did a demonstration and then everyone started to paint. Jim decided he wanted to go "gunk-holing" which means exploring all the nooks and crannies around the area. We went up to the olive press and looked down on all our painters; then over to Bilinzal (another Lumbarda beach); over to some of the small suburbs of Lumbarda that look down on the centre of town and over towards Vela Glavica where the large church is. I kept driving us to dead ends where we would have to turn around in small spaces. Finally we ended up back at Przina where Jonelle was just about to do another demonstration. After I drove Jim and Karin to the little church so they could take some photos. Loris picked us up at 12:15pm and we headed back to Lovric for a 1pm lunch.

The weather was not really cooperating, so Loris came back at 2:30pm and drove us to Frank Milina Bire Winery. Frank gave us a tour of his operation, including where the grapes are squashed, fermented and then the stored. Frank has 18,000 vines which produces 18 tonnes of grapes, 10,000 litres of wine and 15,000 bottles of wine. About 30-40% is sold to the bus loads of people that come to his winery every summer and the balance is sold to restaurants in Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb. After our tour, everyone found a place to paint and painted until 4:30pm. At 4:30pm we sat down for some wine tasting, which included Plavac Mali, Grk, & flavoured Rakija (Grappa).

We left Franks at 5:30 and were able to walk back to Lovric as it had stopped raining. Everyone freshened up before dinner at 7pm. Tonight the menu included pea soup, stuffed peppers and smashed potatoes, and lemon cake for dessert.

May 2, 2011 - Lumbarda

2011-05-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Lovric Pansion

Sveti Ivan Church

We woke up to a beautiful day! The sun is shining and it nice and warm. Our Seattle folks are loving the sun.

We had breakfast on the front balcony, of meat, cheese, eggs, cereal, yogurt, orange juice, and lots of coffee.

At 9am we headed to the projection room for our first lesson which lasted about an hour.

Jonelle talked about value sketches, contrast drawings, charging, and glazing. It lasted about an hour and then everyone had to go out and do there value sketch and contrast drawings before lunch.

Lunch was served on the front balcony and after Jonelle had another lecture. The afternoon was spent working around Lovric. Some people painted a view of Lumbarda, others the grape vines, and others the cemetery. It was a productive afternoon.

At the side of the house Silvana started preparing for dinner. She fired up the grill and laid the fish out to cook… a rather pretty picture in itself. The name of the fish was bream which, I am told, is hard to find at home. Dinner started with fish soup with parsley, followed by the bream with a side of potatoes and spinach and for dessert, lemon cheesecake.

May 1, 2011 - Transfer to the Island of Korcula

2011-05-02T02:34:00.000-07:00

May 1, 2011

View of Cavtat from Villa Cavtat

Still raining! But it is a travel day so not a big problem. Breakfast was held at Villa Cavtat with lots of eggs, bread, jam and coffee. Our bus arrived at 10am and we were packed and ready to go by 10:30am. We drove for an hour and stopped in Mali Ston for lunch. Normally we would have been able to walk around for 1/2 an hour before lunch but the rain put a stop to that, so we had lunch early and were able to catch the 2:30pm ferry to the Island of Korcula instead of the 3:30pm. We arrived at Pansion Lovric with Renci, Sylvana, Mustafa and Edina waiting to help take all the luggage to the rooms. We got everyone settled by about 4:30pm, and Jonelle gave the afternoon off for people to explore.

It is hard to get lost in Lumbarda so most people had had a nice walk before dinner.

Dinner started at 7pm, but a few people were already on the balcony enjoying a bottle of red wine made by Pansion Lovric. Although the weather was a little cool we were still able to sit on the balcony for dinner, as the balcony has side panels to keep any wind or rain out. Our dinner started with chicken soup, followed by a shredded cabbage salad, then zrnovoski makaroni (Zrnovo macaroni, traditional hand made macaroni) and ended with two sweet squares for dessert.

April 30, 2011

2011-05-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

April 30, 2011

Half of the group had arrived by the 30th and the other half arrived on the 30th. We had made arrangements to meet for dinner at 6:45pm at the bottom of the hill and then we would head to the restaurant together. At 6:00pm the sky opened up and down came the rain! Jonelle, Georgia and I had just sat down for a drink and were soon joined by Sue and Jim, who had hoped to get some sightseeing in before dinner. Half an hour later is was still raining but we headed towards the meeting place. The side walks were flooded as the water from the higher areas had no where to go but down; we had to wade through mini-waterfalls! Finally we met up with Cynthia and Karin, who had just had to buy an umbrella, but still no Jennifer, Jodi and Preston. We had tried to arrange for a taxi to bring them to the restaurant but had missed them as they had already started to head down the hill. I took everyone to the restaurant and then went back to find them, no problem as they were almost at the bottom of the hill.

We had dinner at Konoba Kolona which started with Pursut, and cheese, followed by a grilled flank steak with garlic and grilled vegetables and then palicinke (crepes) for dessert. The wine was good and the company wonderful; lots of chatting and laughing. Mary Beth's flight arrived at 7:30pm and she was able to join us for a glass of wine but had just come off a gourmet food tour in Italy so was not really hungry. Chris and Gitta were suppose to arrive at 8:35pm but their flight must have been delayed as they did not get to their accommodations until 9:45pm. It was still raining when we left dinner but not like earlier so we were able to walk back up the hill to our rooms.

September 29th – Dubrovnik

2010-10-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone was packed up before breakfast so it was easy to pack up the taxi’s and head to the ferry for 9am. We had a quick stop half way at Café Bella Vista, which hosts another beautiful view of a mainland bay. We continued on to Cavtat, got everyone settled in their rooms and then head back to Dubrovnik for our 1pm lunch reservation at Arsenal. At 3pm Antonija, our tour guide for Dubrovnik, met us and we were off for a 2 hour tour of the old city. After the tour, everyone had an hour and a half of free time, to do as they wished. At 6:30pm we caught the last water taxi back to Cavtat. What a fabulous view of the sun setting and the mainland cast in pink. We arrived in Cavtat at 7:15pm for our 7:30pm dinner reservation at Galija.

Our evening, and tour, ended around 10pm when we walked back to our accommodations, said our goodbye’s and good nights, and wished everyone “sretan put” (good travels) .

Thank you everyone for joining Slikamilina Painting Tours for another successful trip. We hope that you will return here one day either on another tour or just in your own travels.

Dovidenja! (See you later!)

September 28 – Smokvica

2010-10-04T05:16:00.001-07:00

It was going to be another beautiful day! What a good way to spend the last day on the island.

This morning we headed to Smokvica about a ½ hour drive from Lumbarda. Smokvica is built on the south side of a slope overlooking a valley of vineyards that grow a grape called Posip. Given that it is built on a hill, we had a bit of climbing to do. We heading up first and found a small church where a group of children were getting a history lesson. From there we plateaued for a bit, and made our way above the main street. The vistas were great and the old houses surrounded us. We crossed peoples porches, said hello and moved on. After the rains, we encountered a lot of pomegranate trees, where the fruits were split wide open… birds were having a field day. I just kept thinking how expensive they are at home and here people barely eat them! We finally made it back to the main road and started heading downhill… by this time I had lost most of the group, as they had found nooks and crannies that they wanted to sketch… there were only 2 left with me. No problem we continued to wander. At about 11am we headed back to the main road and found a few of the group at a café. It was coffee time, which then lead into pivo (beer) time. We were on this patio for about 2 hours and had 2 groups of cyclists join us, one from Germany and the other from Norway. Having just driven to Smokvica, we knew the roads they were going to encounter. We did not envy them!

We headed back to Lumbarda at 1pm to have lunch on the patio at 1:30pm. The group continued to paint on the patio for the afternoon.

For our last meal, Silvana presented us with a tray full of scampi! We had a feast. The scampi here is bigger then the small shrimp we get at home so everyone was thrilled. Some toasts were made and thank you’s said and I was presented with one of Karlyn’s paintings… I was delighted as it was the one she had done of my Aunts chicken coup. I can tell you, it will be forever treasured. Thank you Karlyn.

September 27 - Racisce

2010-09-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

There were clouds in the sky but there was also blue sky… we decided we would travel to Racisce for the morning.

First I had to get Paul to work! We had found some family friends who were picking grapes this morning and offered up his help. I dropped him off at 8am and told him that they would pick for about 2 hours. Have fun!

When you travel to Racisce, there is only one major road in and out, and once you reach Racisce, you cannot go any farther. It is located on a lovely little bay. It offers a bit of everything for the painter – boats with reflections, churches, old buildings, newer buildings and men playing cards at the café. It turned out to be a lovely day and everybody wandered on their own to find whatever it was they wanted to paint. We had lunch on the docks and headed back to Lumbarda at 2pm.

Once everyone was settled on the deck, Paul returned. He told us that he had cut for 2 hours and then went with the family to have a snack. They brought out some meat and bread and everyone had a glass of wine. Then lunch came out! Plates were mounded with all types of food and the wine continued to be poured …. It was 3pm before Paul wandered home! He is pretty sure they lost money on him!

September 26 – Pupnat and Zrnovo

2010-09-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

I woke up and the rain had stopped… I even saw a stream of light on the workshop. I got up and looked towards Italy… the sky was black.

Upon arriving at Lovric, I was told that 4 of our members had walked to church for the 8 am service… the thunder and lighting had started and I knew I was going to have to go and get them. About 10 minutes before the end of the service, the skies opened up and the wind started howling. Off I went to church.

Luckily Loris, our taxi driver, was also there and I was able to text him to ask him to let my people know I was outside. Local people were fleeing from the church and jumping into cars… everyone was getting wet. I saw Barb with her turquoise jacket and told her I was here… she went back to get the others… Loris had just informed them I was outside. As everyone climbed into the car, rain slowed down and in ½ an hour we could see blue sky coming from Italy… it was going to be a lovely afternoon.

Silvana made one of her amazing salads… Chicken salad. This chicken is not out of a can, but grilled and then chopped into fine pieces… amazing!

Tomi arrived at 1pm and we were off to Pupnat. Pupnat is one of the inland villages nestled into the slopes. It has a 15^th century church and some lovely old buildings. We spent about an hour there and then headed down to Zrnovo. Zrnovo is one of the older villages on the island and was first mentioned in documents in the early Middle Ages. It has about 1000 inhabitants and is divided into 4 parts. We walked around Prvo Selo, which means first village. Here we found old stone houses, courtyards, and small dry-stone sheds covered with stone slabs.

We headed back to Lovric by 4pm, just enough time to get ready for dinner.

Dinner was the national dish of Bosnia which is cevapcece, a small sausage that is made with 3 types of meat; beef, pork and lamb. I have to say, this is one of my favourite dishes. Silvana served it up with French fries and salad. Once again she had outdone herself!

September 25, 2010 - The rains have come!

2010-09-25T05:25:00.002-07:00

Woke up in the wee hours of the morning and could hear the wind and rain. The weatherman was correct. The beauty of Lovric Pansion is that it has a large deck and it has canvas sides that roll down... they certainly need to be rolled down today!
I found the group set up inside the main house all starting breakfast. Karlyn and I took one look at each other and we knew it was going to be painting day on the balcony! Luckily everyone had lots of photos to work with.
Everyone had a productive morning and lunch was served at noon... I thought everyone might want to move inside but they were so involved with their work, they ate at their posts! Now that is commited.

We continued to work until 3:30pm and then we packed up and headed to Frano Milina Bire’s Wine Tour. Frano gave us a quick over view of what happens in production of wine and then we moved inside for some tasting. Frano makes 2 types of wine, one white and one red. The white is call Grk, and the grape is only grown here in Lumbarda. The red grape is Mali Plavac. Both wines were excellent and several were purchased to take home.

The group had a little more time before dinner was served, and continued to work. The wind and rain continued, and once again our meal was served inside.

September 24, 2010 - Korcula

2010-09-25T04:59:00.001-07:00

It was an early morning. Two of our group were heading back home. They were flying out of Dubrovnik. Ideally they would have been able to take the boat from Korcula to Dubrovnik but there are only 2 a week and today was not one of the days... so the only other option was the bus which leaves at 6:45am every morning. Like I said, it was an early morning! Mike and John were waiting patiently as I ran to Lovric to get them some breakfast... can't travel 3 hours without some food in your stomach. We drove into Korcula (about 10 minutes), and there were people already heading to catch the bus. Good thing I purchased the tickets the day before. We said our good byes and they were off.
It was another beautiful day. The rest of the group had breakfast and we left Lovric at 9am to head to Korcula for the morning. Walking the old city is always a great experience no matter how many times you do it... there is always another nook or cranny to find. Jeanne had purchased a postcard the first day they arrived and many people had been painting from this postcard... finally they were able to see Marko Polo's house up close and personal. It was fun to see the recognition as each person turned the corner and the house came into view.
Our bus back was at noon. With everyone accounted for we left Korcula via the lower road heading towards Racicse. At the first stop sign we turned left and took the upper road high above Korcula. This is my favourite view... from the sounds of "oooo" and "ahhh", I think people agreed with me.
From there we headed home to have lunch on the balcony. Upon our arrival Lovric was in full swing! Wine making had started. There were crates of grapes and a group of 6 to 8 men lifting and dumping the crates into a machine that separates the grape from the stem. 2000 kilos had been picked that morning and everything had to be separated before they could go to sleep... it was going to be a long night.
Karlyn spent the afternoon on the balcony teaching and letting people continue with their work. Everyone had an eventful afternoon.
Dinner was served at 7pm, as usual. Tonight was pea soup, salad, squid and tiramisu. All the non-fish and seafood even had a small nibble. Squid is not battered and deep fried here, but rather grilled. It is truly excellent! They flavour is not of bread, oil and whatever sauce you dip it in, but the true flavour of squid. Yum!
Dinner wrapped up around 9:30pm, with the exception of a few who held out until 11pm. In the background you could hear the continued determination to finish making the wine.

September 23, 2010 - Lumbarda

2010-09-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

Having figured out from the previous day, what Karlyns painting style was like... I picked her up at 8am to go on a quick tour. I took her to Javic, which is the oldest part of Lumbarda and where my Dad grew up. We wandered around and found "old and crumbly". We then headed to Vela Glavica where the church is, and wander through the streets. We again found "old and crumbly" but we also had vistas of vineyards with the sea in the background. We had the variation we needed.
We arrived back a Lovric, right in time to have a bit of breakfast before we called our taxi. The group decided that they were really enjoying going on more of a photographic tour in the morning, and then returning to paint on the balcony in the afternoon. It was decided that that would be the schedule for the rest of the tour.
We first went to Javic, and as luck would have it, my Dad was making his wine. My Dad has an old style wine cellar called a Konoba. Everyone was able to watch the process, up close and personal. We also found goats and sheep peeking there heads out of their stall doors, just in time to have their pictures taken. The was an old olive mill, which was labeled as such, and we were able to see an original stone olive press.
We then moved onto Vela Glavica. Several of the streets had bougainvillea climbing the walls; there was an old abandoned church plus the village working church; there were capers growing out of the walls; plus the whole valley was alive with people picking grapes... in is suppose to rain in 2 days and the grapes need to be picked before that. Several of the ladies decided to walk back, so there was just enough room to fit the remaining 5 of us in my car. Unfortunately as we got in, we were told that our back tire was low. We called Tomi and he came and got us.
Lunch was on the patio and the afternoon lesson commenced.
Tonight we were going to the Moreska. This is a tradional sword dance of Korcula. Dinner was served at 7pm and we were off to Korcula by 8:15pm. The group got great seat right at the front but were told perhaps they did not want to sit so close as sparks fly when the swords meet, and these are real sparks! The group moved back 2 rows. As the weather was so nice, the Moreska was held in the outdoor theatre. You could not ask for a better night especially since it was a full moon!
At 10pm the performance was over and the group exited, all discussing the singing, dancing and fighting they had just experienced.

Welcome to our Blog!

2010-09-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

I will have to do a bit of catching up as I am just starting this on September 25th. In the future my intention is to write daily during the course of each tour. I feel that will give an idea of how we spend our days and how our instructors teach.
I hope you will find this interesting, and that you will join us on a tour sometime in the future.
Sretan Slikanje! (Happy Painting!)
Lynda

Slikamilina Painting and Photography Tours

Terry Jarvis Workshop 2013

Croatian Music Evening in Ottawa

Weather in Europe...

Lori Putnam painting demo

Tom Francesconi - September 1-10, 2012

Here is the question....

Nina Weiss' Workshop 2012

William McElligotts's Workshop

Bill Rogers - June 2-11, 2012

Tom Francesconi - September 1-10, 2012

Bill Rogers - June 2-11, 2012

Slideshow

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

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

Tom Francesconi's Workshop

2013 Painting Tour Calendar

David Taylor's Workshop

September 22, 2011 - Dubrovnik

September 21, 2011 - Travel Day

September 20, 2011 - Racisce, Pupnat & Brna

September 19, 2011 - Lumbarda

September 18, 2011 - Vela Luka

September 17, 2011 - Badija & Vrnik

September 16, 2011 - Korcula & Lumbarda

September 15, 2011 - Travel Day

September 14, 2011 - Cavtat

September 13, 2011 - Cavtat

September 12, 2011 - Cavtat

William P McElligott's Photography Tour

2013 Painting Tour Calendar

Croatia Airlines Inflight Magazine

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

William Rogers dates have changed!

Croatian Photography Tour

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Photography Tour 2011

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

Nina Weiss

2012 Painting Tour Calendar

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!

May 14, 2011 - Dubrovnik

May 13, 2011 - Korčula

May 12, 2011 - Račišće

May 11, 2011 - Pupnat

May 10, 2011 - Lumbarda, Vela Glavica

Brna - May 9, 2011

May 7, 2011 - Zrnovo

May 6, 2011 - Badija and Vrnik

May 5, 2011 - Korcula

May 4, 2011 - Smokvica

May 3, 2011 - Lumbarda

May 2, 2011 - Lumbarda

May 1, 2011 - Transfer to the Island of Korcula

April 30, 2011

September 29th – Dubrovnik

September 28 – Smokvica

September 27 - Racisce

September 26 – Pupnat and Zrnovo

September 25, 2010 - The rains have come!

September 24, 2010 - Korcula

September 23, 2010 - Lumbarda

Welcome to our Blog!

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!