If you have considered leaving home to pursue your love of art (even if just for a week), my Ghost Ranch art workshop puts you in touch with that creative spirit. Ghost Ranch is a retreat area with a rustic atmosphere.  This art event promises to be a unique experience of fun and exploration–stretching the possibilities of our art work and setting out in new directions.  Unlike other workshops, this one is simply pure artistic pleasure—gorgeous southwest scenery, learning, sharing, painting, drawing, photographing, text, and more!  Learn how to capture the spirit of a place and translate that into a totally original piece of art!

DATES: Your art retreat package includes instruction with some materials provided, lodging and meals! The workshop begins Sunday, 4 October and ends Saturday after breakfast 11 October.

 INSTRUCTION:  We use several media but primarily watercolor and acrylic (sometimes enhanced with other materials). The workshop/ retreat combines the media of photography, watercolor, ink, acrylic, colored pencil and more! We will use watercolor paper, clayboard, yupo, tissue and more! Bring your favorite materials along. There are opportunities for plein aire as well as the comfort of a group activity room for our use. Our workshop area has floor to ceiling windows and occasionally we watch an afternoon storm blow across, refreshing the air and intensifying the landscape colors. There will be daily demos, slide presentations, a bit of fun with door prizes and optional happy hour at day’ end, etc. My website shows some of Ghost Ranch demo work and photos showing the stages of how I work from sites at Ghost Ranch to finished paintings.

FIELD TRIPS: Ghost Ranch is the area where Georgia O’Keeffe lived during the most recognized era of her life and art. The Georgia O’Keeffe Landscape Tour is an optional field trip during the week. We will be transported to the private lands of the Ranch, practically following her footsteps, to the very places where she painted. We can look at the landscape while referring to a copy of her artwork.  There is a second tour of the O’Keeffe Home/Studio in nearby Abiquiu where we can experience her life and working place. Both tours are available at a small additional cost.  We sometimes drive over to a nearby interesting spot and it varies each year. We’ve been to a monastery, the White Place, the natural amphitheater, a local art walk or show, local gallery, etc.

WHO COMES: Beginners and seasoned artists are all welcome! My workshop has drawn participants from NM, OK, AZ, TX, KS, PA, CO, NY, IA and CA. There is no shortage of sharing experiences. The best idea is to bring a roommate along. If you register alone but wish to avoid the additional expense of a single room, I will try to match you with another single participant. It is not unusual to have a non-painting spouse come along and they are welcome to join us for the tours, meals and evenings in the New Arts Building, as well as our meet and greet the first night. Their daytime hours are at their own device. The Ranch has several programs running the same time as my workshop and that is an option also. I like for each person to have their own workspace and table, so the group is limited to 16.

ROOMING:  Specific rooming prices are determined by room type and number of occupants in the room. The registration form on my website explains in more detail. The price of the lodging is totally set by Ghost Ranch. They have a wide range of room types and each one is a different rate. To determine your lodging, go to my website   www.darlabostick.com or the website of Ghost Ranch and check out the photographs and rates. The easiest summary is the registration form on my website. It lists far more information concerning registration, our schedule, lodging and meals along with photos showing you what to expect. The registration form has details to the penny on your expenses.

ACTIVITIES:  I hope you can make it for this unique experience. Some participants in the past have taken time out for hiking and horseback riding at the Ranch and these things work well with our schedule.

GETTING THERE: If you are interested in flying to the workshop, American Airlines Eagle flights now service Santa Fe, NM from DFW and LAX! This would place you one hour closer to Abiquiu than if you fly into Albuquerque. (Southwest Airlines is one of those offering flights in Albuquerque, which is one hour south of Santa Fe).  Abiquiu is about one hour further north from Santa Fe. Last year I helped artists carpool from the airport. I drive from the DFW area with no trouble but spend one night before arriving at the Ranch. This is covered in more detail with a map on my website.

COST:  The workshop fee is $495. The room and board for 6 days and the lodging with meals is additional at the rate Ghost Ranch charges.  This is for (almost) a week of instruction at Ghost Ranch from8:30 am through the evening and includes all your instruction, materials I bring to share and use of the beautiful New Arts Building with floor to ceiling windows. The time we choose for ending each day is very flexible and I work with the wishes of the group. One group was ready to quit at 8:30, another year we painted until 10pm…so it really depends on each individual.

We have some wonderful sponsors for the workshop this year! I think you will be pleased.

Please help spread the word if you have a friend or art group who might be interested. I am not hired by Ghost Ranch. This is my 8th Ghost Ranch workshop there and I promote it, teach it and handle all the arrangements myself.

Last year 4 people were turned away due to the workshop filling. Do not wait to decide if you want to join us. Finally, I will place you on my “Future Workshop” email list and keep you posted of future workshops (unless you prefer I not do this)!

Contact me with any questions,

Darla Bostick (940.320.5660)