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Painting Languedoc with Dave Shevlino and Sarah Sedwick
Historic Olive Mill Domaine, October 3—11, 2024
If you are ready to break free from rigidity in your art and paint fresh, loose paintings, this is the workshop for you. Paint the gorgeous countryside of Southern France with master painters, Dave Shevlino and Sarah Sedwick. Here is a perfect match to learn about expressive and alla prima style painting in this unique part of France while enjoying the beauty and bounty of the region.
We invite you to enjoy a fantastic program of learning and strengthening your painting skills while based at our charming, historical moulin near Béziers
Experience the expertise of not one, but two sought-after instructors known for their fresh, lively and downright juicy paint application.
You will experience more than a class, as you paint each day at fabulous locations, and become immersed in the Languedoc environment to truly experience France. During the entire experience, we will be painting on the estate, in the surrounding villages and painting on location in the south of France, famed for its history and its beautiful scenery.
Other activities include outdoor markets, vineyard tours, a visit to Béziers as well as a host of hidden villages off the beaten track.
The workshop experience is open to artists of all levels. Dave and Sarah Sedwick will take turns in leading the sessions so that you can learn from both of them. There will be demos, one-on-one painting sessions and critiques. You will explore different approaches and create art using the principles learned. You will also be plein air painting on the historic Moulin Estate.
Between both Dave Shevlino and Sarah Sedwick, you will experience a comprehensive learning experience for painting that you can use and refer to and further your own work. Both are skilled painters from life, in the studio and en plein air that get excited by expressive and fresh brushwork. We will have a sampling of both in this workshop.
An Example of a Daily Itinerary: Wake up to an amazing breakfast overlooking a sparkling river in the mountains of Southern France maybe with canoes floating by. We will stay at the foot of the Massif Centrale, it is in the mountains yet very close to the coast and we will be visiting the Mediterranean Sea.
Our accommodation is a riverside converted French Moulin estate where olive oil was pressed for centuries. The foundations were laid in the 15th century. Of course, it has been rebuilt numerous times throughout history and has been modernized to include a swimming pool. There is ample space and many spectacular views to paint. The estate is multi-terraced and overlooks the local river below where kayakers paddle by. You can see photos of it here.
You’ll be able to explore the neighboring villages, visit vineyards to taste the local vintages, and shop at local outdoor markets as part of your retail therapy.
Explore the hidden wonders of the Occitanie region of Southern France.
Dave Shevlino
Shevlino frequently travels around the world to teach at some of the most prestigious art schools and ateliers around. Scotsdales Artist School. He has been featured in American Art Collector, Realism Today, The Artist’s Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur and more.
Dave attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art for a BFA in art and attended the Art Students League of NYC after graduation. It was later after graduation from PAFA that he started painting Plein Air.
Dave wrote an article that talks about the trajectory of his work throughout his career:
“When I teach painting workshops, a common remark I hear from students is “I’m a tight painter, but I want to be more painterly and expressive in how I apply paint.” I generally recount my own experience and how I evolved over many years. Change of any kind is usually a challenging thing for anyone. For me, it took time to understand that if I were going to leave my comfort zone, I had to start by changing my attitude.
‘When I started making paintings that were very different from anything I’d done before, it was scary and intimidating. I realized that unless I could see what I was doing in a different way, or judge it by a different standard, I’d be spinning my wheels and going in circles. This process begins with giving yourself permission to be different, to experiment, to go into uncharted territory, and to embrace that as a positive thing.” – Dave Shevlino from his Realism Today article.
“Change, whether personal, spiritual, or career-related, is always unnerving. As I look back, I realize that as uncomfortable as it was for me, my work couldn’t possibly have evolved as it has without experimenting. It was well worth the effort and frustration!”
“Diving” by Dave Shevlino
Sarah Sedwick
Sarah Sedwick is an oil painter who makes her home in Eugene, Oregon. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1979, she began oil painting at age ten. In 2001, she earned a BFA from Maryland Institute, College of Art, with a focus on illustration and painting, and a minor degree in art history. Her work focuses mainly on still life and portraiture, painting from direct observation.
Sarah, much like Dave, went through a major change after leaving Maryland College of Art and Design. She realized that while she had loved art school, it had left her with all these ideas about what being a real artist meant. It had left Sedwick feeling like she was only a painter if she followed certain rules about size and content.
Sarah was inspired and influenced by other daily painters such as Duane Keiser , Carol Marine and Julian Merrow-Smith who were painting every day and then sharing them online. From that moment on Sedwick began painting every day. Not only did that improve her painting and help her find a style but it helped her begin taking the first, small steps, in building an art career.
Teaching is an integral part of her creative work. She teaches still life and portrait painting workshops around the country and internationally.
She is represented by Tvedten Fine Art in Harbor Springs, Michigan, Salem on the Edge Gallery in Salem, Oregon, Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, and Cole Art Gallery in Edmonds, Washington.
“I discovered this and the idea that a painting could just be small. And it didn’t have to be a super huge investment of time and materials. And it didn’t have to be a grand subject. It could just be something I saw on my kitchen counter that morning, totally freed me. “
“Windfall” by Sarah Sedwick
Works by Dave Shevlino
Works by Sarah Sedwick
This Workshop Includes:
- 9-Days of learning with Dave Shevlino and Sarah Sedwick in Provence.
- Ongoing demos, discussions and evenings with the instructors.
- All Inclusive: Tuition, fine food, wine, château accommodation and ground transportation. We only eat out an own expense – one/two lunches and one dinner are scheduled. Airfare not included.
- Paint, sketch and enjoy the good life in beautiful Southern France
- Daily painting locations: Private vineyards, charming villages, markets (more painting and excursion locations varied upon location of the workshop) and the Mediterranean.
- Balanced itinerary of painting, exploring and relaxation for artists of all media – all levels!
- Travel, live, learn and paint side-by-side with Dave Shevlino and Sarah Sedwick.
- Plenty to do for non-painting partners! A limited number of non-painting partners accepted. Discount available for non-painting companions
- Single rooms available.
This workshop has a limited number of spaces available
$700 Deposit to save your spot.
