Composition Lab: A Destination Art Retreat
Playing with a complementary palette of reds and greens.
I’ve dreamed about going on an art retreat for twenty years or more, guided by someone further along in their art journey than me and surrounded by other artists eager to do the same. Nothing could be better than to leave behind the distractions of home and embrace my three “Rs”: Rest, recharge and reinvigorate my art practice.
In June of this year I went on my first artist retreat. I joined artists Susan Melrath and Terri Froelich from Artfuel and a small group of artists on a week long sojourn to Quebec City in their Composition Lab.
The venue
The retreat took place at Le Monastère des Augustines. This former monastery, in old town Quebec City, was bequeathed to the people of Quebec by the Augustinian nuns who had established a hospital on the site in 1639.
This historic building is a not only a hotel and a wellness centre, but a museum honouring the history of the cloistered sisters that once lived and worked here.
Items on display in one of the glass cases.
Sensible shoes on display.
Lining the walls of the long hallways are glass cases that display the cultural heritage of Le Monastère des Augustines. The artifacts on view are a homage to the Augustinian nuns who devoted their working lives to caring for the sick in the heart of Quebec City.
We took all of our meals on site, buffet style. While the food was plant centric, there were vegetarian, fish and meat dishes on offer daily. As Old Quebec City was so close, it was an easy walk to town for those who wanted to try an occasional meal at a nearby local eatery.
I was charmed by Le Monastère des Augustines. It was tranquil and restrained. For me the ambiance of the place was a perfect backdrop for slowing down, contemplating and practicing what I learned each day.
Flags of la belle province.
The setup
The venue provided us with a meeting room where after breakfast we would start our painting day with a lesson from our guides Susan and Terri. It was here that we were presented with ideas about composition and exercises and painting prompts to complete for each day.
Next door to our meeting room was a large open and light filled room, floor and tables shrouded in plastic to protect against any accidental paint spills. I had a large table to myself on which to work, as did the others.
This arrangement allowed me to spread out my paint supplies and materials and I was able to leave all of these things in place for the whole of the retreat. It was in this space where each artist worked on the exercises assigned in the morning session.
There was no sink in the room for clean up but Susan and Terri set up a washing station using the three basin method as if we were camping. Comprised of three large containers of water we could clean our brushes in progressively cleaner buckets of water without having to leave the painting studio.
We artists had the use of the room all day and into the evening. There were days that I would paint from 10 am after the morning lesson until 9 pm with only breaks for meals.
My messy station in the Composition Lab.
It was an easy “yes” for me to paint well into the evening most days as their wasn’t a television in my room, only my audio book, Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders, to keep me company. But it was a blessing to be without distractions from the work I was exploring.
What I learned
To be away in a quiet and charming place, free to spend my days absorbed in my practice was dream come true. With the distractions of home left behind, family and friends, the garden and the house, I was able to concentrate only on myself and my work.
One of my completed painting prompts. image credit: Terri Froelich
I loved being a student again readied with an open heart for the experience and an open mind to new learning. It was a pleasure to learn and create with a group of other artists, all women, in a beautiful environment. Through the help of Susan and Terri and the Composition Lab I was reminded that:
Simplifying can be a powerful tool to strengthen a composition. I have a natural tendency to overcomplicate things.
One “big idea” is enough in any one work or series of works. As I said, I have a natural tendency to overcomplicate things.
Being thoughtful with value differences coupled with a sensitivity to colour shifts can elevate the quality of the paintings I make. This is what I am after.
These concepts are not new to me. It was lovely however to be reminded of the importance of them, far from home in an historic setting with friendly people.
Susan and Terri were generous guides for us in this process.
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