Paint Europe plein air painting trips with award-winning artists & instructors -- Scott Hamill, Catherine Hearding, Maggie Renner Hellmann and Lori McNee --  designed for painters of all levels... seasoned artists to beginning painters... to have a wonderful & fun holiday plein air painting in beautiful Europe locations.

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You will capture the beauty of European landscapes in your own unique style in oil or watercolor... and bring home your paintings along with many treasured memories of your creative adventure.

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You don’t have to be a seasoned painter to come... and if you have always wanted to try painting, this is the perfect time and place to start and learn.

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The small number of participants provides an intimate setting for painting. There are daily painting sessions, individual one-on-one instruction, and demonstrations by the instructors to improve your skills and expand your art experience. After each session we will have a group review to share with each other.

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Many trips include local-cuisine cooking classes and wine tasting sessions with regional experts, a welcome reception, cocktail hour soirees, a gala farewell dinner, and time for relaxation and shopping.

 

Optional group before breakfast pleasure walks are offered for guests wanting some morning exercise to start their vacation day.

           

Guests stay in charming boutique and premiere/luxury hotels. Breakfasts are included. Guests can choose to explore on their own local bistros or go to Michelin star gourmet restaurants for lunch or dinner... yet everyone is invited to join group meals at specially selected local-cuisine restaurants.

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Non-painter friends and spouses of artists are invited to join the trips.

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2025 Paint Europe Workshop Tours

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• England: The Cotswolds with Lori McNee -- May 11-17, 2025

• Greece with Catherine Hearding -- October 12-18, 2025

 

All are small group trips limited to 15 artists.

 

Recommend signing up early!

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About

Scott Hamill

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Scott feels fortunate to have found an outlet for his artistic expression in the en plein air tradition. As a native Californian, Scott has lived most of his life in and around the ocean and mountains of this beautiful state. He has developed a strong connection to the water and land while surfing along the Pacific coast and fishing, backpacking and canoeing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Scott’s goal is to share this connection with those who view his art.

 

In his en plein air paintings Scott hopes to capture the mood or essence of a place and allow the viewer to experience the beauty of our natural world. He uses a limited palette of colors in oils, which helps harmonize the painting as well as adding the challenge of mixing all other colors from these few. Scott’s painting gear fits into a backpack, which allows him the freedom to get off the beaten path while scouting for locations to capture on canvas. 

 

Scott's paintings have been juried into exhibitions and shows throughout the country. He is honored to have his work in private collections throughout the U.S. and abroad including decorating the Lodge at Pebble Beach and their newly built Fairway One project.

 

Scott also enjoys sharing his painting experience and techniques and teaches several en plein air painting workshops throughout the year. 

 

Scott was inspired to begin painting by New Zealand painter John Crump and has studied with John extensively. 

 

Scott lives near Santa Cruz, California with his wife and two children.

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Scott's website:

www.scotthamillart.com

T: (831) 239-2507

E: shamill360@yahoo.com

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About

Catherine Hearding

 

Catherine's Artist Statement:

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"My goal in painting is to portray the beauty of the ordinary. I want the viewers to see their surroundings from a different perspective. I want the viewers to feel the shapes as light hits the form and describes it, to see colors they might not expect. Minnesota winters are a subject that I enjoy painting because they are all about form and light and color. The shapes created by the snow and wind catch the light and create shadows that contain surprising color and are abstract in nature. To accomplish my goal, I try to focus on more intimate views of the landscape. Many of my landscapes have a high horizon line, thus focusing our attention on the foreground and the details we might pass over.

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I like to find the abstract in the realistic, whether by using shadows or by focusing in closely on a subject and cropping tightly. I am fascinated with how light falls on form, whether in the landscape or on a still life. Cast shadows are interesting, as they depict form and I use them to describe the shape of the landscape. Color and light are intertwined and affect how we see the landscape or a close-up subject. Light changes over the course of a day and from season to season. I like to explore those changes and use light to create a mood. Focusing on color, form and light and the relationships between these ideas is all a part of what I try to do in each of my paintings.

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Most of my paintings start with a poured watercolor wash over the entire sheet. The paper is toned with a wash of three primary colors, letting these colors mix freely on the paper. This creates a wonderful color transition across the page, helping to create movement for the eye. Before the wash is poured, the whites are saved by keeping those portions of the paper dry, or by using masking fluid. The color is poured, and this sets the mood for the entire painting, with this first wash of color shining through all of the eventual layers. The initial wash becomes the mid-value range of color. When this wash is dry, the dark values are added for contrast and the painting is finished with the detail. The colors that are used are chosen specifically for each painting and typically only 3-4 colors are used in a painting. This creates beautiful color harmony and bright, clean color."

 

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Catherine is a self-taught artist with more than 40 years of experience in watercolor. She has a BA degree in zoology and botany from the University of Montana (1974.) She works from her home studio in Lake Elmo, MN, and teaches classes and workshops in basic watercolor technique, color theory and composition.

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Catherine's website: 

www.chearding.com

T: (651) 777-8158

E: cathy@chearding.com

 

​About

Maggie Renner Hellmann

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Maggie's Artist Statement:

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" My goal in painting is to capture and share my joys and experiences: to describe how it felt to be there.

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Painting is also my conversation with Nature, my way of cherishing and honoring her wonderful gifts.

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Walking along this path, it is my delight to play and explore with impressionistic passions of color and energy."

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Maggie Renner Hellmann is a classically trained, award winning artist painting strong compositions with exuberant color. Her work is firmly rooted in Impressionism, with joyful color and energy uniquely woven into her painterly style.

 

Maggie has been painting for over 40 years, receiving her bachelor’s degree with honors in Art from San Jose State University and continuing with intensive fine art oil painting studies from life at the Lorenzo de’ Medici, Art Institute in Florence, Italy
and private workshops with other wonderful Master painters along the way.

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Maggie's website:

www.maggiehellmann.com/

T: 831-462-9337

E: maggie.hellmann@gmail.com

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About

Lori McNee

 

Lori's Artist Statement:

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"Often metaphorical, my paintings echo the delicate balance between nature and man. My broad spectrum of work includes still life, nature, landscape and plein air oil paintings. While plein air painting out in the field, Mother Nature is in charge. However, while in the studio, I am able to create my own small universe. Whether it is a landscape or still life painting, I respond to the effects of color, light and atmosphere on the subject. Paintings are like windows to the imagination. In a world full of chaos, I strive to create a respite for the soul." 

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Lori is an American artist, author, internationally followed art blogger, social media influencer, brand ambassador, producer, and keynote speaker. She is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America as well as a Signature Member of the Heartland Art Club and a member of California Art Club. Lori is a certified Master Artist in Cobra water-mixable Oil Paints and is an Artist Ambassador for Royal Talens, Princeton Brush Company, and Fredrix Artist Canvas.

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Inspired by nature, Lori’s paintings reflect her love of the great outdoors and respect for its creatures. A native of Southern California and reared in the southwest, Lori cultivated an interest in art and wildlife during her childhood.

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While her three children were young, Lori began an art career as a wildlife artist in the 1980s-90s. During this time she mentored with famed wildlife artists Robert Bateman, John Seerey-Lester, Carl Brenders, Vivi Crandall, and Guy Coheleach. Lori illustrated for organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, the Wolf Education Research Center, various trout and duck stamps, and books.

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In 2000, Lori discovered plein air and still life painting. After studying with Robert Moore and Joe Anna Arnett, Lori made a shift from working with photographs to painting from life.

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Today, Lori’s broad spectrum of artwork includes poetic landscape, still life, and encaustic wax paintings which often incorporate birds or other wildlife. Her paintings have been featured in numerous publications including Plein Air Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur Southwest Art, Artists’ Magazine, American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, and more.

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Lori's website:

www.lorimcnee.com

T: (208) 720-3724

E: lori@lorimcnee.com

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