The fabled monastery town of Luang Prabang is considered the spiritual heart of Asia and is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful cities in the world. A rare jewel indeed!
Join us with accomplished artist Wendy Sharpe who will guide participants in deepening their art practice. Wendy is an inspiring and experienced teacher and offers this retreat to artists of all levels.
We will be sketching and making works on paper – in pencil, watercolour, gouache and pastel – taking photographs, working en plein air in stunning locations around this exquisite French Heritage City, and discussing our work in supportive critique sessions.
In between making art we will explore the city on foot, with precious temples at every turn, eating and shopping at the day and night markets, take languid riverboats along the Mekong go to the famed Kouangsi waterfall, visit ancient Pac Ou Buddha caves – housing thousands of Buddha statues, and encounter humble communities as we stop along our travels by the river.
Wendy Sharpe is one of Australia’s most awarded artists, with the Archibald Prize, the Sulman Prize, the Portia Geach Prize (twice) and numerous other national and international accolades.
Among career highlights, she was commissioned as the official artist of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, produced 8 Olympic pool-size murals for Cook & Philip Park Pool in Sydney and commissioned to draw the Australian Ballet.
Wendy has a major retrospective exhibition at the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney from February – April 2011 and a book on her monograph work also being published. She exhibits in galleries throughout Australia and is collected worldwide. http://www.wendysharpe.com/
Luang Prabang- Laos
The northern province of Luang Prabang and its eponymous capital are among the most atmospheric and popular destinations in Laos. The charming city of Luang Prabang, once the capital of Laos and still considered to be its spiritual heart, breathes a rich meld of French Indochinese architecture, Theravada Buddhist temples and a magical atmosphere. Luang Prabang is strikingly situated on a peninsula formed by the confluence of two rivers, the Mekong and the Khan. Its palm-lined riverbanks, terracotta roofs, golden stupas and saffron-robed monks all come together to form a picture postcard increasingly difficult to find in Southeast Asia. Somnambulant and languid, its peaceful feel masks a history of conquest and recapture, and only hints at the intricate culture and traditional rituals that still take place here every day. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, the town was described by the global body as "an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions."
In 2008 the New York Times put Laos at the top of their list of "Places to Go". The city had already been considered one of Southeast Asia’s must sees for well over a decade. There is an international airport and daily connections to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT WENDY SHARPE
more links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYck1-duuWA
http://wikitravel.org/en/Luang_Prabang
http://www.wendysharpe.com/NewFiles/pool%20mural.html
One Comment
The art retreat with Wendy Sharpe from 4th to the 13th of December 2011 was the most amazing experience combining travel with improving one’s skills. Wendy was such a generous teacher who took time to help each person achieve their potential. Luang Probang was an exceptional place to visit and to draw and paint. It is completely unspoilt and on a long archipelago between two rivers. It was possible to walk from one side of the town to the other in a short time. We experienced the spirituality of the Buddhist experience, the wonders of the countryside, the delights of the river and the markets as well as fine dining for a very small cost. Ruth Rich organised this event with minimal fuss and it ran smoothly and efficiently. I would not hesitate to go on one of Ruth’s retreats again. Wendy was inspiring and has led me into new visions of my own art making.