It’s All About the Light

It’s All About the Light
29 Oct - 7 Nov 2022

The Joy of Plein Air Watercolor Painting and Sketching in Southern Morocco

Take a journey into a land of possibilities as you spend your days capturing the magic of Morocco in paint. Leslie Lambert will guide you on how to simplify and become comfortable with capturing scenes en plein air that fill a visual journal or can be used for larger pieces of work. We will observe and explore the land and people while sketching, painting, and photographing. You will become skilled in observation and quickly capturing the beauty that surrounds us on this journey.

Once home, Leslie will show through a zoom workshop, how to combine your sketches and photographs into a more complete and finished painting.

Leslie Lambert, also known as Leslie Redhead, is an artist, teacher, illustrator, and author known for her dramatic watercolors. Her art focuses on the combination of spontaneity and detail that watercolor has to offer. She continues to explore the possibilities and pushes the medium beyond its limitations to achieve luminous and incredible results.

Leslie’s paintings are in private and corporate collections worldwide. Leslie is a Professor at University of Victoria, British Columbia. She has a Master of Education in Art Education and holds signatures with Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) and the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC), Leslie conducts workshops in Canada, the U.S., and Spain. She currently resides near Spokane, WA, USA

Her work is featured in Splash 10: Passionate Brushstrokes from the Splash: Best of Watercolor series, Leslie Redhead: the life of an artist, and Making It! Case Studies of Successful Canadian Artists. She is the author of Watercolor 365 and the illustrator the children’s book, Island in the Salish Sea.


Website: https://watercolor365.com/

Portfolio: http://www.leslielambertart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslielambertfineart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslielambertfineart/





Day 1

Arrival in Airport Casablanca . after the meeing 

Upon arrival into Casablanca, you will be hosted by our guide at casablanca airport and escorted to a vehicule. Then you be provided with your the itinerary in the Hotel . after taking a rest  A short visit to hassan 2 the second largest fuctioning mosque in africa and  it is where we will begin our first sketches

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Day 2

Let’s the adventure begin!

After Breakfast you will hit the road toward Marrakech the heart beating of morocco . the city where entertainment and history combined.  An imperial capital,  with the help of a private guide. Today, begin your tour with a visit to the Koutoubia Mosque. The mosque was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids. After viewing Koutoubia Mosque, visit nearby El-Bahia Palace. Means “Brilliance,” named after one of the four prietiest wives of Ba Ahmed, the son of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa. He was from a family of black slaves which served the Moroccan Makhzen. Then after that a small peak over archeological sites in: the Saadian Tombs. Opened to the public in 1917, they date to the time of the Saadyin dynasty. Lunch will be inside the heart of the red city


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Day 3

After breakfast 

The departure will take place towards Ouarzazate(about 200 km from Marrakech). taking the road which passes through the High Atlas mountain range. On our way we will drive through the Tizin’Tichka pass, at an altitude of more than 2200 m and which links the valley of the Tensiftwadi in the north, to the Asif Ounila valley a semi-arid region in the southeast. We will stop for the night in Aït-ben-Haddou, located in the Ounila valley and which is the traditional crossing point for caravans connecting Marrakech to the south of the Sahara.

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Day 4
"The Ksar": Here we will draw  Aït Ben Haddou from the panoramic terrace of our luxurious guest house . In the afternoon we shall visit the historic city and sketch in the shaded alleys and along the wadi (river). At the end of the day, we will leave Ait-ben-Haddou to arrive at one of the largest palm groves in Morocco where we will spend the night. MORE
Day 5

Skoura "The Palm Grove": In the morning we will discover the splendor of the date palms and the sheltered fruit and olive trees that cover over than 27km square. The local population will warmly welcome you, adding to your feeling of well-being, all this under the heat from the Moroccan sun. The palm grove..... with its flora and its kasbahs, will provide many subjects for the second page of your travel journal.

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Day 6

The drive from Skoura to Merzouga (renown for the highest dunes in the world)  towards the Dades Gorges which carve their way through the mountains creating impressive cliffs. In Todgha, you will be facing two steep cliffs of 300 meters’ high, separated by a narrow corridor of around twenty meters: this is an unforgettable spectacle to draw, paint or photograph.and it is where we will have our lunch .after that we wll passes by a succession of ksour and oasis. This region was one of the compulsory crossing points for caravans of slaves and gold traffic from Sudan and Guinea. Your caravan awaits you for a one hour trip on the back of a camel to watch the sunset from the top of a dune....

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Day 7

Departure from Merzouga to take the direction of our lodging in Skoura, via Tafilalet and Rissani the region of Jewish and Muslim Saints. The whole day would be on the road with full of surprises and adventures.

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Day 8

The Kasbahs of Skoura ": Amridil ". Continue working on your travel journal. this day would be evolving about the traditional architecture and moroccan lifestyle, which you can picture in your artwork. One of Morocco’s grandest kasbahs, this 17th-century marvel once appeared on the 50 dirhams note bank. Signposted just a few hundred metres from the main road, this living museum showcases traditional kasbah life over the centuries.

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Day 9

After breakfast we will hit the road going back to marrakech . visiting and drawing the Glaoui Kasbah of telouat .one of the most extraordinary sights of The High Atlas mountains .

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Day 10

Free Morning to do whatever you want . after lunch road to casablanca 

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Day 11

It is hard to say goodbye. but, this is the farewell day...Transfer to Casablanca Mohamed 5 International Airport.

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Why you will love this trip

• With the help of a local guide, you will have the impression of going back in time to the Middle Ages wandering the labyrinthine medina of Ait Ben Haddou, Skoura and Merzouga.

• Take the opportunity to travel through the spectacular red dunes of the Sahara by camel and have an unforgettable sunset experience.

• Djemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakech is a city within the city. Explore one of the largest meeting places in the world, joining the night carni

val atmosphere of fortune tellers, dancers and healers.

Skoura is a town in Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco. Skoura is a fertile oasis lined with immense palm groves. The Kasbah Amerhidil is part of Skoura palm grove alongside more.

Our services

Lodging: Gîte, Kasbah in the heart of the valleys and palm groves Technical support and overall support during all your travels.

Cancellation:

**-In case of withdrawal by a participant within 90 days of commencement of the workshop, the amount already paid will not be refunded.

**-In case of cancellation of the trip by the organisers, a new date will be proposed. Any participant who cannot avail of the new date will be fully refunded of the sum already paid.

**-In the event the organisers cancel the trip with no alternative date proposed, all sums paid by the participant will be fully refunded.



Terms

Workshop Trip 9 days / 8 nights all inclusive:

This price includes:

- More than 40 hours of lessons spread over 9 days for a maximum group of 15 people

- Airport / Hotel transfers

- (air-conditioning) 17-seater vehicle with driver

- official licend tourist guides

- Full board accommodation, single room & double room for couples (all rooms have a private bathroom)

- Tourist taxes to be paid on site

- Cocktails / henna party

-Traditional hamam

Accompanying Person Trip 9 days / 8 nights all inclusive:

- Full board accommodation, single room & double room for couples (all rooms have a private bathroom)

- Airport / Hotel transfers

- (air-conditioning) 17-seater vhicle with driver

- official licend tourist guides

- Tourist taxes to be paid on site

- Cocktails / henna party

-Traditional hamam

These prices do not include:

- Roundtrip flights to Casablansa

- Painting equipment

- Entrance fees to monuments

- On-site purchases.

Morocco Workshop Supplies with Leslie Lambert

Paper: 6-8 quarter sheets (11 x 15”) 100% cotton 140 lb cold press watercolor paper

Watercolor Sketchbook: (around 8.5x11”)

Brushes: #6 and #12 round watercolor brushes, 2-3 brushes that hold water (waterbrushes)

Palette: small travel palette

Paint: (5ml or 14 ml size tubes)

  • Cobalt Blue

  • French Ultramarine Blue

  • Winsor Blue (green shade) or Thalo Blue

  • Quinacridone Rose

  • Quinacridone Burnt Orange or Burnt Sienna

  • Winsor Yellow

  • Raw Sienna

  • Any color that you absolutely love

Other:

  • Mechanical pencil(s)

  • Kneaded eraser(s)

  • Masking tape

  • Washcloths (2-3)

  • Small misting spray bottle

  • Small saltshaker with salt (put tape on top and into a Ziploc bag so avoid spills)

  • Lightweight board to tape paper to (foamcore works – I bring 2 pieces with the paper protected in between)

  • Camera (phone works if you prefer)

  • Collapsible water container

  • Water bottle (to carry paint water)

  • Micron ink pens (2-3 sizes)




Gallery Photos :


Do you have pre-booking questions? Please contact us.

contact us quick question

Good To Know

Travelers from the US only are required to have a valid US Passport – but it must NOT be due to expire within 6 months of your return flight.

Your flight destination will be Marrakech Menara International Airport (RAK) / Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport. Royal Air Maroc is the only airline that has direct flights from the US to Morocco, from both JFK and Washington Dulles.

You can also book flights traveling through major European airports, as there are many connecting flights to Marrakech through economy airlines such as Ryan Air, Easyjet, Iberia, etc. We’ve found that it is easier to find good connecting flights on the way to Marrakech than on the return, but you can take the opportunity to end your trip with a day or two stop in Spain, France, Portugal, England….

Immunizations are not required or necessary but check here for CDC recommendations.

Weather is predictably unpredictable so be sure to check on the estimated conditions the week before you travel. Even though Marrakech can be quite warm by day, it is usually quite cooler at night so pack light clothes that you can layer. We recommend cotton pants, long skirts, wraps or large scarves over tank and tee shirts, and a sweater or light jacket for chilly nights.

Your most important fashion asset: comfortable shoes for traversing the Medina on sightseeing and shopping adventures!

Morocco is a Muslim country and women generally dress more modestly than in the US or Europe. Like elsewhere, dress codes are gradually becoming more lax and there is a lot of tolerance for tourists, but wearing clothing that covers your best “assets”, and that your grandmother would approve of, shows cultural respect, good taste, and common sense.

The currency here is the Moroccan Dirham, and the exchange rate usually hovers these days around 10 Dirhams/1 Dollar. You CANNOT exchange for Dirhams outside of Morocco, but there are several currency exchange booths in the airport when you exit Passport Control and also located all around the Medina. Larger stores and restaurants may take Euros, but it’s really best to have dirhams.

If you bring large bills ($100) to exchange be sure that they are newer bills with holograms. Otherwise they will slide them back to you with a shake of their head.

Another good option for padding your wallet with dirhams is to use the ATM machines which are located around the medina. The exchange rate is a little better, especially if your bank or credit card doesn’t add foreign transaction fees (some homework for you). Be sure to notify your bank of your foreign travel destination so they don’t flag you for fraud. I also recommend that you bring 2 or 3 cards-just in case you still get flagged (happens!) and find too many things you just can’t live without.

  • Free Wifi access in all rooms and common areas
  • Bedside Mineral Water
  • Hair Dryers
  • One-time complimentary laundry service for retreat weeks

Extra items you should pack:

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