Plein Air Dingle: Ireland's West Coast Landscape with Artist/Instructor Victoria Brooks August 19-26, 2015 (Wed-Wed)
US$200.00 discount on all new enrollment until February 28, 2015!
Sponsored by NOAPS
Colorful Dingle town
Along Slea Head
Colorful Dingle harbor
Through numerous gallery exhibitions and shows, art lovers around the world have come to admire and enjoy the art works of Victoria Brooks. She captures the essence of sun-drenched images typical of California in a vibrant, impressionistic style. Victoria’s paintings are characterized by intimate moments set in romantic, richly conceived landscapes and seascapes. The result is a hauntingly personal connection with the viewer that resonates at the deepest emotional level. Her special talents are particularly evident in her expressive portraits where she reflects the mood and inner nature of her subjects.
After a successful career and many national awards as an art director in television and motion pictures, she pursued her love of painting, which she has been doing for 20 years. In addition to being a talented studio artist, she is an accomplished plein air painter as well. She has won numerous “Best of Show” awards for her studio and plein air works. Victoria loves teaching oil and watercolor painting and is a favorite of art clubs for her informative art demonstrations. She teaches plein air painting workshops in California, Italy, France, Ireland and Greece.
Victoria is a Signature Member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS) and the American Impressionist Society (AIS). She also is an Artist Member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA), California Art Club, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and Plein Air Painters of Hawaii.
See itinerary below...
About the Dingle Peninsula
Once described by the National Geographic Traveler as “the most beautiful place on earth”, the Dingle Peninsula is a place of intense allure, with a plethora of green landscapes, rocky hills, long sandy beaches and staggering cliff edges. The warm Gulf Stream reaches the peninsula, giving has a wonderful mixture of sometimes rare and unusual flora and fauna. The Dingle Peninsula is a place of intense, shifting beauty. Spectacular mountains, long sandy beaches and the staggering splinter-slatted mass of rocks that defines the extraordinary coast at Slea Head all conspire to ensure that, remote though it is, the Dingle Peninsula is firmly on the tourist trail. The Dingle Peninsula protrudes 10 miles wide from the southeast of the island of Ireland. It runs 40 miles from Tralee to Slea Head, the point in Europe that is closest to North America. Its highest peak is Mount Brandon, which, at 3,300 feet, is the country’s second tallest mountain. You are advised to give yourself about four hours to travel the 30-mile road circuit of the peninsula by car, as you will want to stop off at many of its beauty spots. Dingle is one of Ireland’s Government-protected Irish (Gaelic)-speaking areas, called “Gaeltachts”. Dingle's Irish name is Daingean Uí Chúis which, to fit on signposts, is generally abbreviated to An Daingean. Many of the towns and villages in the region have Irish names too and, as many maps use the anglicised versions of these names, visitors are advised to purchase maps that give both the Irish and English versions of all placenames. The region is littered with with relics from both the Stone Age and Bronze Age and, more recently, the Ecclesiastical period, when Ireland was known as the “land of Saints and Scholars”, due to its high number of monasteries and religious schools.
Located on the Dingle Peninsula (Corca Dhuibhne) in West Kerry, Ireland, the Blasket Island provides the perfect vantage point from which to view the surrounding countryside of Slea Head, Mount Eagle, Mount Brandon, Sybil Head and The Three Sisters. From the island you also have some amazing views stretching as far as the Skellig Rocks, the Iveragh Peninsula (Ring of Kerry) with the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Valentia Island. The Dingle Peninsula is also associated with the film industry. Ryan’s Daughter was filmed here, as were parts of Far and Away, which starred Tom Cruise.
Special Hotel Benners Plans for Workshop Participants & Guests: Shared room/bath & Group Meal Plan*** ...$3490.00 per person! Private room/bath & Group Meal Plan*** ...$3740.00 per person Non-participating guests, photographers & hikers... ...Shared room/bath & Group Meal Plan*** ...$3190.00 per person! ...Private room/bath & Group Meal Plan*** ...$3440.00 per person ***(Group meal Plan includes breakfast, seven dinners & six lunches)
Go to Enrollment page Above enrollment plans include: Group transfer from/to Shannon airport***** Instruction on location Seven nights accommodations in historic Dingle** Local museums and events Full Irish breakfast daily & 7 dinners & 7 lunches Painting in Dingle, Slea Head and points along the Dingle Pennisula Day cruise to Blasket Islands**** A farewell dinner All day-trip transfers
**Included with "Hotel" plans only, see details *All-inclusive plans are Hotel plans A, C, E, G, I & K only. ****Weather permitting *****Specific departure time & date only, to be announced Air travel, is the responsibility of each participant. Shannon airport is the suggested arrival and departure airport in Ireland. All participants not participating in the Group Travel are responsible for their own travel to and from Dingle.
Hotel Benners proud partner of Toscana Americana Workshops
Itinerary
Wednesday: Arrival in Dingle -11:30a Escorted Group Travel from Shannon airport to Dingle -Arrival and Check-in in Dingle at Hotel Benners -Free time to explore Dingle -7:00p Welcome to Ireland reception at Mrs Benner's Bar. -8:00p Dinner TBA Thursday: Dingle town -9:00a-1:00p Morning Workshop -1:00p lunch -3:00-6:00p Afternoon Workshop -7:00p Irish stout hour
-8:00p dinner TBA Monday: Blasket Islands -Day trip to Blasket Islands by boat -1:00p lunch -7:00p Irish stout hour -8:00p dinner TBA Tuesday: Dingle area -9:00-1:00p Morning Workshop -1:00p lunch -3:00-6:00p Afternoon Workshop -7:30p Irish stout hour -8:30p Farewell Dinner at Hotel Benners Wednesday: Departure - Morning Check-out & departure
-7:00a Escorted Group travel from Dingle to Shannon airport (SNN)
Note: Toscana Americana reserves the right to alter this itinerary. All times are approximate. Note: All participants are responsible for their own travel to and from Dingle.
Sample flights Sacramento (SMF) to Shannon (SNN) (sample April , 2014)
United #5526 Dp Sacramento 10:04a (via Denver & Chicago) arrive Shannon 7:35a next day
United #67 Dp Shannon 11:00a (via Chicago & Houston) arrive Sacramento 7:45p same day
Patrick Mahoney (Miami University BA'80, MA'82) lives in Cortona where he continues a thirty-year career in the field of Arts & Entertainment producing events, workshops and tours and providing opportunities to share the Italy experience with travelers, artists and people who share his interests for foods, wine, art, culture. Patrick's passion is to conceive and realize various ways in which the human spirit can express and demonstrate its capacity to create. His ability to fearlessly think, conceive, and work "out of the box" has earned him the attention of artists & musicians, colleges & universities, public & private organizations, and business and industry. Patrick brings integrity and a unique vision to Toscana Americana and he is committed to realizing the opportunity for participants to create in an atmosphere of peace, joy, respect and mutual support. As a "slow traveler" and a supporter of "slow food" Mr. Mahoney rides trains, walks, lingers over lunch, dinner or a cup of espresso, stops to smell the roses and savors the sensory feast wherever he is!
