A California Art Club Artist Retreat in California’s heartland – Historic Yolo County!

Join the California Art Club’s Greater Sacramento/Sierra Chapter as they host a seven-day retreat-to-be-remembered in Woodland, California!

This retreat offers it all. A stroll through history. Wide open spaces. A plein air paradise. Incredible architecture. 4 Signature Artist Demonstrations. Picturesque private estates. And, most important, friends, food and fun!

AND…for CAC members there is an opportunity to have your work exhibited at Woodland’s Blue Wing Gallery in September/October 2022 in an exhibit that shares the same name – Capturing the Spirit of Woodland.

Deadline to Register is Sunday, May 29, 2022 at 12:00 pm Noon!

What: Capturing the Spirit of Woodland Retreat

Where: Woodland, California

When: June 3 – June 9, 2022

Cost: CAC Members – $385 / Non-Members – $450

Single Day Ticket– Sunday, June 5, 2022 – $110

Single Day Ticket– Wednesday, June 8, 2022 –$110

 

RSVP HERE

 

PLEASE NOTE:  Cost does not include hotel/accommodations and those reservations need to be made separately.

Accommodations: Unfortunately, the deadline for our hotel block with reduced rates has passed

Travel to Woodland:

For those planning to arrive by air, Woodland is located approximately 10 minutes from the Sacramento Airport. If necessary, please make prior arrangements to have Sacramento Chapter Co-Chair, Karen Nichols, provide you with solvent (Gamsol) you’ll need for the week so you don’t have to try to fly with it. You may contact Karen at karenanable.nichols@me.com or 818-429-9695.

REFUND POLICY: All refunds will incur a $20 processing fee.  Requests for refunds before May 1, 2022, will receive a 100% refund. Requests received  from May 1 to May 15, 2022, will receive a 50% refund;  No refunds will be provided after May 15, 2022.

 

Retreat Itinerary

Full itinerary and details will be sent to participants closer to the retreat date. Some times and locations are subject to change.

DAY 1     Friday, June 3 

1:00 to 4:30 p.m. – Join Signature Artist CAROLYN LORD for a Watercolor Demo in the Public Rose Garden adjacent to the Carnegie Library. Good location for painting the library, the rose garden, the neo-classical architecture of the old courthouse building and City’s Edible Teaching Garden.

5:00 to 6:30 p.m. – Walk a half block to Father Paddy’s at 435 Main Street for kick-off dinner. Check-in with Sacramento/ Sierra Chapter Chair Karen Nichols to receive your Retreat Information Packet.

After dinner, take in First Friday festivities along Main Street – live music, local businesses, restaurants and galleries stay open until 9:00 that evening.

 

DAY 2     Saturday, June 4

Stroll Through History walking tours: Three docent-led walking tours are reserved for our group.

“Fabulous First Street” and “Downtown Woodland”led by local author and historian, David Wilkinson, as well as “The Victorian Age”led by Barbara Graham. $10 credit for lunch at Las Brasas will be available to retreat participants to use for lunch and dinner until 7:45 pm.    Las Brasas is located at 537 Main Street, Woodland, CA

Use the remainder of the afternoon for exploring the sights and discovering locations for “Capturing the Spirit of Woodland.”

 5:00 pm – Decent-led tour of Woodland’s Historic Opera House

 

DAY 3     Sunday, June 5

Single-day ticket available for this day!

8:00 am to 5:00 pm – Paint-Out at the Gable Mansion

Drive to and park in Woodland’s historic residential district, near 659 First Street where Signature Artist CHUCK KOVACIC will present a demo with water-based oils.  This is a large private residence built in 1885, which has been generously offered by its owners for our group’s use for the day. Costumed models in period dress will be on the premises from 9:00 – noon. This will be a popular location for those who appreciate architecture as well as those who enjoy painting from live models.

5:30 to 7:00 pm – Drive to 512 Gibson Road for hosted dinner.

This will be a delicious barbecue under a huge oak tree on the grounds of the Greek Revival historic Gibson House(now a museum). The art gallery on the property will be closed by 5:30, but artists can visit on another day if they wish.

 

DAY 4     Monday, June 6

 8:00 am to 2:30 pm – Paint-Out and hosted lunch at Seka Hills Farm and Tasting Room. Drive Northwest on Hwy 16 to 19326 Road 78, Brooks, CA(about a 30-minute drive from Woodland).

Seka Hills is normally closed on Mondays, but they are opening today specifically for our group. This day features plein air painting in and around the tasting room. Subject matter for plein air painters and photographers includes olive groves, vistas of rolling hills, a vineyard and the Coastal Range in the distance. A buffet lunch will be served on their patio at 1:00 pm. Enjoy the tasting room and shopping until 2:30 pm.

Before heading back to Woodland, a suggestion would be to drive across the highway (literally across the street from Seka Hills) to Cache Creek Casino Resort for fun at this resort/casino with many restaurants to select from for dinner with colleagues. Suggested are Chang Shou, The Sports Page, and C2 Steak and Seafood – all located within the resort. The address for Cache Creek is 14455 California Hwy 16, Brooks, CA.

 

DAY 5     Tuesday, June 7

8:00 am to 4:00 pm – All-day Paint-Out and hosted lunch at The Maples and The Center for Land-Based Learning

This venue is just minutes from the hotel.

Drive to 40140 Best Ranch Road, Woodland, CA and park in the lot at the “school’s” new headquarters building and assemble in the courtyard. (behind the building) At 8:00 or so we will be greeted by Executive Director, Mary Kimball AND Dan Best II, the grandson of one of the founders of the Caterpillar tractor company. Together they will provide us with the history of the property. This is the statewide headquarters of an educational institution that teaches farmers how to farm and make a living from it. Besides the new headquarters building, there are old and new farm structures and mature trees throughout the complex as well as experimental row crops and alfalfa fields. We will also have access to the event center (The Maples), which is on this beautiful and historic property originally developed by the founders of Caterpillar. Lunch will be provided and served on the patio (or courtyard) behind the new headquarters building. Artists are welcome to spend the day on the premises until 4:00 pm or so.

This “farm” is located not far from downtown Woodland, so selections for a no-host dinner are varied.  Refer to retreat packet with map and listings of places to eat in town, but don’t forget Father Paddy’s or Morgan’s on Main.

Suggestion:  It might be fun to converge upon the Blue Note Brewing Company for beer and collegiality before deciding where to have dinner that evening.

 

DAY 6     Wednesday, June 8

Single-day ticket available for this day!

8:00 am to 4:30 pm – Paint-Out and art demo at Capay Lavender Farm

Drive about 30 minutes from Woodland on CA-Hwy 16 into the gorgeous Capay Valley (about 2 miles past the town of Capay to 20472 Road 79, Capay, CA. Lots of parking is available in the field adjacent to the newly constructed farmhouse. This farm consists of 28 acres of organic lavender, herbs, figs, pomegranates and beans with rolling hills, interesting farm structures and the Coastal Range in the distance. Upon arrival we will be treated to fresh lavender scones, tea and coffee.

9:00 am – Join Signature Artist PAUL KRATTER for a fun-filled plein air demo in oil.

Lunch will be catered (by The Ravine on 16) at about noon, and farmer Sherri Wood and her staff will keep us supplied with lavender-infused goodies throughout the day. Lavender products will also be available for sale in the barn where you can see the stills where the lavender is processed.

 

 

 

DAY 7     Thursday, June 9

8:00 am to 12:00 noon – Sunflower Farm Paint-Out and art demo. Location TBD in early 2022 as the governing agricultural board assigns different farms each year to produce sunflowers. Janice Purnell, director of YoloArts will select an appropriate farm for our visit. Everyone must hold positive thoughts that the sunflowers will be in bloom. June 9 is early for FULL–bloom. Keep your fingers crossed!

9:00 am –Join Signature Artist KIM LORDIER for a wonderful pastel demonstration.

This farm visit is in collaboration with YoloArts, an organization in Yolo County supporting the arts and art education. They arrange opportunities for artists to have access to private farms throughout the county for plein air painting and photographic reference-gathering with the Art and Ag Project. They then have Art Farm, an annual exhibit and fund-raising event. Art awards are given and proceeds from sales are shared with the participating artists and the Yolo Land Trust which supports farmland preservation.  https://yoloarts.org/art-ag-project/

This is our farewell to Woodland…but a time for artists to return to their studios and refine their artwork to get it presentable for jurying into the subsequent exhibit Capturing the Spirit of Woodland. The exhibit will be at the Blue Wing Gallery in September/October 2022 with a First Friday opening reception on September 2, 2022.

 Any CAC member who participates in this retreat will be eligible to submit work for jurying into this exhibit. Be watching emails for the Artist Call from the California Art Club.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Nichols, the Greater Sacramento/ Sierra Chapter Co-Chair at karenanable.nichols@me.com or 818-429-9695.  You can also contact Gary Spisak, the CAC Director of Artist and Education Programs at programs@californiaartclub.org or 626-583-9009.

 

Deadline to Register is Sunday, May 29, 2022 at 12:00 pm Noon!

RSVP HERE!

 

Thank You!