Mixed Media Art Workshop in Spain
Join artist Mary Beth Shaw for weeklong vacation visiting lively Barcelona and Costa Brava's coastlines and backroads WAITING LIST
Live it up in Barcelona. Relax on the Costa Brava.
Dates: September 7-14, 2024 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Start: Barcelona, Spain
End: Barcelona, Spain
Visit: Barcelona, Girona, Palamós, Pals, Peratallada, Calella de Palafrugell
Cost: from $3695 based on double occupancy
Single Supplement: from $695
All prices in US dollars, land only. Solo traveler roomshares available.
A Mixed Media Workshop in Spain
Join Mary Beth Shaw’s uniquely inspired, mixed media art workshop in Spain. Spontaneous and fun, experience travel while cultivating your creative side. Capture it all in your personal travel journal. Laugh and adventure with friends new and old on this leisurely paced, small-group vacation. Enjoy a vacation workshop in Spain with the perfect balance of big city Barcelona and off-the-beaten-path Costa Brava. Each day our small group walks and Mary Beth’s art classes will show you the best of both.
I love Mary Beth’s teaching style! She invites, informs, and inspires. I loved that she worked right along with us. Mary Beth helped us see the world and respond to it in new ways. It was wonderful how our projects all reflected each person’s individual experience. Show and Share night was amazing.
Curious about Mary Beth Shaw's art and teaching?
Overview
Art Workshop in Spain
Art Program
On this 7-night mixed media art workshop in Spain you will be immersed in equal parts travel and art program.
Expect to hunt, gather and preserve experiences that stimulate all your senses. Students will work with Mary Beth to process their daily experiences into personal artistic expressions. These form the basis of your unique, handmade journal. Each page is created from personal experience and infused with memories of your mixed media art workshop in Spain. Your travel journal is an irreplaceable souvenir of your journey.
Touring
Barcelona
First, you’ll arrive in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. Mary Beth’s art workshop begins with two nights exploring the food, culture, and the historic center of Barcelona. Our urban strolls will introduce you to lesser known destinations off the usual tourist map.
Together, we will travel by metro to the district of El Poblenou. Caught in the flux between aging workmens’ housing and grandiose re-gentrification projects, El Poblenou is Barcelona epitomized. There you can treasure hunt at the Encants Vells Flea Market – one of the oldest flea markets in Europe. Another day we will tour the impressive Sant Pau. A former hospital, it has been beautifully restored and is now a spectacular Art Nouveau site.
There will also be opportunities to visit La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s architectural masterpiece, or experience the passion of traditional flamenco so close you will feel the heat. In the heart of historic Barcelona, from our hotel you can easily explore the unique neighborhoods and nearby attractions such as the La Rambla or any of Gaudi’s Art Nouveau buildings.
Costa Brava
Next, it’s off to the coast. The Costa Brava extends northeast from Barcelona to the French border. It is known for its charming fishing villages and dramatic coastlines with stunning beaches, bays, and inlets. Here we spend five nights at Calella de Palafrugell. Still a small fishing village, it hosts an array of family run restaurants, cafes, and interesting galleries. Each day, private transfers to our half-day walks will explore pristine coastlines and nearby towns. Our program will end the morning of the last day with a return to Barcelona.
What You’ll Love
Mixed Media Art Workshop in Spain
1. Small group classes
With no more than 14 guests, expect a friendly intimate feel and quality time during art classes
2. Movable Studio
Develop skills and techniques to use whenever you travel. Specifically, learn to pack light and create as you go.
3. Capture Your Experience
Your sketchbook will evolve into a personal travel journal filled with memories to last a lifetime.
4. Planning with Care
We take care of the details. You enjoy your vacation!
Inclusions
Mixed Media Art Workshop in Spain
- The assistance of your Art Walk tour directors throughout the week
- Daily mixed media art classes with Mary Beth Shaw
- All transfers per the itinerary
- Full buffet breakfast daily
- All hotel taxes and service fees
Barcelona:
- Two nights at our select, centrally located hotel
- Orientation meeting and walk
- Welcome dinner
- Admission to the Art Nouveau site Hospital de Sant Pau
- Walk through El Poblenou District
- Visit the Encants Vells Flea Market
Costa Brava:
- Private group transfer from Barcelona hotel to Calella de Palafrugell
- Five nights at our waterfront, family-owned hotel
- Orientation walk
- Guided daily walking itineraries unique to The Blue Walk. (Walks are optional)
- Calella de Palafrugell to Llafranc. (5K)
- Cap Roig to Palamos (8K)
- Pals to Peretallada (6.5K)
- Girona (6K)
- Farewell dinner
- Private group transfer from Calella de Palafrugell to Barcelona Airport
- All hotel taxes and service fees
Example Itinerary…
Mixed Media Art Workshop in Spain
Actual daily schedules may differ.
Day 1
Start our art workshop at our centrally located hotel in historic Barcelona, Spain. It’s in a quiet location and situated just blocks from La Rambla. After a meet-and-greet and program overview, we will set out for an orientation walk to get to know the neighborhood. Then finish the evening with an abundant welcome dinner at our favorite tapas restaurant. Mixed media art workshop in Spain
Day 2
Begin the day in an art class with Mary Beth. Afterward our small group will set off via metro to Sant Pau. A former hospital, it has been beautifully restored and is now a foremost Art Nouveau site. Next, a short stroll will bring our art workshop in Spain to the imposing La Sagrada Familia cathedral. In the evening there is an option to see a traditional flamenco show in an intimate cantina.
Day 3
After breakfast our small group of artists will set off for the Encants Vells Flea Market. After a little retail therapy, enjoy lunch at a family-run farm-to-table restaurant. In the afternoon we will transfer to the Costa Brava. After checking into our waterfront hotel, Mary Beth will teach art class on the sea-view terrace. Then, an orientation walk will introduce you to Calella de Palafrugell.
Day 4
Today your art workshop in Spain will be inspired by medieval towns and rolling countryside. Start in Pals, with its winding stone alleyways and many artisan shops. From there walk country lanes to the town of Peretallada. This is a beautiful walk through olive groves, oak forests, vineyards, and rolling fields. After lunch and free time return to the hotel for art class. mixed media art workshop in Spain
Day 5
Today is all about coastal views and trails. Join us for a walk through pine forests and along sandy beaches. We will pass fishing villages and Roman ruins before reaching our destination of Palamós. There we will enjoy lunch at a family-run, Catalonian restaurant before meeting our return transfer. In the afternoon Mary Beth will teach another mixed media workshop class.
Day 6
With all of your adventures in Spain as inspriration, spend the morning with your art workshop travel journal. Later, travel to Girona for a walk along the ancient city walls. Full of interesting views and sweeping panoramas it is a truly unique way to see the city. In the afternoon you will have free time to have lunch and explore the city before returning to our hotel.
Day 7
After a leisurely breakfast, Mary Beth will teach her final class. The afternoon is free to enjoy beautiful Spain. For those who would like to join us, we will walk the coastal path to the nearby village of Llafranc. The colors of sunset will lead us home on our return. Later, as we watch the moon rise over the sea, we will celebrate our art workshop in Spain with a farewell dinner.
Day 8
Finally it is time to say adiós to your art workshop friends. After breakfast a private transfer will deliver our group to the Barcelona International Airport. There we will bid farewell until the next time.
A full week of leisurely walks, inspired mixed media art classes, and copious creativity
Where in the World?
Barcelona, known for its art, architecture, and cuisine, is located at the Mediterranean sea in the very north of the Spanish coast. It is certainly the most cosmopolitan and economically most active city in Spain. The Costa Brava is located to the north of Barcelona, and stretches for more than 200 km from Blanes to Portbou. It is renowned for the diverse landscape of its beaches and coves, the quality of its waters, its excellent cuisine and centuries-old cultural legacy. We are excited to introduce this region through our Spain walking vacation.
Airport
There is one international airport in Barcelona, El Prat (BCN), located about eight miles southwest of the city center. It has two terminals: Terminal 1 is the arrival point for international flights, as well as the Spanish carrier Vueling; Terminal 2 serves mainly low-cost European carriers, such as Ryanair and easyJet.
If you’re flying from the US, even if you’ve passed through customs in another European airport, you’ll likely be landing in Terminal 1.
There are a variety of transportation options from Barcelona’s airport to the city center including private driver, taxi, bus, train, and metro. No matter which you choose, you can get from the airport to the center in about a half hour.
Important Notes
Mixed Media Art Workshop in Spain
Deposits
Your place on a tour is secured once we have received and confirmed your deposit payment. Before the final payment date, a non-refundable deposit of $500 for walking vacations and $750 for art vacation workshops is required. After the final payment date, the entire tour amount must be received to hold a space on a program.
You may cancel for any reason up to 90 days prior to departure and your non-refundable deposit may be forwarded to a future tour. Any balance on your account will be returned. For complete details please see our Terms and Conditions.
Solo travelers and single supplements
For our guests who are traveling solo... We offer a single supplement for an additional fee if you wish to guarantee a private room.
If you do not request a private room, you will share a twin room with another trip participant of the same sex (Roomshare). When you sign up, if no Roomshare is available, a 50% single supplement will be included on your invoice and is due at final payment. However, if a roommate is found before your trip departs, you will be matched and the single supplement will be removed or refunded.
A single supplement guarantees a private room. Whenever possible singles will be placed in the same room type as our double or twin rooms.
Twin / Double Rooms
Please be aware twin beds in Europe may have very little or no space between beds. Also, for double beds, instead of a king or queen mattress, double beds are often two adjoining twin mattresses secured together and made with double bedding.
Fitness
Walking is a part of this program. It is both a means of visiting locations and a way to immerse yourself in a place. Our scheduled walks are usually 1-2 hours long at a casual pace. We provide a general description of our walks here. It is your responsibility to know your own physical and medical condition with respect to the advisability of participating in a chosen trip. We suggest you prepare by doing at least 1 hour of walking several times per week, and a longer walk at least once per week. Ideally, include walks with elevation change and stairs. (There are always stairs.)
As with any exercise program, we recommend you consult with your physician prior to your arrival regarding the suitability of a walking tour.
Some of our guests find trekking poles helpful on steep or uneven terrain. In Europe they are quite common. Before using them on a vacation, please practice at home. We strongly advise you get comfortable using trekking poles on familiar paths first.
For additional information on these topics and more, please see our FAQ page.
Choose Your Walking or Art Vacation
Walking Tours
Are you looking for a leisurely European walking vacation or a travel journal-based art vacation? To book, select your program type or destination below. We will take you there!
To learn more about The Blue Walk difference please read our About The Blue Walk page.
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