Peter Sheppard Report on Cuba Workshop
April
PAINT-CUBA
I was looking online for painting workshops as I needed something to re-energize my creativity. I "googled" painting workshops and one of the results was PAINT-CUBA. I made contact with the group coordinator in England and arranged payment etc. I purchased the land only portion of the trip and made my own travel arrangements on COPA AIRLINES and met the group in Havana.
We spent the first three days in Havana before meeting our instructor and heading into the countryside for 6 nights of painting. In Havana, the architecture is mesmerizing. There was lots of opportunity to sit and sip an espresso in a plaza and sketch everyday life; at times, this felt European.
In the afternoon we visited the studios of important Cuban Artists. The colours, textures and shapes in Havana are an endless resource for artists.
By the 4th day we set off for the Vinales Valley in the Pinar del Rio region where our hotel was perched on the hillside overlooking verdant farmlands below and across to the "Mogotes" (Mogotes are rounded limestone hills formed during the Jurassic period with erosion from rain. The remaining limestone now forms the Mogotes and there is a vast network of caves within them).
The hotel's location is an excellent perch for seeing over the entire valley, and the artists had rooms in the main building, each with a porch from which to work. Light changes constantly over the valley like a movie running for 12 hours. There were opportunities for us to go down to the farmlands and meet the local folks. Our Cuban instructor was Jesus Gastel, a native of the Pinar Del Rio region, who spent some one-on-one time with the group members.
By the end of the trip, we were warmed by the vibrant palette of the Cuban Landscape and the friendliness of the people whom we met. This was completely invigorating and I look forward to returning to CUBA, perhaps with a group of Trinidadian painters. If anyone is interested they should contact me so that we can put together something.
The Art and Craft Market in La Habana, Cuba
Peter painting on location in VINALES, CUBA
