Unlocking Colour DNA with Richard Klekociuk
Coloured Pencil Retreat: 3 Days / 4 Nights
Friday 8th – Tuesday 12th March 2024
**REGISTRATIONS NOW CLOSED!
Richard Klekociuk’s drawings reflect his love and respect for the Tasmanian landscape through realism and abstraction. In this art retreat you will learn and experience the art of colour profiling.
The forest surrounding the Tin Dragon Trail in North East Tasmania is rich in history, colour and texture. It’s waiting for you to discover its secrets in the form of a unique coloured pencil art retreat to be held on March 8 – 12, 2024 at the Tin Dragon Trail Cottages, Branxholm, Tasmania.
Enjoy the benefits of working with the highest quality coloured pencils in a peaceful, calming environment. Walk amongst the trees, explore the forest floor, watch the river as it gently passes by. Enjoy the fresh air, the (almost) pervading silence and the art!
Where is the art retreat?
Tin Dragon Cottages in North East Tasmania in the heart of North East Tasmania is a beautiful natural setting for a cosy creative art workshop. So, you will find your “inner artist” in a relaxed, safe and creative environment. We are taking just 8 participants for this art retareat with Richard Klekociuk (minimum four), so you can experience personal one-on-one painting tuition in our purpose-built workshop space.
Who?
The live-in (only) art workshop is suitable for anyone 18 years or older. The only thing you need to bring is enthusiasm. Because you will be working with one of Australia’s most experienced coloured pencil tutors, you don’t need prior experience. Regardless of your art ability and experience you will find this workshop both very relaxing and exciting. In fact the retreat will be as challenging as you want it to be.
Although we are only enroling eight participants, we als0 encourage partners to attend. We won’t charge non-partcipating partners for the cost of the art tuition. Your partner may be interested in mountain-biking or near-by short walks?
What is provided for the art retreat?
- Scheduled airport shuttle to/from Launceston Airport (or Launceston Transit Centre) and accommodation
- All materials and equipment needed for the art retreat are provided by Richard Klekociuk. He provides Prismacolor pencils. You will be amazed at the quality of these pencils. The pigments are archival, rich in colour and a joy to work with. We will be working on a range of papers, including white and coloured papers. The latter are renowned for rich, stunning coloured drawings. You will even receive some art materials to keep!
- Art tuition for the three-day workshop
- 4 nights accommodation with a variety of cottages to choose from
- All meals from Friday night dinner to Tuesday morning breakfast and morning and afternoon tea/coffee each day. The final night will feature a river-side BBQ (weather permitting). BYO alcohol for the entire trip.
Accommodation is on site at Tin Dragon Trail Cottages. Ah Moy cottage can accommodation up to four persons (shared bathroom, 2 couples); Ah Ping cottage can accommodate up to four persons (shared bathroom, 1 couple, 2 singles); three studio spa cottages are for couples, or singles and the Settlers Hut can accommodate up to four persons in single bunk beds (shared bathroom).
What is not provided for the retreat?
- Non-scheduled Launceston shuttles. We are unable to offer more than one shuttle on the day of arrival/departure. However, you are welcome to make your own way to Tin Dragon Cottages. But please let us know your travel plans when you register.
- Guests will need to provide their own lunches or snacks during shuttle transfers on Friday and Tuesday.
- Beverages. In general, guests are responsible for purchasing their own beverages, including any alcoholic drinks.
- Airfares
- Travel insurance
- Guests may book and pay for an optional day-tour with Pepperbush Adventures on the final day of the retreat.
Retreats are as much about creating good memories as great art!
Art retreat itinerary
Please note that this itinerary is a guide only and may need to be changed to accommodate the needs of the group, our Artist or weather conditions.
Friday 8th March: Depart from Launceston to Branxholm by 13:30
Our driver will pick you up either from the Launceston Airport or from your hotel or from the Launceston Transit centre. From there we may take you on the scenic route to Tin Dragon Cottages, via a vineyard or olive farm, over the mountians or via the beach. However, the exact drive will depend on your preferences, group size and other factors.
But we should reach Tin Dragon Cottages in time for you to settle in to your cottage and be ready for a short tour. Your host–Graham–will take you for a short walking tour of our farm, including our renewable energy systems, Chinese tin-mining history and forest-bathing experience.
In the evening we will be serving Tasmanian wines and cheeses on the deck. Here, Richard Klekociuk will provide a full overview of the art retreat workshops. Then during dinner you will have time to get to know Richard better as well as your other art participants.
Workshop: Saturday 9th to Monday 11th March 2024
Each tutorial day begins at 9:00 and concludes at 17:00. NOTE: the art program is still being designed – so this is a prleiminary guide, only.
Saturday Day 1
You will walk in the forest, gathering DNA both via photography (best suited to mobile phones) and collection of forest objects. After returing to the studio to sort your collected objects, you will have your selected photos printed onsite. The full range of Prismacolor pencils (150 colours) and drawing papers will be available for you to test drive. using these you will construct colour profiles of the forest floor and forest as well as selected objects gathered earlier.
By the end of the day you will prepare both a single object and a chosen subject composition for Day 2.
You may even have time to begin the drawing of the single object!
Sunday Day 2
Today, you will bring your chosen object to life using as many of the coloured pencils as necessary as well as recording its colour DNA.
Following the completion of the single object drawing, you will be challenged to draw your chosen composition again in colour accompanied by its colour DNA.
Monday Day 3
Today, you will experience the challenge of creating an abstract drawing that contains the integrity of an aspect of the Tin Dragon forest. You will be amazed at what you will achieve with abstraction!
All of the artwork created in this workshop will be driven by your interaction with the surrounding forest. The venue site is truly inspiring!
Please email Richard Klekocuik at artkleko@gmail.com if you have any questions about his art retreat. You can also learn more about Richard on his facebook, webpage, instagram and on Redbubble.
Tuesday 12th March Depart Branxholm to Launceston. Today some guests will enjoy the optional tour with our partners, Pepper Bush Adventures Wilderness Tours– Best Waterfalls in Tasmania, leaving at 10:00. (Guests need to book any pay for this tour, separately)
For our other guests it will be a day of relaxing and exploring. Then at 16:00 our driver will return everyone to Launceston by about 17:30. (Departure times will be according to guests’ movements on the day)
Richard Klekociuk
Richard has been practicing and teaching art since 1969. He graduated from the Tasmanian School of Art in 1971. After a full-time teaching career, he retired in 2005. This allowed Richard to pursue a solo art adventure. In addition he has been conducting workshops and judging art awards both in Tasmania and on the Australian Mainland. He is particularly interested in the value of Art therapy through colour and has successfully promoted this concept in workshops both in Tasmania and on the Mainland.
Multi-Award Winning
Richard specialises in coloured pencil drawings and has won over 50 awards. He has been a Glover finalist on two occasions and on three in the Bay of Fires Art Prize. He is a Coloured Pencil Master (twice) as awarded by the Canadian and Australian Coloured Pencil Societies.
Love for the Tasmanian Landscape
Richard’s drawings reflect his love and respect for the Tasmanian landscape through realism and abstraction.
The Tasmanian landscape is made up of parts, some very spectacular, others very ordinary. We should recognise and celebrate the value of everything seen and unnoticed; an integration.
Tasmania’s beaches, waterways and forests are regarded amongst the best in the country and rightly so. People come here at various times of the year for a variety of reasons. I just like being there. Sometimes I beachcomb or walk accompanied with my camera. The salt air along the coast and the clean air inland invigorates and restores me. Natural therapy.
Although I appreciate (and often draw) the spectacular scenes that are to be found, especially our inland forests and waterways, it’s the ‘neglected’ and ‘unnoticed’ that more often than not take my eye, such as a small group of stones, pieces of driftwood, water tumbling over rocks, a forest floor, light flickering on a stream or through a forest, weathered shells and stones; the impact of light and shadow on objects no matter what their size or importance.
All aspects of our wonderful landscapes need to be valued and respected.
