August 31, 2022 – September 4, 2022
Do you enjoy playing with colours? Bring out your creativity, and give your thoughts shape and texture on paper or Canvas – with the Himalayas as an inspiration.
In this retreat we’ll take 3 full days to explore and understand art. We will explore how to do macro and micro landscape paintings using different styles and mediums. Acrylic, pastels, poster colours and water colours are some of the mediums we will be dappling with. We will also be using different tools – apart from the brushes, we will explore spatula knife, rollers, sponge, hand and many out of the box tools that participants will collect. All art materials are provided.
Apart from painting, the Himalayan Art Retreat will focus on having fun and guiding on how to express their joy through art. The Art Retreat will include sessions on painting and techniques of using colours and light. The three days will also have walks in nature where participants will be encouraged to collect leaves, twigs, pine cones, tree barks, beetles, etc. The evenings will be spent watching films relating to art, stargazing, or watching an exhibit of the participants’ works.
About the Instructor
Shubhra Chaturvedi
Shubhra is a full-time painter, an installation artist, a sculptor, a photographer, and an experimenter. She has several shows (group and solo) and commissions in public and private spaces to her credit. From public art installation at five Delhi Metro stations to murals, from mixed media canvas to photo art, Shubhra’s recent works have been full of experiments and are therefore full of motion and constantly changing. With a view to help others view the world through the prism of art, Shubhra has been conducting workshops and art retreats with groups of people. She also conducts sessions on using art as a tool to meditate, de-stress, heal and discover yourself.
To learn more about her art, you can check out this space: shubhrachaturvedi.com
Detailed Program – Himalayan Art Retreat
Day 0 (31st August)
- Introduction and a fun exercise with colours and using unusual tools
Day 1 (1st September)
- Session 1 : understanding colours, mixing, expressing emotions through colours
- Session 2 : Getting up close to nature… Watercolour exploration of flowers, leaves, twigs, fruits, tree barks , beetles etc… Whatever you fancy
- Walk in the evening… Feel free to collect pine cones and pebbles and leaves and twigs and take pictures to use as ref for Art the next day
Day 2 (2nd September)
- Session 1 : using the things collected from nature as tools to do spontaneous drawing. A demo session on some techniques to capture landscapes
- Session 2 : each one starts their canvas
- Walk in the evening to take pictures on cell phone and understand composition
Day 3 (3rd September)
- Session starts with a fun exercise on sketching, continue with the canvas or paper work from the previous day with all assistance that is required
- Session 2 : complete your works. The importance of finishing well and not being in a hurry
- We conclude with a therapeutic fun exercise
Travel and Stay
The Himalayan Writing Retreat is built for writing and learning. We are rated 5-star on google and facebook.
Once here, you will be sharing a room with a fellow participant (unless we’ve confirmed a single). All essentials like food, hot water, towels etc. are provided. No hidden costs.
It can snow in winter. Weather can vary and the weather chart of Mukteshwar (12 km from the retreat) is here. A pair of sturdy walking shoes, some rain protection and an extra layer or two are always a good idea.
Our rooms are built to let nature in and inspire you. To see pictures of the rooms click here . To see pictures of the writing spaces click here
Depending upon where you travel in from, you can reach us by road, train or air. Even if flying or taking a train, the final stretch is a drive, and the last 150 metres is a walk.
By Road
The retreat is a 370 km/9 hours drive from Delhi. If driving, we recommend you leave early. Note that parking at the retreat is on the road – we do not have any private parking. We have limited driver accommodation, so please check in advance.
Overnight Volvo buses ply between Haldwani and Delhi, the more reliable of which are government operated. You con book those here. Private Volvos and Sleeper buses also ply between Delhi and Haldwani, which you can book on redbus. Make sure you pick a bus with a high (4+) rating.
By Train
There are three trains a day from Delhi to Kathgodam, the nearest train station. Some others also come in from Kolkata, Lucknow and Dehradun. From Delhi, Ranikhet Express is a convenient overnight train both ways, but finding tickets can be difficult.
Most people prefer to take the Kathgodam Shatabdi (Delhi dep: 6.20 AM, Kathgodam Arr: 11.40 AM). A cab from Kathgodam to Satkhol takes about 2.5 hrs / Rs. 2200 (more for a big car). Cabs are often shared by participants.
By Air
There are daily flights from Delhi to Pantnagar. A cab from Pantnagar to Satkhol takes about 3.5 hr / Approx INR 4K.
There are direct flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to Bareilly 3-4 days a week. Satkhol is a 5hr / INR 5.5k cab ride from Bareilly. (More for a big car). Cabs are often shared by participants.
Frequently Asked Questions
- While your website provides information on travel and logistics to reach you, will you be able to help with some specifics of travel and logistics? We are not at all familiar with this part of India and have never visited not have any contacts and any help will be appreciated. For e.g. we may need help in arranging a trusted pickup from either Bareilly/Pantnagar airport or Kathgodam railway station.
Yes, Namrata from the Himalayan Writing Retreat will help and guide you with all travel-related information. We will also help you coordinate with other people traveling for the same event.
- What are the expected weather conditions there during the art retreat time?
Lows are around mid-teens and highs are in the mid-20s. we are at an altitude so the sun can be hot, but a shower can bring temperatures down. At that time there will be fruits on the trees that the kids (and you) can pluck and eat. This chart in the link below for Mukteshwar is the nearest published proxy (it is close by but 1000 feet higher) for our village, Satkhol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukteshwar#Climate
- I have noticed the cancellation policies on your website. Due to the unpredictability and uncertainty of the pandemic situation, anything can happen and there can be travel restrictions in either origin, destination, or transit during this time. So will you be considerate of that and flexible with the cancellation policies?
The Cancellation policy applies in ordinary circumstances. However, if the government bans travel/do a lockdown / prevents interstate travel etc., then we will hold your full credit and you can apply it for any future event or even a vacation.
If travel is permitted but you cancel, then the policy will apply. All participants & parents are required to bring a negative RTPCR report, or proof they have had both shots. If the RTPCR test result is positive for anyone in your party, again, we will hold your credit for a future event.
Have more questions? Feel free to write to us at namrata@himalayanwritingretreat.com or connect with us at +91 73035 16665 (Call/ WA/Signal).