Artists of all skill levels are WELCOME to this retreat!

The skill of taking compositionally beautiful reference pictures and painting in an evocative way in *YOUR STYLE* is what you need, no matter what level you're at!

Because no matter what your skill level is, you WILL travel and you will feel like painting your memories! ;)

Besides, painting is just one half of the retreat. The other half is relaxing, healing in nature and making new art besties.

Whether you are a beginner/intermediate artist itching to master new skills, or a burnt-out expert artist who wants to reconnect to your creative energy, this holistic retreat is for you.

IF YOU ARE A COMPLETE NEWBIE TO WATERCOLORS:

I would highly suggest to learn and practice basic watercolor landscapes till August. Only because you'll find it easier to follow-along in the workshops at the retreat. Here are some classes by me to learn from.

You have lots of time!

OMG OF COURSE! Coming to this retreat with your bestie is highly recommended to form everlasting memories! 😍

As a bonus, you and your friend will each get a $100 website cash for the Blue Pine Arts store.

Email us at [email protected] if your friend is registering too and we'll send you the website cash!

CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY

With each booking we take on a financial commitment with the retreat location that we are obliged to fulfil.

Whether you are paying in full or with our payment plans, please note that we require a USD $927 non-refundable deposit to fulfill the above mentioned commitment.

Refund for cancellation

If you need to cancel your retreat package booking for any reason, you may be eligible for a partial refund based on the following criteria:

• If you cancel BEFORE June 10th, 2024 (60 days before retreat start date), your deposit of USD $927 shall be non-refundable, and only the balance you’ve paid above the non-refundable deposit (whichever payment plan you’ve chosen) is eligible for a refund.
• If you cancel AFTER June 10th and BEFORE July 10th, 2024 (30 days before the retreat start date), you will receive a 50% refund of the total amount of your payment plan.
• If you cancel AFTER July 10th, NO REFUNDS will be given.
• In the event that we are forced to cancel the retreat due to circumstances beyond our control, we will email you and give you a full refund.

We strongly recommend that you purchase travel and health insurance to cover any potential losses or unforeseen circumstances.

If you have any questions regarding our refund policy, please don’t hesitate to contact us on [email protected]. We want to ensure that you have a positive and enjoyable experience with us.

YES!

If you are unable to attend the retreat but wish to transfer your booking to another person, you may do so at no extra cost.

It will be your responsibility to find the replacement person. We can help you find a replacement person by reaching out to our waitlist, however we DO NOT GUARANTEE we will be able to find said replacement person.

In case you want to transfer your booking, please email us on [email protected] prior to doing so, latest by July 10th, 2024.

We can help facilitate the transfer.

Transport to and from the retreat venue is NOT INCLUDED in the ticket price.

Please read our "TRANSPORTATION" section above carefully.

However, we will share multiple options to get to and from in our venue in our private retreat FB group. 

Even if you don't drive, don't worry - we gotchu!

This retreat is in one of the most accessible places and we will share multiple affordable options to get around in our FB group.

You are in good hands!

Absolutely, yes!

The price for bringing a partner is USD $1000. This price includes food, accommodation, access to the property, and recommended non-painter activities.

Basically, the price includes everything except for painting classes + coaching sessions with Trupti, and the BPA gift bag.

After buying YOUR  ticket, please email us about your plus one on [email protected] and we will send you the payment link.

Please note that out of this $1000, $927 is a non-refundable deposit.

If you and your plus one are staying in the room, we will prioritize you to get a queen or king bed.

100% you can, AND you'll get free shipping on your order.

All you need to do is email us with what you want on [email protected]. Use subject line "BPA RETREAT ORDER".

My team will specially create them for you and ship them along with your gift bag supplies.

They'll be ready for you to pick up at the retreat venue.

You're going to get a well-rounded gift bag of custom BPA handmade supplies.

Just bring your standard supplies like pencil, pen, fine liners, most-used brushes etc., that you think you need.

IMPORTANT: If you are choosing specialty BPA colors for your custom 12 full pans palette, then you need to bring an extra palette of your own that has suitable colors for our landscapes painting workshops.

You'll need some yellows, blues, greens, reds + pinks, browns and neutrals.

We can discuss specific color recommendations in our private FB group.

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES I HAVE FOR YOU:

• Our venue is huge with 27 rooms. Since this retreat is small + intimate, and we are booking max 13 - 15 rooms, there is a possibility that we might be sharing The Crossing with another group. However, rest assured that we won't feel intrusions as the property is 145 acres, and the Pine Loft is reserved for us as our art studio.
• You are being provided your own, private, single-occupancy room. However, please remember that all rooms are NOT of the same size in the main house where we will be residing.
  
  The rooms will be allotted to you on a first-come-first-serve basis on the day you arrive.
  
  Since it is costing us the same for ALL the rooms per person, we aren’t charging differently for different-sized rooms.
  
  We believe in being transparent in our communication with our patrons, AKA you. Here’s the thing though - every room is cosy AF, with beautiful antique furniture and watercolor art on the walls. You will feel spoilt by the staff at The Crossing and me and Nahush.
• This retreat is YOUR time for yourself. You can opt out of any sessions that don’t feel aligned to you, and spend your rest time in the way that you want. There are no hard-set agendas with compulsory attendance. 

This is NOT a plein air painting retreat, even though the classes emphasize on learning the skills required to paint your travel memories.

We will be going on easy hikes and I’ll teach you how to take compositionally-sound reference photos. After that, we will be doing the actual painting indoors in the splendid Pine Loft studio, which is a renovated barn with high ceilings & windows, chandeliers and a huge patio!

Although, if your travel adventure extends beyond our retreat, get your plein air supplies and get out there and paint!

Couple of reasons why this is not a plein air retreat:

1. I love watercolors but my preferred plein air medium is actually Gouache. I haven't painted much of plein air since I've moved to Calgary from India, and I want to get comfortable with this first before I teach this to you.

2. I think there is NO SHAME in painting from reference pictures. Actually, taking your own reference pictures is a important skill to have, especially if you want to submit your paintings to juried watercolor exhibitions.

3. Painting plein air (with watercolors or gouache) is a different beast altogether and I’ll probably do a gouache plein air painting retreat in the future. Email me and let me know if this is something you're interested in!

Please make your travel arrangements to arrive after 4pm on Friday, August 9th. Check-out is at 10am after breakfast on the last day, Monday, Aug 12.

Yes. Our private chefs cater to most diets and food intolerances.

If you have a dietary question that is not answered here, please email us and we'll clarify it with the venue and get back to you.

We will email you a few weeks before the retreat begins to collect all these details.

PLEASE make sure you add our second email [email protected] so as to not miss out on these important emails in the future.

Please pack appropriate clothing, insect repellent, soothing cream for insect bites, a cardigan for chilly evenings, comfortable shoes, a sun hat and sunglasses, personal care items, and any personal medication you might need.

You can also get any extra art supplies you wish to bring for your adventures beyond the retreat.

Make sure you have extra space in your bags for the BPA gift bag and anything else you're going to shop for!

August is a summer month.

Throughout the daytime, temperatures often hover around 23°C. However, as the sun sets and evening approaches, there's a noticeable cool-down, with temperatures gently dropping to a more temperate 10°C.

There can also be moderate rainfall. So pack a lightweight waterproof jacket just in case (although let's manifest full sunshine!)

Unfortunately, no, because of several aspects of the property.

There are no paved paths for the hike we'll be going on, and our painting classes are taking place on the top floor of the Pine Loft, which is accessed only by stairs.

In the future, we'll keep an eye out for wheelchair-accessible retreat venues.

Wi-Fi is available in the dining and living rooms, workshop spaces, common areas, and all bedrooms.