30 May – 6 June, 2010

In this week-long holiday art retreat, you will be learning about taking everyday images and transforming them into something of your own, which says something about how you perceive them or how you experience the setting. You will start with figurative elements such as landscape, objects or still life, and from that you will develop abstractions that are personal and have unique meaning. You will start to understand how to use colour and light, and learn about layering paint and the use of medium.

The week will be highly productive; you can expect to finish a painting every day.

Erika Beck is a full time artist and teacher who has been practising for 35 years. She has lived and worked in France, England and Germany before she settled in Sydney. She studied art in Europe and at the national Art School, and has exhibited her work widely. She has won numerous prizes and awards. Most recently, she won the North Sydney Open Prize.

Erika’s style is expressive, contemporary and full of vibrant colour. Her landscapes reflect her fascination with the light, the silence and the timelessness of Australia. Her figure paintings and depictions of still life explore the relationship of human forms to objects, interiors, places and life.

The inspiration for her current work flows directly from the impressions gained whilst she was painting and travelling in Australia, most recently to Fraser Island near the Queensland coast, where the air is clear and the sky and the sea shine. She found this a stark contrast to previous visits to Central and Northern Australia, Uluru and the East Kimberley, where one can experience a land of profound silence, great light and magnificent colour. You can look at her work at www.erikabeck-artist.com

The programme for the week is as follows:

Sunday 30 May
Arrive Nadi and fly to Savusavu. The resort is 10 minutes from the airstrip, and you will be welcomed into it with a traditional Fijian welcoming ceremony.

Monday 31 May
Morning workshop: introduction to the week.
Poolside lunch and coconut cutting demonstration, followed by a walk around resort gardens.
In the late afternoon there will be a tapa making demonstration.

Tuesday 1 June
Morning workshop and lunch.
Afternoon visit to town, visiting the geothermal hot springs, local market and shops.

Wednesday 2 June
Morning workshop; lunch. Afternoon beach / boat outing.

Thursday 4 June
Morning workshop; lunch. Free afternoon for swimming, snorkelling and relaxing.

Friday 5 June
Morning workshop; lunch. Later on we will have a beach outing and a sunset drink at Yaukolo, returning to Savusavu for drinks at the Yacht Club and dinner in town.

Saturday 6 June
Morning workshop; lunch. Later in the afternoon we will visit Vivili village to see a traditional Fijian meke (dance) and then have a final dinner at Daku.

Sunday 7 June
Leave Savusavu. Return to Nadi.