Pastel and watercolour in Fiji with Sondra Holtzman: 16 – 23 March, 2024
per person
Early bird booking offer: book by November 1, 2023 and get Aus$300 discount.
A contemporary journey into a traditional Pacific culture
This week is a journey of many layers. Most obviously it is a journey across the Pacific to the islands of Fiji, a proud and independent nation of 300 islands, famed for blue seas, empty beaches and swaying palm trees.
Highlights
- Daily workshops with Sandy Holtzman with personal attention
- Accommodation – choose from our bures at the front (Ocean View bures), or at the back (standard rooms)
- Meals : breakfast, lunch and dinner – a mix of local Fijian and Indian food and international recipes
- Excursions: snorkel on the fabulous coral reefs, bathe in glorious waterfall, revel in the abundant nature of the landscape and experience the rich Fijian culture.
You just need to buy your air ticket and art materials, and leave the rest to us.
Painting course
And finally, it is your own journey into your art practice. Guided by Sandy, it’s a journey at your own pace. Be a dedicated sketcher and artist and drink in the varied scenery – or be a lazy observer just jotting down the occasional special scene. She will help you to work towards your own goals at your own pace.
Artists of all skill levels are welcome!
Meet Sondra Holtzman.
After attending Rhode Island School of Design and California College of the Arts, Sondra worked in San Francisco as a freelance designer, creating artwork for clients like Nike and Delta Air Lines. Together with friend and business partner Katie Wendel, they travel the world with small groups who happily indulge in fine food, fine wine and watercolor.
Sondra has been teaching art for over 30 years and paints in watercolor, oil and pastel, creating artwork with emphasis on a sense of place. For her, the true joy of being an artist also lies in the sharing of her passion with others, helping them to discover their own artistic voice.
Any questions? Drop us a line.
And don’t forget the early bird discount of Aus$300 if you book by November 1, 2023.
OR BOOK NOW! Prices per person
Summary & Pricing
Dates: 16 – 23 March, 2024
Teacher: Sondra Holtzman
Title: Pastel and watercolour in Fiji: a contemporary journey into a traditional Pacific culture
Content: Watercolours and pastels.
Programme: Daily morning workshops of 3 hours
Suitability: All levels
Excursions and extras: Visit to waterfall, beach picnic, village visit
Food: Three meals a day.
What To Bring
Here’s materials you’ll need to bring.
Please note: We will be working in small format
Pastels (soft pastel or oil pastel)
A good set of soft pastels or oil pastels; artist quality is best
A pad of SANDED pastel paper
Small set of NuPastels or colored pencils
Pencil
A clipboard or support to tape sanded paper to
Roll of blue painter’s tape or masking tape
Package of baby wipes
Wax paper to protect your paintings
The course
Some travel details
Coming from the West Coast of the US, flights arrive early in the morning and connect with the domestic flight to Savusavu. You’ll be met at Savusavu airport and taken to Daku Resort which is 10 minutes drive. (NOTE: you cross the International Date Line so you leave on October 20th and “lose” a day – but you get it back on the way home. It’s an overnight flight (11hrs) so you can get some sleep and greet the new day on arrival.) Once at Daku, there’s time to relax over breakfast, perhaps have a swim, and be greeted with a traditional Fijian welcome ceremony. Although check-in is not until 2.00, we will do our best to have your rooms ready before – and in the meantime, you can relax in our main reception area or round the pool.
At 1.00 we’ll gather round the table for a buffet lunch and Sandy will talk a bit about plans for the week. Then we’ll go up to the stunning yoga platform which also doubles as an art studio: with its wonderful views of the bay it’s a great place to start the journey. We’ll do some preliminary sketches, talk about what you want to get form the week, and have a bit of fun with pastels and paints. Then we’ll gather for a drink on the deck before dinner….and the rest of the week.
The full daily programme is set out in the Programme section.
Accommodation
You’ll stay with us at Daku Resort, Fiji.
Accommodation is packaged with your course, and there are a variety of comfortable lodgings available during your stay with us at Daku Resort.
Additional Adventures
What to do in your free time.
We’ve arranged a number of excursions as part of the course (see Programme tab on the menu bar above). We also offer a range of other activities inside and outside of Daku Resort (please note that unless they are part of the programme, some activities, such as massages and those requiring equipment hire, may have additional costs).
TESTIMONIALS
From the moment I arrived, I felt welcome and well cared for by Daku’s amazing, friendly staff–they really are the best part of the experience. The property is lush with foliage, beautiful flowers, and delicious fruit, some of which ended up in our rooms and on our plates every day. I stayed in an ocean view bure, which was spotless, spacious, and comfortable. Every meal was more delicious than the last, and we even had a tea and goodies break, yum. The view from the yoga platform where we painted was glorious. Enjoyed a fantastic massage one day, snorkeled Split Rock another, went to visit a local village, and spent some time shopping in the tiny but friendly town of Savusavu. I live in frenzied, urban Miami Beach, so one week at peaceful, natural, vintage Daku Resort was the perfect remedy. Already dreaming of my next visit!
Marshaj42 : Trip Advisor
This is a resort which makes every effort to immerse you in the local culture, food and the unspoilt beauty of the island so if you want all the luxury of 5 star upmarket resorts and all high tech modcons, then it may not be for you. If you like a laid back informal holiday where you are treated like family including communal dining, then you will enjoy staying here. The meals are based mainly on local produce and Anna produced a succession of fresh and tasty delights for us. I have special dietary requirements and the staff were only too happy to accommodate this. Visits to local villages and a swim at a local waterfall were highlights and the farewell ceremony was a fitting end to the trip.
An art show was organised on the last night to showcase the artwork we had completed during our stay and a number of paintings were sold. Some of these, including one of mine will be used to create souvenirs and the funds raised will be used to help the local communities. For me, this was a thrill that I could never have anticipated and we can’t wait to go back again next year.
Kelsey H : Trip Advisor
Our location : Savusavu, Fiji
During this week, you’ll enjoy the rich culture and unspoilt nature of Fiji, the place where happiness comes naturally. We’re in Savusavu in Fiji’s North – known as the Hidden Paradise because it really is! We’ll take you out to snorkel on the beautiful coral reefs, to plunge into fresh waterfalls, to visit traditional Fijian villages where you’ll see a deeply hospitable corner of Fiji.
We’ve got a full programme planned – with some spare time to just relax.
Our accommodation: Daku Resort
We’re located at Daku Resort near Savusavu in Fiji. It’s a small and comfortable resort: you can choose from Ocean View bures, or standard room rear bures.
Ocean View bure
Standard room – rear bure
Included
AccommodationAll Workshop FeesDining & MealsLectures & ExcursionsTransfers from Savusavu AirportNot Included
Alcoholic BeveragesEquipment & SuppliesFlights/TravelNon-Course ActivitiesTravel Insurance
From Our Gallery
Pictures from previous courses.
Saturday
- Arrive in Savusavu in the morning.
- Breakfast and welcome ceremony
- 1.00 Lunch
- Afternoon intro to the week
- 7.30 pm Dinner
Sunday
- 9.00 am – 12.30 pm Workshop.
- 1.00 pm Lunch
- Afternoon: Free time
- 7.30 pm Dinner
- Dinner
Monday
- 9.00 am – 12.00 pm Workshop
- 1.00 pm Lunch
- 2.00 pm Handicraft display and tapa making demonstration: some of the local women will come to display and sell their jewellery. One of them will give a demonstration of making tapa – the decorated Fijian bark cloth, and we hope you’ll get your hands dirty and join in the decorating.
- 7.00 pm Dinner
- Dinner
Tuesday
- 9.00 am – 4.00 pm Full day out at Kasavu Village. This is a 50 minute drive up the coast, along the Hibiscus Highway with its beautiful views of the coastline. The village will be giving us a full day including: * voivoi weaving *walk around the village *lunch provided by the village women *walk on the beach – and of course, the chance to sit and paint as we go.
- 7.00 pm Dinner
- Dinner
Wednesday
- 9.00 am – 12.00 pm Workshop
- 1.00 pm Lunch
- 2.00 pm Coconut demonstration
- Late afternoon: Trip to Savusavu Town to see local market and shop. Savusavu town is a mile away – 5 minutes in a taxi. We will send you in by taxi and then leave you to wander round and then meet up for a sunset cocktail at the Yacht Club in town
- 7.00 pm Dinner
- Dinner
Thursday
- 9.00 am – 12.00 pm Workshop
- 1.00 pm Lunch – when we’ll be joined by some of the local artists and have a chance to look at what they do and talanoa (exchange stories)
- Trip to waterfall: this is about 25 minutes’ drive and is a beautiful natural fall where you can plunge into the cool clear water and swim. We’ll spend as long as you want there.
- 7.00 pm Dinner
- Dinner
Friday
- 9.00 am – 12.30 pm Workshop
- 1.00 pm Lunch
- Trip to the beach (Devodara OR Bulikula) to walk / swim / sketch
- 7.30 pm Final Fijian dinner
- Final Fijian dinner
Saturday
Tour Location
Daku Resort, Fiji