Gail Sibley - Pastels | 18-26 April 2027

£2,950 per person

Maximum 10 painters.

Gail Sibley is a popular workshop instructor and has been a professional artist for more than 30 years. She delights equally in the experience of painting from life and painting from reference photos and sketches in the studio. Her work is characterised by bold colour achieved with a limited palette.

A traveller at heart, Gail offers workshops internationally with a focus on how understanding values leads to freedom with colour. She guides participants to hone their unique artistic voice. She’s offered painting retreats in Croatia, Spain, England, Italy, New Zealand, France, Costa Rica, and Australia. How wonderful to now add Greece to that list!

Born and brought up in Jamaica, Gail Sibley moved to Canada to complete a BFA (Fine Arts) followed by a MA in art history. Gail participates in national and international juried shows and has won various awards. Her work is in private and corporate collections in several countries. She’s a Signature Member with the Pastel Society of America (PSA), a Master Pastellist with Pastel Artists Canada (MPAC) and part of the IAPS Master Circle (IAPS/MC)

Gail shares her knowledge in a highly-regarded blog at How To Pastel and can be seen on YouTube. She also offers online courses and has an online membership. She revels in working one-to-one with students in Accelerant, her six-month premium mentoring programme.

About the workshop from Gail

In this crazy, busy world, sometimes what we need is to take time out in a beautiful location to slow down and refresh our creative soul and this painting retreat in Corfu is bound to do the trick!! With everything taken care of (gorgeous accommodations, delicious meals, inspiring excursions), all you need to do is learn, paint, eat, sip, laugh, and enjoy! Our time will be split between the studio and painting en plein air. Our painting locations may include a vineyard, an ancient village, waterfalls in the forest, an olive grove with stone ruins, and boats in a quaint harbour. We’ll be spoilt for choice!!

There’s nothing easy about painting on location - it is a challenge! - but there’s also nothing quite like it for learning how to paint better and for feeling vibrantly alive! Painting “en plein air” means being fully present to the experience of painting on location. As you observe and paint, every sight, sound, smell, and experience in the environment becomes part of your painting. That’s part of the joy that comes with working from life rather than a photo. Working on location creates a deeper connection with your environment - you will always remember the experience when you look at your sketch or painting.

My goal during this workshop will be to help you develop your confidence and skill in being able to capture some vital part of the landscape that speaks to you. I’ll give LOTS of one-on-one guidance on location and in the studio and demo as needed.

We’ll gather as a group at the end of the day to discuss the day’s paintings, perhaps over a glass of wine.

My teaching style is to pass on what I know while at the same time encouraging the emergence of your own voice. It’s all easy-going and supportive with plenty of room for laughter and fun! This is a time to make some awesome memories!

The workshop is suitable for all levels but some experience with drawing and soft pastels is required. Can’t wait to meet you in the warm embrace of Corfu!

In this Art Retreat Workshop you will:

Understand how to select a scene to paint
Create thumbnails and come to understand their importance in making a strong painting
Develop intentionality in painting
Learn how to use a limited palette
Explore ways to make bold colour choices
Experiment with underpainting colours as a way to change the mood and feel of a painting
Feel more comfortable painting en plein air
Become more confident about expressing your own artistic voice
Be supported to respond from your heart and soul
Have fun!

What is included?

8 nights accommodation and 7 days tuition
Transfers from and to the airport
Transfers to all painting venues and excursions
Breakfast, snack/picnic lunch, dinner wth wine
Greek evening with dinner and live entertainment
Meal at a local taverna in Old Perithia the oldest village on the island
Olive Estate tour with olive oil tasting and meze
Itinerary will be flexible subject to the weather
A list of materials to bring will be sent out at least two months before the workshop.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Kate at corfuincolour@gmail.com

A sampling of love notes from previous holiday painting workshop students:

“Gail Sibley is just a fantastic instructor. She helped each of us identify our core goals - encouraging us to “be brave” - as we were challenged by unknown landscapes daily that were all jaw-dropping beautiful. The small group size allowed Gail to give each of us ample times of dialogue and guidance at our easels. Each carefully curated (by Kate) location provided many options of view point to choose from, along with a beautiful quiet to allow us to focus on our painting. Each spot chosen had its own beauty - but for me, the looking out at the beautiful waters of the Ionian Sea and the colors of the sun-drenched rocks were my favorite. Thank you, Gail and Kate.”

~ Jeni F

“I recently attended a Gail Sibley workshop through Corfu in Color. As a new artist, I was especially anxious about signing up...but I'm so happy I did. I wasn't sure what to expect but those concerns were soon eased.

Kate, our host, was amazing! She met us at the airport in Corfu and welcomed us to the villa, our home for the entire stay. Everything was beautiful! Great accommodations complete with personal chefs. The villa had the perfect space for Gail to conduct our classes. Our plein air settings were varied and full of subjects for our painting...beaches, forests, ports and vineyards!

Corfu is very special. I'd love to return. If you have an opportunity sign up for Gail's workshops, do so. She is kind, patient and willing to share her knowledge while encouraging each artist along their path.”

~ Janell M., Missouri, USA

“I was fortunate to join Gail Sibley and a group of pastel artists in Corfu in October. I had wanted to take a workshop with Gail for a few years since I met some of her former students who recommended her highly. It was just a question of which country I would join her in.

Gail is a patient and experienced teacher. She teaches with a structure that pastelists with different strengths and experiences can understand and make use of. She emphasized and taught how to do thumbnails in a way that was enormously helpful. I had always been a little resistant to thumbnails because I like to get right to the fun, exciting colors and play with lines, but Gail was able to teach the importance of thumbnails in an encouraging way that was interesting and instructive. When I began to incorporate her lessons into my artwork I saw a significant improvement in composition and my attention to values. Gail’s critiques were helpful and supportive. She is a friendly, kind person and skilled teacher.”

~ Judi C, US

“Unforgettable Plein Air Corfu in Colour Getaway”

I joined this fantastic trip focused on soft pastels and created some lovely artworks in stunning locations. Our host Kate left no stone unturned, our accommodation was home from home, perfect location and most comfortable. Our amazing chefs provided us with incredible food, we were exceptionally well cared for. Gail was also a gem, no pressure and lots of helpful advice on all aspects of creating work I was happy with. This trip was perfect for connecting with like-minded artists. Breathtaking Corfu made it a dream, can’t wait to go back at some point.

'Corfu in Colour' says it all.

April 27 is your chance, don’t miss out!”

~ Susan E Pask, Scotland