The Joy of Travel and Art:
Painting in Coastal Canada
Join artist and instructor, Laura Raborn, for a retreat experience filled with art-making, culinary delights, and stunning natural beauty of St. Andrews-by-the-Sea.
Wednesday, May 28 - Sunday, June 1, 2025
Many of us let fear or a need for perfection halt our artistic endeavors. Using simple methods, this enriching workshop will interrupt the tendency to overthink and will allow you to break free of your inner critic. We will loosely draw and paint our inspirational surroundings…without pressure or stress. In a combination of group lessons and individual studio time with personal instruction, we will move from abstraction to realism and will leave with a group of studies and paintings that span the many possibilities between. The retreat includes:
Workshop art materials
Happy Hour Welcome event and a jump start to our workshop activities
Accommodations for four nights at KIRA (Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts)
Art studio space on the KIRA grounds open for use at your leisure
Workshop demonstrations: group instruction each morning and individual instruction in the afternoons
Award-winning chef prepared breakfasts and dinners for four days
Complimentary access to neighboring Kingsbrae Garden
Meet Your Instructor
Laura Raborn
Laura Raborn’s paintings are exhibited in multiple collections in Arkansas, the U.S. and the Bahamas. Her work has earned numerous awards and has appeared in publications such as “Women Make Arkansas: Conversations with 50 Creatives” by Erin Wood of Et Alia Press.
Who is the Retreat for?
This is a drawing and painting retreat for all levels of creatives. The group will be small and we welcome those who enjoy meeting people, experiencing new places, and broadening perspectives and skills. If you are looking for an uplifting and enjoyable experience learning about how we see our environments and how to turn that vision into beautiful art, sign up today!
Activity level: Moderate (we will be leisurely walking, climbing and descending stairs, sitting, and standing)
Welcome to
Kingsbrae International Residency for the Arts (KIRA)
in St. Andrews-bythe-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada
“Whether it’s the accommodation, magnificent surroundings, food, hospitality, or quality of service, the KIRA experience is always a notch or more above what you have been anticipating. The awareness that your presence matters to your hosts and the relaxing ambience that they create are conducive to learning, personal growth, and accomplishment. As a retreat and workshop facilitator and teacher around the world for more than 50 years, I can say simply that I love KIRA and that participants invariably share my feelings.”
There are five spacious art studios on the KIRA property and there will be 1-2 students assigned to each studio. We are staying in a historic residence with no elevator; participants are required to climb stairs to get to their bedrooms which will include carrying luggage. Each room in the historic home has plenty of space and privacy, as well as different bed and bathroom configurations. Therefore, room details will be discussed during the registration process and we honor room requests on a first come, first served basis.
During our stay, we will enjoy breakfasts and dinners together, catered by one of the Kingsbrae Garden Café chefs, who will come right to the KIRA residence to prepare and serve these gourmet meals onsite (please note that you will have an opportunity during registration to submit food allergies).
Kingsbrae prides itself on using the freshest garden ingredients and products from all over New Brunswick and their own gardens (click here to learn about the award-winning gardens). Daily lunch time is deliberately unscheduled to allow for alone time, walking the trails, exploring the area, studio time and trying out some of the nearby fabulous restaurants.
Did I mention the food?
St. Andrews by-the-Sea, named USA Today’s Best Destination in Canada and one of the 12 Best Small Towns in Canada by Travel+Leisure, is a gorgeous seaside town, and the waterfront is just an eight minute walk from the historic KIRA residence.
Retreat Description and Itinerary
How to Loosely (and Accurately) Paint Your Surroundings…Without Pressure or Stress!
The workshop involves a range of drawing and painting exercises. Initially, we will practice loose gestural sketches to learn how to see basic shapes, colors and values of Kingsbrae Gardens. Through specific tips and demonstrations about loose shapes and energetic lines, students will create abstract forms. These lessons will help prepare our eyes and hands for projects where we aim to accurately capture scenes in a representational style.
As the workshop progresses and we move toward realism, we will use basic geometric shapes and measuring techniques to develop multiple drawings. We will also create value studies that can guide you during the workshop and in future painting. We will bring our sketches to life by adding layers of gauche paint.
In beautiful St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, we will dive into drawing and painting projects that will elevate your practice (no matter what level artist you are!). Part of each day will be spent outside in the gardens and surrounding area and part of our time will be spent in the beautifully designed KIRA studios. The workshop will include demonstrations, work time and individual attention as our step-by-step compositions unfold. You will learn how to incorporate an art practice into your every day life whether you are at home gazing out the window or inspired by the new sights of travel.
The materials we will use (included in the fee) are: gouache paint, paint brushes, watercolor paper pads, art pens and pencils, water containers, paper towels, and easels Students bring: any kind of small sketchbook (my favorites are Moleskin and Talens).
Schedule
Check in is between 1:00-4:00 on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025.
At 5:00 we will gather for a Happy Hour Meet and Greet on the iconic back porch of our accommodations at the historic Kingbrae International Residency for the Arts. Meet your fellow art travelers and your instructor Laura Raborn. We will go over the schedule for the workshop and information about the town and our surroundings, followed by a welcome dinner.Check out is 11:00 am on Sunday, June 1st, 2025.
We will have our final breakfast together at 9:30 am before departure.
Daily Sample Schedule (for Thursday, Friday and Saturday):
8:45 am Breakfast
9:30-12:15 Explore the grounds and gardens with sketchpad and cameras, and have lessons in the garden classroom
12:30-2:30 Free time/lunch
2:30-5:30 Studio time for afternoon projects and Laura rotates from studio to studio for individual instruction
5:30 Convene in the living room for a quick daily review, Q&A
7:00 Group dinner
Times will be adjusted slightly. Depending on the schedule, we might plan an optional extra curricular activity such as a sketchbook outing to near-by Minister’s Island or a studio visit with a well known local artist.
Registration opens October 1st, 2024!
Single Occupancy: $3300 CAD (around $2400 USD)
Double Occupancy $2890 CAD per person (around $2100 USD)
To grab your spot, contact the KIRA Director of Operations, Daniel Schmitz, at 506-566-1672 to make your room selection and pay the $965 CAD ($700 USD) deposit. Deposit is due upon registration and balance is due on or before March 1, 2025. Click here to contact Laura to answer your questions and determine if this retreat is the right fit for you. You can also email questions about the KIRA facility and grounds to: daniel@kingsbraegarden.com
Early Bird Discount and Bonus!
Register on or before Jan. 15, 2025 to receive a discounted rate:
Single Occupancy: $2890 CAD per person (around $2100 USD) SAVE $300!
Double Occupancy: $2550 CAD per person (around $1850 USD) SAVE $250! Looking for the biggest bang for your buck? This is it!
Bonus! First person to register will receive the demo painting of their choice at the retreat!
The fee includes the following:
• Workshop art materials
• Happy Hour Welcome event and a jump start to our workshop activities
• Accommodations for four nights at KIRA
• Art studio space on the KIRA grounds open for use at your leisure
• Workshop demonstrations: group instruction each morning and individual instruction each afternoon
• Award-winning chef prepared breakfasts and dinners for four days
• Gratuity for all meals, and all taxes and fees
• Complimentary access to neighboring Kingsbrae Garden
Please read on!
Non-participating guests are welcome in a double occupancy booking for a fee of $1920 CAD (around $1395 USD) which includes 4 nights accommodations, four group breakfasts and four group dinners, and free unlimited entrance to Kingsbrae Gardens (and does not include participation in the daily workshops or studio time).
Note: The payment structure allows you to pay for the retreat in 2 installments: a hold deposit at time of registration and a final payment due on March 1, 2025. ** Please read the cancellation policy below prior to signing up. ** By registering for this retreat, you agree that you have have read the payment and cancellation policies.
Click here to contact Laura to answer your questions and determine if this retreat is the right fit for you. You can also email questions about the KIRA facility and grounds to: daniel@kingsbraegarden.com
Getting to KIRA
Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights. The closest US airport is in Bangor, Maine (2 hour drive) or Portland, ME (4 hour drive). In Canada, the closest airport is the Saint John Airport, approximately 1.5 hrs away from St. Andrews by-the- Sea. Note: Saint John Airport (YSJ) is NOT to be confused with the St. John’s Airport in Newfoundland).
If you decide not to rent a car at the airport, and need a referral for a driver service, please ask for more information during your registration call with Daniel.
Trip insurance and travel
Travel and health insurance are strongly recommended. Participants are responsible to research the implications of travel restrictions at home and abroad before and at the time of travel. Ensure you have everything you need so you aren’t turned away from border crossings or airports.
Payment and cancellation policy
Your $700 US deposit is non-refundable no matter what the circumstance. If you cancel at least 3 months before a retreat, and you have paid in full, we will return 75% of your payment minus the deposit. If you cancel at least 2 months before the retreat, we will return 50% of your payment minus the deposit. If you cancel within 2 months of the start of a retreat, the total fees paid and deposit are nonrefundable. We understand that illness and emergencies happen, therefore, encourage all participants to purchase travel insurance.
Please know that we do not aim to profit off of someone’s cancellation, therefore, if there is a wait list and we are able to fill your spot, you will be reimbursed your payment minus the non-refundable deposit. If the retreat is cancelled, you will receive your deposit and all fees paid. With such a small group, the fee structure is dependent on a certain number of participants attending therefore, we must adhere to the above described cancellation policy in order to run the program.
