Testimonials

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"This trip was a wonderful experience in so many ways.  My painting practice grew; I found myself using more color, able to absorb and concentrate for longer periods of time.  Paintings became more playful and joyful.  I also made great friends, and returning to my normal life in NYC, I felt relaxed and rejuvenated.  I hope to do Plein Air Portugal again someday."

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                                           - KB Jones

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"I looked at my hundreds of photos, short films and then my sketches and paintings when I arrved home.  They stirred up so much emotion.  Made me instantly want to go back!  Perhaps that is your secret weapon, in choosing Travanca do Monte, a most special place for a workshop.

What I loved:

The school house; Dale’s art history lesson - It was helpful for me to really dig more into composition issues;  Karen’s cultural, anthropological, personal portraits, animal encounters and, and, and, were all enriching and a special treat as a slide show; the crits  - were constructive and inspiring, full of personal empathy."

                                       - Diane Sorg 

"This was the trip of a lifetime for me. I had never traveled abroad before so this was a great way to get a little "guided" tour of Portugal, but still have the freedom to go off and explore these amazingly inspiring places. I was able to focus on my art for the first time in years and connect with other phenomenal artists that inspired me to be a better painter. I walked away from this trip with a fresh view of my work and a larger appreciation for new adventures. It was the most relaxing, fun, engaging and awe-inspiring trip of my life. This should be on every artist's bucket list!"

                                    - Jesse Hashagen

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"The sky surrounds you, the hills call you. Dale inspires, instructs, and is tireless for you. Karen's photos reveal her inimitable view of this most beautiful and incomparable landscape. Our hosts feed and share their food and their history in their family's 15 th century villa with you. Enough? There's so much more... Dale won't let you leave without a work that is yours and yours alone. Yeah, it was pretty good! Thank you both

                                       -  Gail Kinn  

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"What a wonderful week I had participating in the photo workshop at Casa da Levada!  From the moment I arrived at this mountaintop aerie, I was embraced by its solicitous hosts, Luis and Maria, whose main goal was to ensure that their guests appreciate and enjoy to the utmost their beautiful home and the hamlet it’s nestled in. As a novice photographer I delighted in the guidance offered by Karen Bell as we availed ourselves of the infinite amount of photo ops either in the immediate environs of the posada (amazing vistas every which way you looked) or in the surrounding countryside that we explored on our side trips, which Dale had mapped out with an eye to their aesthetic value. Most of all, the experience of being part of an artistic community in a place that offered both sensory excitement and, at the same time a feeling of serenity, was one that has left its imprint on me."

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                                 - Deborah Kane Millan 

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"An artistic aerie, with marvelous views, rivers, mountains, fields.  Isolated but with amenities includeing restaurants, bars and an art supply store.  Costs are the most reasonable in all of western Europe.   I enjoyed every second I was there."

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                                    - Arthur Levine 

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"Casa de Levada is a magical place out of time.  Maria and Luis, the hosts, are everything one would ask for in terms of welcoming, providing comfort and delicious food, as well as helping with every little need that may arise.

The site is magnificent and inspiring.  I loved everything about being there, painting the landscape and meeting local folks in an environment unchanged for centuries; a unique European adventure.  Dale’s guidance was the cherry on top."

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                                      - Petey Brown