Shari Blaukopf: "Sketching in Ink & Watercolour" 2027

How do you tell the story of a place through your sketches? The answer is not in any single sketch, of course. The answer emerges slowly across a series of sketches, both large and small, captured in a single sketchbook. Turning the pages, these sketches reflect the essence of the location and your responses to place.

This four-day workshop is designed to give participants a variety of skills to help them feel confident while sketching on location — capturing people, places and things that evoke a time and a place — and return home with a fat book filled with fresh and colorful sketches.

As part of a small group, participants will observe plenty of short demos and receive individual attention as we work on value studies, color, composition, vignettes, lettering, simplifying a scene, and keeping our watercolors fresh. We’ll focus on having fun while we sketch, recording as much as we can as we capture some beautiful Vermont locations. Each day will end with a review and a critique.  

Join Canadian watercolor artist and travel sketcher Shari Blaukopf (CSPWC, AWS) for a four-day watercolor painting workshop. With watercolors and brushes in hand, you’ll learn to “see” and capture the always-changing beauty of Vermont's green mountains.

What You’ll Explore

·         Capturing the visual story of a place

·         Becoming comfortable sketching in public

·         Creating focal points in their sketches

·         Working quickly and confidently in ink and watercolour

·         Creating vignettes and multi-sketch page layouts enhanced with hand-lettering

Meet the Artist

Shari Blaukopf is a Montreal-based teacher, painter and sketch blogger who loves to travel and share her love of watercolour. She’s the author of The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color, and you can find her popular online courses on learn.shariblaukopf.com. She’s been a part of the Urban Sketchers community since 2012 and has given many watercolour workshops both on her own and internationally through the Urban Sketchers Workshop Program. Her watercolours are in corporate, government and private collections in North America and abroad, and she’s a signature member of the American Watercolor Society and the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour.

Visit Shari's website   ·   Instagram @sharisketcher

Supply List

Blaukopf Supply List.pdf

Starting Price — All-Inclusive

Workshop Tuition: $900

All Inclusive with Tuition, Room, Meals: From $2,460 per person

Single occupancy · all-inclusive · 5 nights · best prepaid rate

•      Includes workshop instruction, lodging at The Landgrove Inn, three meals daily, the welcome reception, and gratuity (taxes additional)

•      5 nights lodging + full board at $312/night (single, prepaid) = $1,560

•      Workshop fee = $900

•      Bringing a companion? Add just $114/night for their lodging, meals and gratuity. Also taking the workshop? Just add another workshop fee.

Prefer to spend a little less time away? You can check out on the final workshop day for 4 nights instead of 5 — subtract $312/night (single occupancy). See the FAQ.

What’s Included

A simple “show up and paint” package — full room and board, with everything handled:

•      Four days of instruction and programming

•      Lodging at The Landgrove

•      Three meals per day, including 3-course dinners

•      Welcome reception on the first night

•      Gratuity included (taxes additional)

All meals are shared together as a group — a big part of the Landgrove experience and what makes these retreats feel like a true creative community.

A Day at Landgrove

Arrival day

•      Check-in from 3 PM

•      Welcome reception (wine/beer + hors d’oeuvres) 5–6 PM

•      Introductory 3-course dinner 6–8 PM

Workshop days

•      Breakfast (communal) 8–9 AM

•      Morning drawing session

•      Lunch (communal) 12:30 PM

•      Afternoon drawing session

•      3-course dinner (communal) 6–8 PM

Departure day

•      Breakfast 8–9 AM

•      Check-out by 11 AM

The Landgrove Setting

You’ll stay in a peaceful historic inn surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest — an inspiring setting that helps you slow down and settle into deep creative work. When you want to explore beyond the studio, you’re close to classic Vermont: Manchester (Southern Vermont Arts Center, Northshire Bookstore), Weston (Weston Theater Company, the Vermont Country Store), plus scenic drives and mountain towns nearby.

Mini-FAQ

Can I check out earlier?

Yes. The package runs through the morning after the final workshop day, but you’re welcome to check out one day earlier—on the final workshop day, and thereby subtract $312 for the last night. Check-out of your room is by 9 AM if doing so, before the morning workshop session. When inputting your dates to book, just change your check-out date to one day earlier.

Can my partner or a friend come along?

Absolutely — companions are welcome and very much part of the experience. The second guest in your room is booked as a companion, with lodging, all meals and gratuity included, for $114/night more than going solo. Many spouses and friends join just for the stay — exploring the forest, nearby towns, the pool, or a book by the tavern fire — while still sharing every meal.

Can my partner or friend also take the workshop?

If your companion also wants to paint, add “Additional Workshop Registration” at checkout, or contact us.

What about dietary needs?

Add any dietary requirements in the Special Requests field at checkout and we’ll prepare accordingly. All meals are shared together as a group.

How do I get there?

The nearest airports are Albany, Hartford, Boston, and Rutland VT. Train stations are in Albany NY and Brattleboro VT (recommend Albany if travelling from NYC). For transit from an airport or train station we recommend Mountain Drivers (802.772.5223, mtndrivers.com).

What should I bring?

The supply list is included will be provided ahead of the workshop and covers everything you’ll need to bring. Tables and studio space are provided.

How many students?

Workshops are intentionally small — this one is capped at 15 — for real personal attention and a close-knit group.

Can Vermont locals attend without staying at the inn?

If you're a local and would want to commute to the workshop daily, we will take bookings for up to two workshop participants until 60 days before the workshop (within 60 days we open all available workshop spots for locals). The cost for local attendees is the workshop fee, plus one of the following meal plan options (including gratuity):

• Workshop Lunches ($27.50/day)

• Workshop Lunches & 3-Course Dinners ($81.00/day)

Ready to Book?

Book This Workshop, use the booking widget on this page, or give us a ring at 802.824.6674.