Athens & Santorini
May 17 – 24 /2025
Photography / Plein-Air Painting Workshop
Taught by Scott Williams & Niki Gulley
See Athens spread out from the Acropolis, explore the cliff side views of the blue domes and white washed buildings set against the cobalt water of the Aegean or watch the sun set next to the windmills at Ioa. This is an opportunity to have one of those adventures that you will talk about for years, all while you improve on your artistic vision in a real world setting.
Get inspired from the ancient beauty of Greece as you join us for this amazing opportunity to sharpen your skills while enjoying one of the most picturesque landscapes in the world. Learning has never been as much fun as it is with this unique workshop that takes both painters and photographers on a tour through the cradle of civilization.
Enjoy the view of the Acropolis from the rooftop setting of our Athens hotel while eating breakfast, before experiencing it first hand. Stroll along the rim of the caldera taking in all of the visual splendor that Santorini has to offer. Or sit back and relax on a boat trip through the blue water or go for a swim in the heated volcanic hot springs before climbing to the top of the volcano. Finally watch the sunset into the ocean from your perch at Ioa on the tip of the island.
Niki will conduct the Plein-Air Painting Workshop from different picturesque locations daily, teaching through a combination of demos, discussions, assistance and critiques. Sessions will be broken into one half day outings of either morning or afternoon locations, with the other half day set aside for exploring the cultural side of the area. There will also be plenty of time in between for shopping, sightseeing or to dine al fresco for a leisurely lunch.
Scott will take the photographers on a daily walking tour, giving you the opportunity to experience the trip through your lens as he guides you to use your camera to define what you see while achieving your own artistic vision.
As with the painters, there will be half day destinations, with time allowances for exploring on your own.
This unique Workshop affords you the option to choose which aspect interests you, whether it is painting, photography or both. Thereby giving you an opportunity to make the most of your Art Treks experience. There will also be critique sessions throughout the workshop that can provide invaluable information and feedback, as well as giving everyone an opportunity to share ideas and get to know each other.
There will also be opportunities each day to see the museums, visit the churches, go shopping and enjoy all of the things that make Greece what it is. So come join us as we take you on an inspirational exploration of Greece with an emphasis on observation and perception as we help you develop your own style – or just ride along to enjoy the views, as artists and non-artists alike are welcome.
Admission is limited to 12 participants, so we encourage you to enroll as soon as possible. There will also be space open for non-participating partners at reduced rates on a limited basis.
Work Shop includes:
- Lodging for 7 nights. 2 in Athens & 5 in Santorini.(Accommodations are in shared rooms, although a few single rooms may be available at an extra fee)
- Breakfast throughout the trip and all transportation throughout the trip after arriving at the Athens hotel
- Flight to & from Santorini
- Sunset boat trip, swimming in the hot springs and access to volcano
- Wine tasting
- Entrance to Acropolis and museum
- Emergency Medical insurance
- Instruction, guidance, experience and fun
Your cost for all of this is $3,995 and to reserve a spot, simply send a completed application form (the forms will be provided upon request) along with your deposit of $1,500 per person by 5/11/24, after that date the price goes to $4,595. There is also a final application cut off date of 10/12/24 for the workshop to make.
There has to be a minimum of 6 people for the trip to make, if the 6 person minimum is not met by the 10/12/24 deadline, deposits will be refunded.
A second payment of one half of the remainder after deposit is due by 7/20/24, with a final payment due by 9/14/25. For those wanting a single occupancy room, there will be an additional cost of $950. We can take credit card payments, however it will incur a 3.7% fee.
There is a discount of $350 for partners wanting to accompany participants on the trip, but not take the workshop. We will also setup optional spa tours, wine tasting or cooking classes where available at an additional cost for participants not interested in the painting/photography sessions.
Airfare to the workshop is not included, you are responsible for your own travel arrangements. As more and more people are arriving at different dates & times, you will now be responsible for your own travel arrangements to the hotel. I will provide links to the various transportation options. We will provide all other transportation within Greece once you arrive at the hotel.
Our trips, while not overly strenuous do require a reasonable amount of physical fitness. In order to derive the greatest experience from our destinations, we spend a fair amount of time walking within each location. Our goal being that each person should see and experience as much of the culture as possible during our excursions.
In the event of inclement weather during the trip, arrangements will be made for museum visits, etc. Once deposits are received, there will be no refunds for cancellations as trip arrangements will have been made. We suggest trip insurance for travel difficulties or unforeseen illness.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can help you in any way and we hope that you will be able to join us!
Scott Williams 214-289-8512 / Niki Gulley 214-803-5812
Email Scott, photoguy@blind-squirrel.org if you are interested in joining us.