BODIES IN THE SUN, FIGURES IN THE NIGHT with Garin Baker

OVERVIEW

• Number of Nights: 6 Nights
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• How to Reach Us: Pickup from Palermo (PMO) airport See our pickup policy
• Experience Level: All levels are welcome
• Materials: Oil paints on canvas
• Equipment: All material required is available for rental through “Paint Pass”.
• Shipping:  We are happy to pack and send work. Shipping and handling fees vary depending on size, weight, and destination.
• Rental Car: Car rental is not necessary but recommended if you'd like to explore the area after class.

*Please make note that any non-participating partners will not be included for lunch because they will not be present at the studio.

ABOUT GARIN BAKER

Garin Baker was raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. With a strong focus on working from life, his works include complex compositions to simple figure studies. His works are a poignant testament to his unwavering dedication to storytelling. Each brushstroke serves as a vessel for conveying the intricate nuances of contemporary life. An artist who upholds the torch of Traditional Realism in its truest form. 

Baker breathes life into his subjects, capturing not only their physical forms but also the essence of the human experience. Baker studied at Pratt Institute in the early eighties and began a career as a Fine Artist and Illustrator enabling him to raise a young family and renovate a 1790 historical property in the Lower Hudson Valley just north of New York City. As a Professional Muralist, he has initiated several community-based public art projects and as a nationally and internationally recognized muralist, he has collaborated on many development initiatives partnering with governments, businesses, and grassroots organizations, creating iconic and heralded works of public art.

To his credits are numerous gallery exhibitions and awards including Grand Prize at Plein Air Easton, The Irvine Museum Award, and several invitations to the American Masters Exhibitions in New York City. His work has been featured in many publications including The Washington Post, American Artist, Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Magazine, and countless others. In addition, Baker runs a Public Art Mural Company, which offers apprenticeships to young artists working to improve their craft while gaining hands-on experience in the public art realm.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

This unique workshop with New York-based artist Garin Baker unites figure painting and plein air. Mornings will be dedicated to the elements of figure painting with a live model, exploring anatomy, form, the subtleties of light on the figure, and the color tones of skin. In the afternoon, our instruction takes on new meaning as we paint outdoors in both daylight and evening light, occasionally including the model in the composition. You will explore how capturing a landscape is and is not like capturing a human “landscape,” each with its form and challenges. The human figure and the dramatic Mediterranean terrain will be your subjects in this singular experience.

At the end of each day, you’ll return to Baglio Custera, your boutique hotel among the olive groves, to recharge with a glass of wine by the pool. Every day of instruction includes demos and critiques. Baker’s warm style and critical eye makes him ideal for all painters, beginners, and expert, who can expect his personal attention. Materials list will be available upon registration. We can’t wait to see you!

WHAT'S INCLUDED

You will begin each day at our professionally equipped painting studio, working with a live figure model. Sessions include a demo by Baker, who’s training is steeped in the language of Traditional Realism. His distinctive teaching style, honed over many years as a fine artists and educator at the prestigious Art Students’ League of New York, is focused on helping students to capture not only the physical form, but the essence of the individual.

While working in the studio, refreshments are available for you to recharge during breaks and delicious home-cooked lunches create the perfect opportunity to bond with colleagues and the instructor in a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere. Afternoon sessions will take you outdoors to paint and explore Marsala’s historic city center, its lagoon, ancient salt flats, and archeological parks. The occasional inclusion of the model in the composition will provide you with a truly extraordinary chance to integrate figure and landscape painting. The narrative opportunities in such a combination reflect Garin’s trademark style and talent as a storyteller—techniques which he will share with you.

As an added perk, you will be treated to a nighttime painting session in Marsala, an iconic and exciting aspect of Garin’s body of work. We will be working primarily in oil paints, but all mediums are welcome. Garin’s teaching will accommodate all levels of experience, from beginning through advanced.

ACCOMMODATION

You will be staying at Baglio Custera, a boutique hotel in the heart of Marsala’s countryside. Known for its gardens and luxurious swimming pool, this modern resort stands on the Rakalia Hill, the site of an ancient shrine to Hercules, surrounded by olive and orange groves. Baglio Custera is a brand new hotel built on ancient lines, those of the "baglio," or farmhouse.

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From start to finish you will enjoy the extraordinary cuisine of the region influenced by the unique flavors of the Mediterranean including garden-fresh vegetables, ancient grains, and seafood. All meals, accommodation, and daily ground transport are Included in your package, including a celebratory welcome dinner with Garin Baker and the Sicily Artist Retreats team.