LAKE ANN WORKSHOP FIELD GUIDE
Three Wednesdays of Watercolor: Studio Basics, VW Road Days, and Northern Michigan Vistas
A three-week, once-weekly watercolor series that starts with studio technique work at an open-air pavilion and continues with two field sessions traveling by vintage VW bus to paint northern Michigan landscapes.
Three Wednesdays of Watercolor: Studio Basics, VW Road Days, and Northern Michigan Vistas.
Vino Vista Series is a three-week watercolor workshop that begins with an introductory studio session and then moves into two field days of plein-air painting amid northern Michigan’s lakecountry. The format pairs quiet, foundational practice with on-the-road observation: participants assemble materials in an open-air pavilion, then climb aboard a vintage VW bus for guided painting sessions and spontaneous local side trips.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Foundations at the Almira Pavilion
The series opens with a relaxed studio gathering where participants assemble watercolor kits, get comfortable with materials, and run through a few foundational techniques to prepare for painting outdoors.
Vintage VW Roaming Studio
Field sessions are traveled in style aboard the instructor’s vintage VW bus, creating a communal, mobile studio as the group moves from meeting point to scenic painting sites.
Three Hours of Plein-Air Painting
At each field stop the group spends roughly three hours painting in the open air, followed by room for a spontaneous side quest — a swim, a farm-stand stop, or a local drink — before concluding the day.
What the day feels like
What the three-week series feels like
The series flows from a calm, instructional morning in an open-air pavilion into two social, observational field days. Each field day begins at mid-morning with a group departure aboard a vintage VW, unfolds into hours of open-air painting at a chosen landscape site, and leaves space for a casual, spontaneous local stop before wrapping up in the mid-afternoon.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this series suits — and what wasn’t specified.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The first session includes assembling watercolor painting kits and familiarizing yourself with materials; come prepared to set up and practice basic techniques.
Plan for a full-day rhythm: sessions run approximately 5 to 6 hours with field painting occupying about three hours of that time.
The studio session is relaxed and foundational, intended to ready participants for outdoor painting on subsequent weeks.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
When does the Vino Vista Series take place?
The three-week series meets one day per week on consecutive Wednesdays: Sept 23, Sept 30, and Oct 7.
How long is each session?
Each session runs about 5 to 6 hours.
Where do we meet?
The meeting location is 19440 Maple St, Lake Ann, MI 49650.
What happens at the first session?
The first gathering is a studio session at an open-air pavilion where watercolor kits are assembled and foundational techniques are practiced to prepare for field days.
What happens on field days?
Field days begin at 10 AM with group travel in the vintage VW bus to a painting location, include about three hours of open-air painting, and leave room for a spontaneous side quest before concluding around 3 PM.