Watercolor Batik Workshop
Instructed by Connie Adams
Mind Vacation Group | Amber Palmer MA, MFT
1430 Esplanade, Suite 15, Chico, CA 95926
* Opening doors to creativity * Enhancing self-esteem * Relaxation Stress Reduction * Painting as a meditation *
This Watercolor Batik Class is back by popular demand! Come and join Connie Adams for a day of Watercolor Batik on Rice Paper. Bring your own designs or ideas that you want to work on. If you don’t have anything that you want to attempt, you can utilize Connie's stencils. See samples of florals below that Connie has worked on. Bring your brushes and paints and Connie will supply the Rice Paper, wax, and brushes for wax, plus iron and newsprint.
Saturday, September 24th, 2022
9am - 3pm
Break for lunch around 12-1
Workshop is $50.00. Payable to Connie Adams, and payment secures your spot. The address will be sent upon registration. For more information email/call Amber Palmer (530) 899-8401 | amberpmft@sbcglobal.net
or you can reach Connie Adams at (530) 518-5302.
Watercolor Batik Workshop
“Koi Pond: Painting and Photography on Location”
With Amber Palmer MA, MFT
1430 Esplanade, Suite 15, Chico, CA 95926
Opening doors to creativity * Enhancing self-esteem * Relaxation
Stress reduction * Painting as a meditation * Photography * Sketching
Group & Individual Instruction and Encouragement
Saturday, July 23rd
9am - 3pm
12-1pm break for lunch
This workshop was hosted by Mind Vacation artist Connie Adams. It was a Watercolor Batik class on Rice paper and introduced the Brusho technique!
"Morning Glories"
"Quince"
"Poppies"
April 2022 Plein Air Painting Workshop
“Koi Pond: Painting and Photography on Location”
With Amber Palmer MA, MFT
1430 Esplanade, Suite 15, Chico, CA 95926
Opening doors to creativity * Enhancing self-esteem * Relaxation
Stress reduction * Painting as a meditation * Photography * Sketching
Saturday, April 23rd
10am - 4pm
12-1pm break for lunch
Group & Individual Instruction and Encouragement
This painting on location was at a Koi Pond surrounded by architectural delights, little waterfalls, plants, and flowers. We utilized the Koi or environment around us to inspire our paintings. Others chose to explore with their camera lens! Artists brought their own setups to get comfortable, enjoyed the Spring weather and delved into the creative process. Workshop was $45.
Mind Vacation Plein Air Workshop
“Out on Location: Orchards & Flowers”
With Amber Palmer MA, MFT
1430 Esplanade, Suite 15, Chico, CA 95926
Opening doors to creativity * Enhancing self-esteem * Relaxation
Stress reduction * Painting as a meditation * Photography * Sketching
Group & Individual Instruction and Encouragement
The start of summer provides perfect weather for painting on location. This workshop was two days: The first day was Plein Air Painting at Michelle Ramsey’s beautiful property in Durham where we painted layers of color capturing the vivacious composition of the flowers, orchard, and gardens. We captured the essence of the outdoors and spilled vibrant life onto the paper as we fostered a sense of creativity through inspiration and relaxation! Class continued the following weekend. Students chose to either finish up their plein air painting or participated in a demo I did on Poppies, Iris’s, and wildflowers!
Friday, May 14th & Saturday, May 22nd
"THROUGH THE SEASONS"
Current Art Exhibit at Broadway Heights Restaurant
Chico, CA
Reception: May 6, 2021
The first reception of 2021 for the artists of the Mind Vacation Watercolor Group was on Thursday, May 6th at Broadway Heights Restaurant: 5 paintings were sold - three beautiful paintings by Carolyn Ayres, our featured artist, and two of Lacey Epperson's vibrant night pieces! With live music, hors d'oeuvres and the exciting art created by Mind Vacation Artists while sheltering in place - we hope you did not miss out on this lovely event.
These artists, a part of an inspiring community of artists, each freely expressing creatively their own beautiful message, have contributed a variety of multimedia pieces including watercolor, pastel, photograph, air brush, trash art, and oil. Artist Renee Christenson says, “Even though we’ve been isolated for a year, we didn’t lose our creativity, and the proof is in this show.” Carolyn Ayres is new to the Mind Vacation Watercolor Group and is the featured artist of this gallery. Her watercolors and pastels are wonderfully displayed along with the works of fourteen others. She says, “I moved to Chico eight years ago and have been searching for where to put down new roots. With this group, I have found my new home, surrounded by supportive artists who encourage me to grow and flower into who I am-someone who loves to paint.”
Thank you to Carolyn Ayres, our featured artist!
"Aspen Trees with Fall Foliage and Forests"
Workshop & Critique
November 2020
*complied with social distancing guidelines*
And a big thank you to the rest of our artists who participated in this show:
Connie Adams
Sue Evans
Lacey Epperson
April Richard-Senior
Renee Christenson
Judy Richter
Joyce Quaytman
Sandy Gohlke
Tracey Coulter
Gale Dixon Brown
Georgia Bernoudy
Suzanne Brayton
Leslie Mann
and Host, Amber Palmer
It’s about the process, experience, experimentation, letting go and finding the artists within!
In this workshop, the Mind Vacation art group painted in and around the studio while capturing the colors of Autumn leaves, Aspen and Birch trees in natural light and learning how to get started with establishing a serene and creative connection with oneself while you paint. I provided a demonstration and encouraged how to create layers of color capturing reflections, bouncing light, deep shadows, and unique color combinations.
Break for Lunch 12-1
1pm – 4pm: Continue Painting with Group
& Individual Instruction and Encouragement
$40.00 Registration + $8 Supply Fee.
Watercolor Workshops with Lian Quan Zhen
October 2019
Lian Quan Zhen intstructed Mind Vacation Artists on a three-day watercolor workshop event hosted by Amber Palmer. A special thank you to Lian who traveled to Chico in order to inspire our artists and share his experience and skills. A thank you as well to artists who accomodated Lian throughout his stay and everyone who brought their creative minds and souls to the workshop!
Future workshops and retreats with Lian Quan Zhen can be found on our
For more information on Lian, visit http://www.lianspainting.com
Sausalito Bay and Angel Island
Mind Vacation Retreat
On our Mind Vacation Retreat, we sailed from Sausalito Bay to Angel Island--reveling in the beauty of San Francisco and capturing the scenery with our paintbrushes. With Gallery hopping, dinners and picnics by the water, and painting on the boat--It's safe to say we had a great Mind Vacation. Come join us next time! Info for the next retreat will be posted here shortly.
