What did you think most inspired the students?

There were countless special moments, but I think that learning about Paul Cézanne, visiting where he lived and worked, and then drawing and painting Mont Sainte-Victoire, which he famously painted, was a great experience. A student who went on to Paris after the program wrote to the rest of the class that she found one of Cézanne’s paintings of the mountain in a museum.

What were your favorite museum trip?

Everyone enjoyed the Roman Museum in Nimes, where the class sketched ancient artifacts. The Petit Palais was a terrific museum of Medieval through Renaissance artwork in Avignon. And the LUMA museum in Arles was a spectacular space designed by Frank Gehry to showcase contemporary art.

In addition to the museums, it was inspiring to explore uniquely charming and picturesque villages, such as the Luberon region and Roussillon, where art materials are derived from the rich yellow and red ochre hills. There was also Tarascon Castle, which we seemed to have all to ourselves. We learned about Medieval tales of the Beast of Tarascon and how the town celebrates its history with an annual festival named for the creature.

What did you think of the experience of sketching on location?

Since we were visiting places with such a rich art-historical background, it was a combination of learning about how and where artists like Paul Cézanne and van Gogh worked and developing one’s own practice. For example, at the Montmajour Abbey, where van Gogh made many paintings and drawings, we had a workshop about how he used natural materials, such as reeds found in the fields to create pens. The students watched the pens being carved and some joined in cutting and shaping their own. They then studied van Gogh’s drawings he created in the space and made their own sketches using the same tools.

Other on-site drawing sessions took place at the ancient Roman aqueduct and the Pont du Gard. Some students created glowing watercolor landscapes, while others made bold-stroke ink sketches. The diversity of the work was fun to compare and contrast, and the talent of the students was incredibly inspiring. By the end of the two-week program, each had created a sketchbook that served as a visual travelog for the group’s journey.

Angie Wojak, executive director of SVA External Relations, discusses her experience on a recent SVA Destinations excursion.