Traveling Abroad

As an artist I have found it to be very beneficial to travel and be exposed to other cultures as well as their history and their art.
It has proven to be very inspirational and enlightening as I continue my travel on this journey of being an artist.

I have been presented a few wonderful opportunities this coming year which I know would be very enriching and visually stimulating.

Venice, Italy and St. Petersburg, Russia are two of those.

I can already envision some of the paintings that would come from such beautiful places as these. Since these are not the traditional plein air events with the opportunity to show and sell my work while I am there I am reaching out to see if any of you would be interested in helping me make these two trips happen financially.
I would be happy to offer a painting or oil sketch of your choice for help with my travel and visa expenses. The paintings can be of Venice or Russia or even the states if there is a current available piece that you would like to acquire versus one from abroad.

I will be doing smaller works as well as some larger ones. I am happy to discuss any and all possibilities with you.

Here are some ideas that I think can make it fun and worth your while Of course any amount would be most appreciated for your support / donation / faith in me:

$50 = pencil sketch
$150 = small study 6×8  – $525 Value
$250 = small painting 8×10 – $725 Value
$500 = 12″ x 16″ painting on linen panel – $1600 Value
$1500 = 18″ x 24″ painting on linen – $2800 Value

$200 = a full one day one on one workshop

$       = open to suggestions : )

email: dewaardfineart@gmail.com

Venice Italy

The first opportunity is a ten day painting trip in Venice Italy in April.

Staying right in Venice working from morning and well into the night and then some. I have traveled there a handful of times however I have never actually stayed in Venice. I have always commuted back to my family’s home in San Biaggio. So naturally a chance to be in Venice around the clock painting is an opportunity I do not want to pass up. (Never mind the fact that John Singer Sargent spent many years there painting and did some wonderful back alleys of Venice and numerous watercolors of the canals.)

I am working with a British gentleman about securing some inexpensive housing. Nothing fancy just a bed is all that is needed, well and a shower would be nice. I plan to be out painting pretty much every waking hour.

Recently I came across an article about a show at The MET in NYC about this very subject.

American Artists Abroad: Stephanie Herdrich on Italy’s Influence on American Art
April 20, 2018

Stephanie Herdrich:
Many artists had a sense that they must see Italy, that you somehow weren’t completely educated unless you had experienced the culture and the history.

Here is a link if you are interested in reading it:

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2018/american-painters-italy-stephanie-herdrich-interview

St. Petersburg, Russia

I am honored to be invited back to paint in Russia. This time it will be in St. Petersburg which to my understanding is a wonderful place to visit and paint along with all of the wonderful history and museums.

This trip will take place from the end of May until early June, which I have been told is during the White Nights Festival. Those of us invited are very fortunate as they will house and feed us, but we do need to pay for our flight, visa and of course materials to work with!

This trip is jam packed painting every day in many of the gardens, palaces, and squares in St. Petersburg. So along with the added feel of twilight all evening long and the venues they have planned once again it is an opportunity not to be missed. I am delighted and grateful to be invited back!

Once again, I want to thank you for your continued support. I appreciate any and all donations to making my dream of painting in Venice and St. Petersburg become a reality. I am very grateful for these opportunities and know that I will be very motivated and inspired and I will produce some very beautiful work.

Thank you kindly for your time!
Warm regards~
Ken

Here is a snippet on the White Nights:

Technically speaking the so-called “White Nights” are not unique to St Petersburg, but only here have the northern nights received such a poetic acclaim. What could be more romantic than walking along rivers and canals when night is as bright as early evening? It is the world’s only metropolis where such a phenomenon takes place every summer. Every year there are days when the downtown St Petersburg is full of people, even at night.
From late May to early July nights are bright in St Petersburg. The nature of the White Nights (Beliye Nochi) can be explained by the geographical location of St. Petersburg. It is the world’s most northern city with a population over 1 million. St Petersburg is located at 59 degrees 57′ North (roughly on the same latitude as Oslo, Norway, the southern tip of Greenland and Seward, Alaska). Due to such a high latitude the sun does not go under the horizon deep enough for the sky to get dark. The dusk meets the dawn and it is so bright that in summer they do not turn street lighting on.

http://www.cityvision2000.com/city_tour/whitenights.htm