Dar el Bacha

Kasbah Mosque

Jardin Majorelle

A painter's dream holiday to one of the world's most exotic and colorful cities, Morocco's 'Red City'... Marrakech!

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Join award-winning artist and instructor Nancy Tankersley capturing the magnificent beauty of Marrakech and the surrounding countryside... painting en plein air in your own unique style.

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Each day we'll feed our creative souls. There will be painting sessions in old Marrakech city center and in countryside locations. Nancy will provide demonstrations and offer individual personal instruction designed to improve your painting skills and expand your art experience. Along with your paintings, you'll take home many treasured memories of a wonderful & fun-filled Morocco painting holiday and creative adventure.

We'll paint in Marrakech's ancient Medina with its labyrinthine alleyways; and in Jemaa el-Fna square, Marrakech's historical colorful meeting place, still feeling untouched by Western influence with its fortune tellers, musicians, dancers, showmen, snake-charmers and food stalls.

We'll paint Marrakech's stunning Islamic architecture and design, and we'll travel to the countryside to paint the natural landscape beauty of nearby Agafay Desert and Atlas Mountains.

We'll immerse ourselves to experience the sights, sounds and magical spell of old Marrakech... discover the rich Arabic and Berber cultures... absorb the city's rose-colored ramparts... observe craftsmen working in small stalls... see horse-drawn carriages and camels & donkeys carrying goods... take in the sights of shops filled floor-to-ceiling with everything imaginable. We'll visit souks with vendors selling local products from copperware & silverware to baskets to leather goods to slippers, from fabrics & scarfs to spices, from fruit & almonds to animal skins. And we'll learn about the influence of Morocco being a former French protectorate country.

There will be personal free time for individual painting... to relax around the pool... have a Moroccan hammam bath & massage... shop in the Medina... sit at rooftop cafes... take leisure walks... rub shoulders with locals... enjoy the Moroccan sunshine... or explore and learn about Marrakech's history, culture, arts & design, and cuisine on your own or on a private tour with an historian guide that Paint Europe can arrange. Marrakech sightseeing ideas and activities include...

• Visiting Bahia Palace, Dar el-Bacha and Saadian Tombs.

• Visiting Koutoubia Mosque, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, to see its spectacular tower made out of pink Gueliz stone and the different decorative design schemes.

• Visiting Jardin Majorelle, the botanical garden originally designed by French artist Jacques Majorelle during the colonial period when Morocco was a protectorate of France, later purchased by Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé.

• Visiting the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum, opened in October 2017, the museum highlights the life work of the designer and his connection to Marrakech... displaying nearly 50 YSL haute couture designed dresses.

• Touring the Berber Museum dedicated to Berber traditions, displaying costumes, craftwork, jewels and musical instruments from Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé's personal collection.

• Taking a day-trip to a Berber village.

• Having a Moroccan cuisine cooking class session hosted by a local chef, learning about local spices, baking bread and preparing a tagine meal.

• Participating on an exclusive Moroccan Design & Artisan Day... a very special day accompanying an expat international designer visiting ateliers and workshops tucked out of public view... visiting wholesalers and specialty shops which are off the beaten path, known primarily by industry experts.

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The painting trip includes many extras -- including a welcome reception with Moroccan hors d'oeuvres and French wines... and a very special traditional Moroccan cuisine gala farewell dinner in the Agafay Desert under a desert tent. We'll witness the beautiful desert sky at dusk and glowing stars at night. It's a magical evening you'll always remember!  

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We'll stay in Marrakech's legendary luxury oasis five-star hotel, La Mamounia, located in the center of Marrakech, a short distance from Jemaa el-Fna Square and the Medina. The hotel is one of the great hotels of the world. La Mamounia is a palace hotel that is part of the fabric, history and tradition of Marrakech. Its magnificent garden is composed of 700 orange trees, 5,000 rose bushes, 21 cactus species, 6 palm trees species and 200 olive trees; and has a magnificent swimming pool providing a peaceful environment to relax and unwind after a sightseeing day in bustling Marrakech. Winston Churchill would regularly vacation at the hotel and paint in the hotel garden. Franklin Roosevelt described his love of the hotel as: "It is one of the most beautiful places in the world". 

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Optional before breakfast group pleasure walks are organized for travelers who want some morning exercise before starting their vacation day.