Layers of the Land:
A STUDY IN ABSTRACTION, ENCAUSTIC & PLACE
Treat nature by the sphere, the cylinder and the cone…
Sometimes I imagine colors as if they were living ideas,
being of pure reason with which to communicate.
Nature is not on the surface, it is deep down.
—Paul Cezanne
August 24-28, 2026 AT LAREAU INN & FARM, WAITSFIELD, VERMONT
Limited to 10 participants
Vermont’s shifting light and endlessly varied landscape set the stage for this immersive retreat, designed for artists ready to move into abstraction or deepen an existing abstract practice. Together, we’ll explore how to translate the essence of place — its color, texture, rhythm, and atmosphere — into personal, expressive encaustic paintings that reflect your own creative voice.
We’ll begin with traditional outdoor image-gathering and guided exercises that invite you to see the land in new ways, simplifying color, value, texture, and form into their most essential shapes. These field studies become the springboard for richly layered encaustic paintings in the studio, where we’ll explore techniques for translucency, layering, and color mixing — with options to incorporate collage and mixed media to make the abstract landscape uniquely yours.
Throughout the retreat, we’ll also consider our body’s deep connection to landscape through journaling, readings, and expressive mark-making prompts. For those who wish, optional one-on-one critiques with Lorraine provide space for individualized feedback and guidance.
**Please note that participants should be prepared to spend time outside as well as in the studio. Any participant unable to take part in the outdoor activities are welcome to opt out and alternative indoor creative exercises will be provided.
Retreat Information
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The Retreat fee includes accommodations for 4 nights at Lareau Inn, daily breakfast and lunch, one dinner, daily afternoon snacks and first night orientation, plus most workshop materials. A list of available rooms with links to images is listed on each of the Retreat pages below.
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$2900 Per person includes all of the above accommodations, food, snacks, most workshop materials and FUN.
Payment of 50% of the workshop fee ($1450 if paying via check, Zelle or Venmo, $3005 if paying via Paypal is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($1450) due approximately 6 weeks before the Retreat start date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.
Not Interested in Lareau Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch?
$1900 includes workshop fee and most materials.
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Registration Instructions if staying at Lareau Inn:
1. Review the list of available rooms below and choose your room-each is linked to images and a brief description.
2. DO NOT book your room from the Lareau Inn web site. All rooms have already been booked in advance for our Retreats.
3. Contact Lorraine via email with the name of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.
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Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe as well as Additional Accommodations in Waitsfield (see menu item below).
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Available at Waitsfield Inn and Featherbed Inn which are within one mile of Lareau Inn.
Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe.
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In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email.
Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee).
Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.
In this circumstance, a credit of 50% of the deposit may be applied to another Vermont Retreat Only. The other 50% of the deposit will not be credited or refunded.
Itinerary & Materials
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Monday 6-9pm Orientation
Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours
Tuesday-Thursday, 6:00-9pm optional night studio hours
*NOTE* A Detailed Daily Itinerary including optional evening activities is emailed to participants a few weeks before the Retreat start date.
Monday 6-9pm Orientation
Meet & Greet Wine, Cheese, Snacks and Smores by the Lareau Farm Fire Pit & Lorraine will discuss how to work with R&F Drawing Oils en plain air and abstract painting inspiration.Tuesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
We will start the day en plein air, learning how to select a composition, rough out the values, create photo references, identify and combine forms within the landscape. Back at the studio, Lorraine will introduce a series of fun abstraction exercises designed to sharpen your mark-making and composition skills.Wednesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
A deeper dive into the plein air image gathering experience to include a more complex visual area, and a further exploration of synthesizing form, value and layering color to capture mood. Back at the studio, we will begin translating your outdoor studies using a combination of encaustic, pigment sticks and drawing oils. We will continue with uninterrupted work time for experimenting, painting, working toward a series and individual discussions with Lorraine.Thursday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
After morning discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time to further explore abstracting the landscape using encaustic collage, surface manipulation, translucency, layers and mark-making to build a series that expresses your personal connection to the landscape.
Take the rest of the afternoon to experiment with marks, make color studies, ask questions, request informal demos, and continue with individual discussions with Lorraine.Friday 9:00am-1:00pm Workshop
Morning work time to complete projects, look at books, journal your thoughts and continue individual mentoring with Lorraine. Lunch, clean up and good-byes. -
All encaustic paints, encaustic medium, tools and equipment
A variety of R&F Drawing Oils
A variety of R&F Pigment Sticks
Sumi ink & other misc. drawing media
Misc. drawing papers
Paper towels/rags
Extra encaustic brushes
Stencils and other textures
Misc. collage materials
Extra Disposable gloves
Tracing paper
Graphite transfer paper
Gamsol
Extra Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Crayons
Parchment Paper
Wax Paper
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The following is a list of materials to bring to the Retreat—Visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store for Art Supply/Portable Art Supply Ideas
**Note If it presents a hardship to bring any of these supplies, please Contact Lorraine.Watercolor or Mixed Media sketchbook (lay flat, size 9 x 12 or 11×14, heavy stock to withstand wet media, encaustic sketching-at least 117 lb or above)
1-2 drawing media of your choice in black or earth tones (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, Sharpie felt pen, etc.)
1-2 water based drawing media of your choice black or earth tones (Small, portable watercolor set, India ink, walnut ink or India ink pen, Tombow markers, artgraf water soluble graphite, Stabilo Woody or All-pencil, caran d’ache neocolor II crayons, etc.)
Any Set of R&F Drawing Oils OR 6-8 Individual colors of your choice
Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
3-5 hake or hog’s bristle natural hair brushes in 1-2 inch sizes for encaustic painting (1 brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color if you are bringing used brushes)
Materials for collage (fabric, papers, magazine images, photos, etc.)
2-4 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10 or 12×12, but no larger or smaller, please)
Paint Movers—Choose 1-2: Catalyst painting tools, silicone baking tools, silicone tipped clay tools, palette knives, found objects, etc.
Optional Materials
Smock, any encaustic paint color, pigment stick or Drawing Oil color you favor, Iwatani torch with extra butane, any tool or material for any technique that you normally employ while working with encaustic, textured objects and/or sharp ended tool for pressing into/incising/writing/drawing into wax, flat edge Catalyst wedge, silicone tipped clay tools or Catalyst tools, 1-2 inspiring books to share with the class, sweatshirt or sweater for chilly evenings and mornings, head lamp or battery operated desk lamp. If you would like to share your current work with Brenda or Lorraine, bring 2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine.
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Sturdy hiking shoes/boots
Small waterproof cushion or portable chair
Small backpack
Comfortable clothing
Light rainwear
Hat
Water bottle
For art supply/portable art supply/hiking or travel ideas, visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store
