Monterey/Carmel California

Explore a stunning destination where creativity flourishes and nature inspires your plein air painting experience.

Beat the heat in July and come paint in Monterey/Carmel California. Please join Painting in Paradise for an all inclusive plein air retreat in Monterey/Carmel. Come paint the beautiful and breathtaking scenery on the California Coast. Enjoy the quaint fairytale village of Carmel. Taught by Maggie Renner Hellmann, an international, classically trained, award-winning artist who resides in Santa Cruz, CA.

About Maggie

Maggie is an award-winning Impressionist painter. Well known for her exciting color, strong compositions and poetic brushwork. Maggie lives in Santa Cruz, California with her husband, Lou Renner, an international mountain climbing guide and painter as well. Teaching full workshops to enthusiastic painters for over 20 years now, Maggie loves to teach painting almost as much as she loves to paint.

Maggie is a classically trained painter. Maggie’s career began as a professional Illustrator & Designer, and early on transitioned to a Professional Painter and Workshop Instructor. In 1982, Maggie earned her Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Design, Illustration and Fine Art at SJSU, studying with the Masters, Maynard Dixon Stewart and Sam Smidt. Maggie continued with International advance painting studies at the Lorenzo de Medici Fine Art Institute in Florence, Italy in 1994.

Maggie won a N.Y. Society of Illustrators Competition Scholarship in college for her painting back then and has received many Best of Show and Artists Choice Awards for her paintings since then.

Maggie’s painting was juried into the ‘Top 20 Paintings’ in the Modern Impressionist Magazine in the spring of 2024 and is featured in the Magazine’s May/June Issue 2024.

Maggie’s love and passion for nature, color, travel, culture and teaching continues to fill her life with Joy. Maggie has taught many full and exciting painting workshops in Europe for the past decade and in many stunning locations across the US for over 20 years: Italy & France, California, Sedona, the Southwest and Colorado. Maggie is always planning painting trips to new destinations and continues to paint joyfully and teach fun workshops to enthusiastic students. Many students tell her that they still hear her lessons in their minds decades later and continue to come back again and again.

Plein air painting since 1978, Maggie has enjoyed participating in a multitude of juried plein air painting festivals, invitationals, events and exhibits through out California, and the USA & Europe. Maggie’s work has been exhibited and collected in Museums and Galleries and juried into multiple Art Magazines and Limited Edition Art Calendars. Her work is exhibited and collected internationally.

“I love the Joy of Color and the Poetry of Brushwork!”

–Maggie More info about Maggie on her Website: MaggieHellmann.com

Where we will stay:
We will stay at the charming Merritt House Inn. Join us at the Merritt House Hotel, an Iconic Boutique Hotel. Just Steps from Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row.

Schedule:
Wednesday
4:00 - Arrival and check in at The Monterey Hotel
5:00-6:00 Welcome reception with wine, non alcoholic drinks and cheese in the hotel
6:00 PM Dinner to follow at a local restaurant.
Rest up for a fun filled next 3 days of painting and activities
Thursday
7:00 – 8:30 AM –Breakfast at your leisure at the hotel
9:00 head to Plein Air painting 9:30 – group paint with snacks and drinks
11:30-12:00 Lunch on site
12:00 – 2:30 group paint with snacks drinks
2:30 clean up and head back to hotel
3:30 Head to Carmel for some shopping and gallery visits
6:30 dinner at one of the quaint restaurants in Carmel

Friday
7:00 – 8:00 AM – Breakfast at your leisure at the hotel
8:00 AM –Depart for Plein Air painting sight
8:30 - 11:30 group paint with snacks and drinks
11:30-12:00 Lunch on sight
12:00-1:30 group paint with snacks and drinks
1:30 clean up and head back
Choice of either go to The Monterey Aquarium or Whale Watching
Dinner to follow at a Restaurant in Monterey

Saturday
7:00 – 8:00 AM –Breakfast at your leisure at the hotel.
8:00 AM –Depart for Plein Air painting sight
8:00-11:30 group paint with snacks and drinks
12:00 Depart back to hotel
12:30 Check out of hotel room and lunch will be waiting for you at the hotel.
Fees
2 painters sharing a room with two beds
$1957.25 ea painter
Single room $2241 ea

$500 deposit to hold spot, can venmo or send check

Please ask for rate for extra person, non painter
Also, we have a gentleman that is looking for a male painter to share a room.
Please email me to register
Pleinairinparadise@gmail.com or please fill out the registration form
https://form.jotform.com/230566152821048
Or call 760-809-5332 Lisa
Please see photos from our last trip Monterey trip in October 2024 and some of Maggie’s work.