Art In Provence/Cooking In Provence Lets Passionate Painters, Creative Cooks Vacation Together A La Provencal

Market Wire, 20050229

Couples with divergent interests have a new opportunity to explore the countryside of Provence separately and together, thanks to Art in Provence and Cooking in Provence, the organizers of 11-day workshops in the French countryside. Due to popular demand, the company has scheduled several of its painting and cooking workshops to coincide, so that painters and cooks can pursue their individual interests by day and share the dinners and parties arranged for "off hours." The Painting in Provence and Cooking in Provence are also available separately on additional dates.

Art in Provence began offering painting workshops "en plein air" in the Provencal countryside six years ago. Each year groups of up to 15, from beginners to accomplished painters, have enjoyed 11-day workshops, taught by professional oil, acrylic and watercolor artists. Eight days are spent on various painting sites, with two days allowed for guests to tour nearby Aix, Avignon, Vaison la Romaine, and Lyons or to follow the Route des Vins, stopping at vineyards, chateaux, open air markets, antique shops, and abbeys. Accommodations are in the Chateau de Mazenc, the former summer home of a French President, near the historic town of Dieulefit, known for its ceramics and hand-blown art glass.

The 6-day cooking workshops, led by French-trained professional American chefs started last year. These workshops include hands-on instruction, excursions to vineyards including the fabulous Chateau du Pape, farmer's markets and artisanal producers. One day, following a morning visit to village or farm, cooks join the painters for their four-course Provencal picnic in the countryside featuring local produce and a degustation of local Cote du Rhone wines. The afternoon is spent cooking side by side with the Cooking in Provence chef.

This year, five overlapping Art in Provence and Cooking in Provence workshops feature:

*June 11-June 22 or June 25-July 6: Watercolorist Hilary Page, author of three books and six videos, including Hilary Page's Guide to Watercolor Paints and Rosemary Spinelli, food stylist and producer for Martha Stewart Living, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, House and Garden and others. A graduate of the Philadelphia Restaurant School and La Varenne Cooking School in France, she has worked with Rembrandt's in Philadelphia, Square One in San Francisco and was private chef for Don Johnson Productions in Los Angeles. She owns Mel 'n Roses Cafe in LA.

*June 25-July 6: Watercolorist Cathy Goodale and oil painter Ellie Weakley and Rosemary Spinelli (see above)

*September 3-14: Painter Patricia Abraham, a signature member of the Midwest Watercolor Society whose works are in private collections in the US, Japan, Canada and Norway and Sarah Scott, Executive Chef at the Robert Mondavi Winery, and contributor to the Mondavi Great Chef's Program. Having attended Madeline Kamman's School for American Chefs she developed a passion for French Provencal cuisine and last year gave Escoffier classes at the Ritz in Paris.

*September 17-28: Artist Gerald Brommer, life member and past president of the National Watercolor Society, featured in the November 2000 issue of Watercolor Magic magazine. and Jeanette Shield, former owner of Chantilly pastry shop/Cafe Chantilly, La Nouvelle, and Tamarind in Albuquerque NM, now resident in Provence.

On free days, guests can enjoy a superb golf course, dramatic hiking trails, bicycling, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, and canoeing, all of which are close by and easily arranged for the hosts, Hans Meijer and Candee Christoforides. "Dieulefit, which translates as 'God made it,' is a very special little town in the Haute Provence," commented Hans Meijer. "When Candee and I first came here we realized it is the perfect place for artists, a unique village where you can still see the scenes that fired the imaginations of visionary artists and experience the sheer sensuality of Provençal life. We have welcomed back many guests over the years who find the locale just irresistible." The overlapping painting and cooking workshops include 11 nights accommodations at the Chateau, all breakfasts, and 2 cocktail parties. Painters enjoy 8 days of painting instruction with picnic lunches. Cooks enjoy 6 days of excursions and cooking instructions, 3 lunches and four dinners, the results of their labors. All workshops conclude with a spectacular farewell dinner party. Rate is $2650 per person, double occupancy. For information and reservations, call 802-457-5169 or email: info@artinprovence.com. Visit www.artinprovence.com and www.cookinginprovence.com.