West Coast Watercolor Adventure Workshops, British Columbia, Canada
September 24-30 and October 1-7, 2006
On Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island

A message from Maureen Karagianis and Odette Laroche
Co-Producers, Marketers and Directors

You have seen our flyer (above) and if you are intrigued with the possibility of traveling to Western Canada for a truly unique adventure, you will want to know some of the details listed below.

The Workshops’ costs include accommodation, most meals and instruction by gail Mcdaniel.

Workshop 1: The Haven at Gabriola (on Gabriola Island www.Haven.ca) serves buffet style meals and is able to cater to most dietary restrictions if they know well in advance what yours are. The first evening, September 24, 2006, will involve a cheese and wine reception that is included in the cost.  If you require dinner that evening you will need to make your own arrangements by contacting The Haven in advance or trying some of the local restaurants. Three meals a day are provided, from the 25th to lunch on the 30th. The full cost for this workshop for artists is $1,100.00 and for a companion is $900.00 in Canadian Dollars. The cost of the ferry from Vancouver on the mainland is $45 for car and driver. The cost of the ferry from Nanaimo across to Gabriola is $20 (this could be slightly more in 2006). Remember, we are quoting Dollars in Canadian funds in this memo. To calculate the current exchange rate from Canadian to U.S. Dollars click on: www.x-rates.com/calculator.html.

Workshop 2: The Weigh West Marine Resort at Tofino (on Vancouver Island www.weighwest.com) is approximately four hours from Nanaimo by car. The fee includes breakfasts, lunches, a cheese and wine reception on the first evening, the first of October and a sumptuous salmon BBQ one evening. Dinners on the other evenings are not included.  We did this to keep the cost down and to allow participants to enjoy the many nearby restaurants in Tofino. The full cost for this workshop is  $1,100.00 and for a companion is $900.00 in Canadian Dollars.

The $1,100.00 for the artist and the $900.00 for companion shown above are quoted in Canadian Dollars. The present exchange rate between Canadian Dollars and U.S. Dollars gives a very favorable cost for this workshop to those paying in U.S. Dollars. The current exchange rate between Canadian Dollars and U.S. Dollars, on October 5, 2005: On that date the cost of the workshop in U.S. Dollars for artists was U.S. $932.00 and a companion was U.S. $796.00. To calculate the current exchange click on: www.x-rates.com/calculator.html.

If you plan to attend both workshops you will notice that the workshop on Gabriola finishes on September 30th and the Tofino workshop begins on the first of October.  This means that the night of September 30th is not included.  We felt that there is so much to see along the way that you might enjoy spending a night elsewhere. It also gives gail and Ken and chance to relax and feel fresh for Tofino.

Once completed registration and reservation forms and payments have been received a package of information will be forwarded to each participant.  If you would like to talk to us by phone call Maureen for Gabriola Workshop: 250-385-3240 and Odette for Tofino Workshop: 250-655-8278

For complete information about gail, take a tour of this website. To email her: gail@gailmcdanielart.com.

We look forward to your questions and comments!  Maureen Karagianis and Odette Laroche

Vancouver, BC Canada: In 2006, Vancouver, BC Canada: In the fall of 2006 gail has been invited to teach two back-to-back Watercolor Workshops at resorts on Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island which are West of Vancouver, BC Canada. The Workshop locations and dates are: Haven by the Sea, Gabriola Island: www.haven.ca, September 24 to 30, 2006 and Weigh West Resort, Tofino, Vancouver, Island: www.weighwest.com, October 1 to 7, 2006. Haven by the sea is at the Northwest corner of Gabriola Island, located on Taylor Bay and can accommodate 20 artists. Weigh West Resort is on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, right on the Pacific Ocean, but can only accommodate 14 artists due to space in the conference room.

Gabriola Island (Haven by the Sea Resort): Ocean walks, radiant sunsets, old-growth forests, tranquil gardens. It is an island to explore. The population of Gabriola Island is 4,500 residents along with seals, sea lions, otters, raccoons and deer; bald eagles, herons, pileated woodpeckers, and sea and forest birds. The attractions of the Island for those who originally came included its fish, wildlife, sheltered bays, temperate climate and lush foliage…much the same today. The Island is 8.6 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is 15 miles west of the city of Vancouver, across the Strait of Georgia. (For comparison, the English Channel is 22 miles wide between Dover, England and Calais, France.) To learn more about Gabriola Island visit the website http://www.islandbrowser.com/content/introduction.shtml.

Vancouver Island (Weigh West Resort, Tofino) is west of Gabriola Island. Vancouver Island - where nature is cherished and history comes alive! This Island has a rich heritage of native culture preserved for eternity in museums. Vancouver Island offers a wide range of viewing opportunities for wildlife. From marine waters to mountain peaks, there is wildlife viewing to experience in every season. One can take a cruise of the West Coast marine ecosystem in search of Grey Whales Humpback Whales, Stellar Sea Lions, Seals, Porpoise and seabirds. Also available is the opportunity to explore the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pacificrim). Nine different walking trails put you in the midst of the Temperate Rainforest or on the long sandy beaches (13 miles) of the wild Pacific Ocean. Discover indigenous wildlife, lush vegetation and intertidal pools throughout the park. Visit the world famous Clayoquot Sound, on the doorstep of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Clayoquot Sound is A UNESCO biosphere reserve (www.clayoquotbiosphere.org). While at this website visit the ‘images’ tab. Click on the thumbnail photos to see enlargements. This area is 647,140 acres of rugged coastline, white sand beaches, steep wooded mountains and part of the largest Temperate Rainforest left on earth. The rugged west coast is cut deeply by fjords lined between high mountains with many communities located along the shores of protected bays. Have a passionate ‘West Coast’ outdoor experience, which captures positive environmental values and the harmonious spirit of man with his environment. Tofino is home to the House of Himwitsa, which boasts some of the most sought after masks, carvings and jewelry in the world. Vancouver Island has a population of over 750,000 and stretches southeast to northwest along the western coast of British Columbia. The eastern plain is rich with timber, farmlands, fishing streams, villages, and modern cities. Vancouver Island is 282 miles long and 62 miles wide. To learn more about the Island visit the website: http://www.vancouverisland.com/. While at this website, under the heading ‘Category’ scroll down and click on the box marked ‘Photo Gallery’. By following the prompts and clicking each thumbnail photo, you can view many beautiful photos of the area.

Many people in the USA, I have found, know Victoria because it is an easy trip from Port Angeles, Washington and/or Seattle Washington. Americans come in droves on a fast catamaran called the Clipper from Seattle or a car ferry (18 miles) from Port Angeles. Options for travel could be: 1) a flight to Seattle and pick up a car in Victoria to travel the 70 miles to Nanaimo and the short ferry crossing to Gabriola. 2) The second option is to fly or drive to Vancouver/Tsawwassen and take the ferry to Nanaimo. The drive to Tofino is about 3 hours from Nanaimo. If I were coming from a long way I would want to see Victoria before or after the workshop(s). We deliberately left a day between workshops so that anyone wanting to do both workshops could have a pleasant time traveling from Gabriola to Tofino. There is a walk-on boat from Port Alberni to Long Beach, which Tofino borders on. I have never done it but I have kayaked in that area and it is spectacular. The "Lady Rose" is a traditional/vintage ship which stops at various points to deliver goods to stops in Barclay Sound and docks at Ucluelet which is at the south end of Long Beach (www.port-alberni.travel.bc.ca/listings/mv-lady-rose) The distance between Tofino and Ucluelet is about 20 miles. The Ucluelet area is rocky and has steep cliffs while the geography towards Tofino is long stretches of sandy beaches where surfers come at all times of the year (in wet suits) to catch the waves. 3) You can also island hop from Vancouver/Tsawwassen. There are several islands that some of the ferries stop at on their way to Victoria. Once you buy a ticket you can stop off at Saltspring for example which is the biggest and most populated of the Gulf Islands, and then proceed to Victoria or Nanaimo from Saltspring. There is a web-site www.bcferries.com, which gives ferry information.

For additional information and registration contact Maureen Karagianis: E-mail is makaragianis@shaw.ca. Her telephone number is 250-385-3240.

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