Like art vacations as well as the coastal world? Then an Art at Sea trip on the Maple Leaf might be perfect for you.

On these special painting holidays, exceptional artists who are also excellent teachers take just eight students into the coastal B.C. wilderness aboard the classic schooner Maple Leaf for focused lessons in painting nature and coastal scenes.

The limited number of students allows for one-on-one instruction, in addition to the small-group lessons. This art vacation also includes hallmarks of all Maple Leaf trips: natural history interpretation, exceptional cuisine, sailing a classic schooner, wildlife viewing, shore excursions and a sense of camaraderie and fun.

Art at Sea among the Whales & Totems of the Broughton Archipelago with Karin Richter
Oct. 1-7, 2008

Painting Holiday Summary

Let rainforests, killer whales and the ancient art of the Kwakwaka'wakw people inspire your painting on this art vacation aboard B.C.'s classic schooner Maple Leaf.

This 6-night tour, with featured artist Karin Richter, includes some of the richest wildlife areas on the planet.

Here, mountains drop to the sea and giant rainforests form cathedrals of green in the rich valley bottoms. In autumn, this series of 200+ islands and fjords becomes the home of the Northern Resident killer whale population - it's the best place on the planet to view these intelligent marine mammals.

On the trip, you'll learn techniques from Karin as you spend painting time on the ship, and photography and sketching time on shore. The small group of students enables you to have excellent one-on-one time with Karin.

This painting holiday, by one of the nation's finest tour operators, Maple Leaf Adventures, includes an on-board naturalist, delicious meals from our professional chef, frequent shore excursions and lots of opportunities to learn about the coast, its history and its wildlife.

About the Ship Maple Leaf

In addition, your ship, the schooner Maple Leaf, is a coastal work of art herself.

Often painted and admired, she is a heritage vessel, built from coastal cedar and Douglas fir, finished with mahogany brightwork.

Her glossy cap rails, long decks and 3500 square feet of sail make excellent studies for those who love to paint boats.

For more about the ship's history, click The Ship, to your left.

About the "Whales & Totems of the Southern Great Bear Rainforest" trip

This is the "Serengeti of the sea": rich in wildlife, home to a complex whale community, addictive cruising and ancient human cultures.

It is the best place on earth to see killer whales. Among the 200+ islands of the Broughton Archipelago, the whales have come, along with dolphins, sea lions and seals, for millennia to eat salmon.

The salmon support the Kwakwaka'wakw people, too, and a colourful frontier culture.

This trip is rich in variety and colourful villages.

At Alert Bay, home to one of the most impressive First Nations cultural centers on the coast, you'll learn from local residents the stories of the Kwakwala speaking peoples.

We'll see their world-renowned art and enter the world of the potlatch with a special guided tour of the powerful potlatch collection of potlatch paraphernalia (seized by the Government of Canada and finally returned to the Kwakwaka'wakw people).

Telegraph Cove and Echo Bay are both home to traditional pioneer boardwalk communities and float homes.

About Karin Richter, CSPWC, ASA, SCA

Born in Germany into an artistic family, Karin has had a passion for painting since she was a child. She has been a professional artist for almost 20 years now with a style that can be described as impressionistic. Her subjects are varied and she enjoys working in watercolour, oils, acrylics and pastels.

Karin completed her professional training in foreign languages, subsequently lived and worked in France and Germany and eventually moved to Montreal in 1973. Calgary has been home to Karin and her family since 1977. She draws inspiration not only from the western landscape and the Canadian Rockies close at hand but also from international destinations she travels to on a regular basis.

Throughout the years, Karin's paintings have been featured in solo and group shows in many prominent locations and private and public galleries locally, nationally and internationally. Sharing her knowledge of painting has been a joy to Karin for many years. She is an enthusiastic art instructor to many aspiring artists in classes and workshops in Calgary, across Canada and overseas.

An elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor (CSPWC), the Alberta Society of Artists (ASA), the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Karin has received many awards. She is a featured artist at the famous Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia.

Karin's work has appeared in several trade publications and is included in the Biennial Guide to Canadian Artists in Galleries and in Canadian Artists at Auction. She is featured in a new book entitled "How Did You Paint That - Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes" published by the International Artist Magazine. Her paintings can be found in corporate and private collections all over the world.

Karen leads painting tours worldwide and has previously led a very successful Art at Sea trip on the Maple Leaf in the Gulf Islands.