Modern Impressionist Magazine Workshop Retreat, France

Instructed by Mike Hernandez, Michele Byrne and Manon Sander

The Workshop

Chateau Crystal is inviting with its oak paneling, huge log fireplace, and private lit terrace for early evening drinks and late night parties. The magnificent Grand Salon, with its parquet flooring, original oak linen paneling, tall windows, and massive mirrored fireplace mantle, offers a luxurious yet relaxed venue for gatherings both large and small. The Chapel, with its spectacular stone rib-vault ceiling, glorious stained-glass window, and gilded oak paneling is a consecrated haven for solitude and prayer.

The splendid Silver Reception Room floor was specifically designed for hosting parties or weddings, including elevator access for guests and hi-speed dumbwaiters connecting the Silver Reception Room’s service kitchen to the main kitchen two floors below. Aside from the Silver Reception Room, there are numerous other places to dine in the Chateau, ranging from elegant to cozy. The Chateau’s delicious French specialities served in the Chatelain’s fabulous private dining room have Guests raving about the food and the superb candlelit tables fit for royalty. The courtyard and lakeside terrace both offer special outdoor dining experiences. There is even a casual, country-style dining room for when you’re in the mood for something informal.

Mike Hernandez

A native Angeleno, Mike Hernandez is a plein air painter skilled in gouache, oil and acrylic, who’s works have been featured in several on-line publications as well as galleries.

His process began as a young child, painting still life images. Influenced by the likes of Edgar Payne, Sorolla and Franz Bischoff, Mike soon explored the foundations of color and light in the outdoors – striving to find the beauty in the ordinary.

With a palette that resides at the crossroads between industrial and landscapes, he finds inspiration anywhere from the Eastern Sierra range to the muddy concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. Mike studied at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, graduating with a B.A. in 1998.

Mike was a Production Designer and Art Director as well as a concept artist at Dreamworks Animation and worked on such films as Shrek, How to train your Dragon, Turbo, Penguins of Madagascar and many other films.

Mike is also a member of a limited group of the finest painters in the US called PAPA as well as a nation-wide sought-after workshop instructor. His works can be found in several private collections around the world.

There are 19 en suite, beautifully furnished bedrooms in the Chateau available to accommodate up to 35 Guests. Each is uniquely decorated in different color schemes ranging from azure to rose, and filled with antiques, crystal chandeliers and beds you never want to get out of! There is even a two-story master suite, with its own foyer, drawing room, and antique oak staircase leading up to a huge circular en suite bedroom that has an original hand-painted domed ceiling.

About artist

MICHELE BYRNE

My main focus is the art of conversation, both literal and figurative. I love to capture the energy and mood of people interacting with each other and their surroundings. I use a bold and colorful palette to create expressive and impressionistic paintings that invite the viewer to join the conversation.

I work both in the studio and plein air, often painting scenes of urban life, cafes, architecture and light filled landscapes. I enjoy the challenge of painting from life, observing the changing light, colors, and shapes.

Painting with both brush and palette knife, I prefer the latter for its versatility and spontaneity. I use the palette knife along with decisive brushstrokes to apply thick layers of paint, creating rich impasto effects that enhance the sense of movement and depth. I also use the knife and other tools to scrape, blend, and draw with the paint, creating interesting marks and edges.

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About artist

Manon Sander

7 day immersive plein air workshop

Manon is an award-winning contemporary impressionist, born and raised in Berlin, Germany, who now resides in Southern Florida, which with its glittering bodies of water and ocean presents a cornucopia of inspiration for her. However, more important than the subject matter itself is Manon’s goal to capture the effects of light on a subject and the feeling it evokes, expressing it through interesting patterns, luminous color, and juicy brush strokes.

Galleries That represent his work.

New Mexico

South Carolina

Texas 

California

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