Art holiday 30th of September - 4th of October 2024.
Get in touch with us at: contact@loveyoursketchbook.com for information about our art workshops and bespoke art holidays.
Get in touch with us at: contact@loveyoursketchbook.com for information about our art workshops and bespoke art holidays.
Join our creative holiday on the Greek island of Nisyros.
Our workshops bring together a unique experience inspired by nature and the positive energy of the the beautiful island of Nisyros. Together with the artists behind the book Nature Journal, Seasonal Creative Projects, you will learn skills, create and collect material to explore art and craft techniques inspired by the land and the seasons. Nisyros is a small volcanic island in the middle of the Dodecanese complex, said to have emerged after a series of successive eruptions. The island is renowned for its natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage. It is a truly authentic place, perfect to experiment with creativity.
The workshops have been set up for creative of all levels, to motivate and reconnect with nature. During the workshops we will introduce you to various processes which make use of the natural elements on the island. We will explore beaches, forage for plants and gather materials for inspiration and use. In your spare time you can choose to visit museums and churches, the volcano, walk and explore, go to the beach or relax in therapeutic waters in a rustic spa. Every day we will have lunch or dinner together in various local tavernas.
You’ll engage with many creative processes, including:
- making cyanotypes on paper and fabric, an early form of photography
- exploring colour with natural dyes and inks, using locally foraged botanicals
- creative writing and field notes, in your own unique journal that we'll give to you
- drawing, painting, developing motifs and patterns
- stitching with natural dyed thread and fabrics of your own making
- creating hapazome prints
All materials included.
Prices:
The art holiday costs £550 per person and consists of 5 workshops (3 full days and 2 half days) including materials, two museums visits and a copy of the book Nature Journal. 10 people minimum. To secure a space please pay the deposit or the full fee here: loveyoursketchbook.com
Flights, accommodation and food are not included. Booking flights and accommodation early is recommended for the best options.
We can tailor creative holidays and workshops for groups of friends, families and businesses.
For more information please contact us at contact@loveyoursketchbook.com or call Marianne on 0044 7547119506.
Here are the basic guidelines:
You can contact the local travel agency Diakomihalis for assistance with accommodation, flights, ferries and boat
times. www.visitnisyros.gr/en/
- Fly to and from Kos Airport, (if you are travelling from London check out: easyjet.com, britishairways.com, ageanairlines.com, skyexpress.com)
- Transport from Kos airport to the village of Kardamena (€20 by taxi, € 4 euro by bus)
- If you arrive late in Kos, you might have to stay overnight in the village of Kardamena and take the boat at 9.30 am the next morning.
- In Kardamena we recommend you stay at any local hotel that is close to the taxi and bus stop and 5 minutes walk to the port and Nisyros ferry. Have a look at www.booking.com
- Ferry transfer from Kos/Kademera to Nisyros (€ 10 each way)
- In Nisyros we recommend you stay in the main village called Mandraki. The hotel close to our workspace is called Porfyris Hotel www.porfyrishotel.gr. (Approx € 35 a night for a single room included breakfast. € 40 a night for a double room included breakfast). You you can also rent a place via Airbnb.com. Porofyris Hotel and Airbandb hosts meets their guests at the port. Other hotels are Romantzo, Guest House Polyvotis, 3 Brothers or Haritos (www.booking.com)
- Further information: www.visitnisyros.gr/en/
- Travel from Kos island to Nisyros and from Nisyros to Kos island:
From Kos airport there is two routes to get to Nisyros. The quickest and cheapest route is to take a taxi or the bus from the airport to the village of Kardamena. By taxi it takes about 10-15 min and cost around 20 euro. By bus it takes around 20 min and costs around 3 euro. Book a room for the night in Kardamena at www.booking.com. The boat leave from the port of Kardamena at 9.30 am the next morning. This route can not be found on the internet, but we can confirm that it runs. You can buy the ticket on the boat (around 10 euro). It takes about one hour to get across to Nisyros. There is boats returning to Kardamena every day leaving Nisyros at 15.30 arriving in Kardamena at 16.30.
The other route is to take a taxi or the bus from the airport to Kos town (around 50 euro with taxi and 4 euro by bus). It takes around 50 minutes on the bus depending on traffic and around 30 min with taxi. From Kos town you can take the boat to Nisyros (approx 2- 3 hours). Here are the boat time tables from Kos town to Nisyros. They change every week and is updated every Sunday afternoon. https://www.visitnisyros.gr/en/plane-and-boat-tickets/ferry-tickets-timetables.
The local bus time table between the airport and Kardamena and the airport and Kos town is here: https://www.kos4all.com/9712/kos-airport-bus-schedules/
What our participants says:
-Marianne and Zoë have created a truly wonderful experience with their Art Holiday in Nisyros. The course is essentially a set of workshops that each teach a different technique, cleverly connected and woven through a series of mini projects. The emphasis is on experimentation, often collaboratively, encouraging creativity and fun. All the techniques are wholly connected to nature, using traditional skills and ancient wisdoms, the teachings each day felt like we were being given precious treasures. I came as a solo traveller and felt wonderfully safe and welcome on the island of Nisyros. Everyday, I swam, ate delicious food, made many new friends and fell a little bit in love with this magical place. The supportive and positive energy from the art group, teachers and wonderful locals was a really special experience. Rebecca Lea Williams, Artist & Illustrator. (2023)
-Lively and fun arts and crafts holiday with Marianne and Zoë on beautiful Nisyros, such a lovely unspoilt island. Travel wise, as a solo female traveller: I was apprehensive but actually it was easy to get from Kos airport (group taxis organised by drivers) to Kardamena for overnight stay, then similarly easy to ferry next day to Nisyros (at least 2 boats leaving each morning). Both Kardamena and Nisyros felt very safe and friendly. Hotel Argiri (Kardamena) could not be more helpful and Hotel Porfyris (Nisyros) likewise, very comfortable and super friendly.
We spent most days trying natural dyes or craft techniques in the comfort of a sunny terrace, topped off with group lunch in one of the gorgeous sea view tavernas. You come away with some inspiring new techniques and items, thanks to the expert tuition and learning from each other. Lots of fun and laughs with everybody, and time to explore the island. If you are into eco techniques I can't recommend this holiday highly enough. Thanks Marianne and Zoë and to the group, for a great holiday.
Pat Smith, Psychologist (2022)
-Thanks everyone for making the Nisyros art holiday so memorable! It was a big pleasure to meet such talented makers and artistic souls. A special thanks to Marianne and Zoë for organising the workshop in a truly authentic Greek Island and introducing us to ancient culture, flora and fauna....
Sasha Belavokya, weaver, natural dyer, graphic designer and photographer. Founder of Loom and Bloom, London. (2022)
-A packed and wonderful week. Thank you!
Sonia Rollo, artist. (2022)
-Thank you everyone for making our art week on Nisyros so very special, for creating memories and new friends.
Lizzie Sturm, artist and yoga teacher. (2022)
-THANK YOU! It really was the most wonderful week - I am completely in love with Nisyros - and your workshops were so great - each day brought new and unexpected delights!
One of the most unexpected positives of the course was how effortless you made the creative process - without any previous skill or knowledge, by the end of the first morning, these gorgeous cyanotypes, which I had created, magically materialised in front of me with such little effort or stress….
Thank you for your generosity and spirit and for introducing me to new ideas and allowing me to start a process of expression…
I was deeply inspired by the beauty of the nature around us but also by your collaboration and creativity. Everything you created together had beauty in it!
Isabella Radcliffe, Opera singer coach (2019)
-What has brilliant course!! We learned so much and had great fun doing it. Thank you for everything.
Melissa, head of spirit collections, Kew Gardens and Julia, librarian, Kew Library (2019)
© Marianne Wie, Sasha Belavokya, Ania Grom Yoncali, Zoë Burt and Sophia Karagianni