Art students can enjoy rafting down the Grand River to participate in a 3-5 hour instructional outdoor art class of watercolour, acrylic and oil… and then drift out.
The Grand River Rafting Company offers a unique learning adventure called the Painter’s Drift. This is a floating instructional art class that captures scenic landscapes of the Grand River Valley with a brush!
The drifts are guided trips using safe but stable 14ft rafts that require no skills to paddle. The art class does a leisure float down the river to a landscape… spends the day painting with instruction and then float out to the exit point. The total drift times to the landscapes vary from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Presently Six different wilderness art classrooms are offered along the Grand & Nith River in Southern Ontario. The inspiring Devil’s Cave is a fascinating limestone rockery section on the Nith River with a conglomerate rock face around the corner. There is the choice of cascading springs off Norm’s Island or the stone ruins of a grist mill on the Grand River. A serene setting is the Sarah’s Island Channel or the “Fallen"… a boulder line of rocks shored by cedars.
The Painter’s Drift Class size is 7-10 people. Attending students bring their own art materials & medium. The classes are designed for all ages from the novice to the skilled. Art students can choose from a full day course to a half day course between May and October. The rafting drifts are selected to address different settings, lighting conditions and seasons. The Painter’s Drift course prices range from $65 to $100 with lunch or barbeque provided.
The instructional artist is Jeanette Obbink from Paris, Ontario. Jeanette specializes in oil and watercolour work. “Jeanette's works are figurative with compositions, shapes and colours that reflect her love for nature and the environment". Her work can be viewed by visiting her on-line studio at www.obbink.ca.
For those traveling from afar overnight accommodations can be found in the coble-stone town of Paris at the elegant 18th century Arlington Hotel or the nearby countryside setting of the River Ridge Bed & Breakfast. This B&B can accommodate up to twelve people and offers a relaxing outdoor hot tub overlooking the Grand River Valley.
The Painter’s Drift is a new approach to painting… combining art, outdoors and leisure rafting. Painters seeking something different will enjoy experiencing one of the most unique floating art classrooms in Southern Ontario.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
