Living Landscapes – City to Coast Art Experience

Living Landscapes: City to Coast Art Experience

Dates: 14-23 April 2027
Location: Glasgow & Argyll
Tutor: Orla Stevens
Activity: Drawing & Painting, mixed media
Cost: from £3680 per person
Suitable for any creative skills level

Join us for this new art adventure of on-location sketching, painting and studio exploration with Scottish artist Orla Stevens! Moving from the vibrant streets of Glasgow to the coastal landscapes of Argyll, we will learn how to capture atmosphere, energy and emotion through loose, expressive mark making.

What to expect

This 10-day immersive creative experience takes you from the vibrant city of Glasgow to the stunning coastal landscapes on the West Coast of Scotland. From our studio and accommodation bases, first in Glasgow city centre then in Inveraray on the Argyll coast, we’ll explore different locations for on-location sketching and painting, whilst soaking in the rich local history and heritage.

Orla’s workshop is about noticing more and loosening up in your art. We’ll combine focused exercises with a playful approach, exploring how different places feel and how that atmosphere can shape what we create. As we respond to the movement of the city and the stillness of the coast, you’ll develop your own personal way of translating a sense of place onto the page.

Through guided on-location sketching and supportive studio sessions, we’ll experiment with different ways of responding to place. Using mixed media, such as acrylic inks, pastels and watercolour paints, you’ll explore how to turn what you see and feel into expressive work.

There will be time for quiet focus and time for shared conversation. Expect windswept sketching sessions, warm studio evenings, group reflection, and plenty of encouragement to embrace imperfection and curiosity. This is a welcoming space to experiment, to share and to bring more of yourself to your art.

By the end of the experience, you’ll leave with a rich sketchbook, a collection of exploratory paintings and practical tools for working on location. More importantly, you’ll have strengthened your ability to notice beauty wherever you are and capture that atmosphere in your own personal way, wherever you find yourself. And you will have made new creative connections!

This is a welcoming space to experiment, to share and to bring more of yourself to your art.

Your experience starts at a modern central venue in Glasgow, where we will spend the first three days exploring the city and painting in our studio space. Later we’ll travel to Inveraray, an old garrison town on the shores of Loch Fyne in the heart of Argyll, which will be our base for the rest of the trip. From there, excursions will take us to the Neolithic and Bronze Age remains at Kilmartin Glen, the fascinating Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute and the famous Inveraray Castle, to name just a few.

Since participants tend to prefer their own paints and brushes we will send a detailed list of what to bring and what we will provide together with the detailed schedule. Each guest will get a sketchbook, a canvas bag for carrying materials and an A4 zip pouch. We’ll also bring bits of equipment such as painting boards, clips and water containers for you to use. This workshop is suitable for all skills levels.

Here’s the prospective itinerary in summary:

Day 1 – Arrival at our Glasgow hotel, the Social Hub. Welcome drink and welcome dinner. Introduction to the experience.

Days 2 & 3 – Days will be split between exploring the city and studio time.

Day 4 – More sketching time in the city. Travel to Inveraray, Argyll, and check in at Inveraray Inn.

Day 5 – Studio time & private tour at Inveraray Castle.

Day 6 – Day excursion to Kilmartin Glen & Kilmartin Museum and Crinan.

Day 7 – Studio time & visit to Ardkinglas Woodland Gardens with lunch and private tour at Ardkinglas House

Day 8 – Excursion to the Isle of Bute. Private tour of Mount Stuart House and free time in Rothesay.

Day 9 – Studio day & review session, farewell dinner.

Day 10 – Return to Glasgow and departure.

Please note: this is the prospective itinerary and subject to amendment. Nearer the the time might add additional visits and participation in local events.

Orla Stevens is a Scottish artist, illustrator, video maker and nature enthusiast who captures how places feel. Inspired by themes of nature, connection, home, landscape and memory, Orla seeks to celebrate the beauty in the everyday and the places we love. Her approach is led by a process of slowing down, noticing more, playing and reconnecting to our curiosity through making. Trained at Edinburgh College of Art in printed textiles design and embroidery, her love of texture, colour and play runs through everything she creates, from expressive plein-air sketches to layered mixed media paintings.

Everything Orla creates starts outdoors, using sketching and painting to forage for ideas. Back indoors, these notes and experiences develop into paintings and a variety of projects: from ice rinks to drinks labels, retreats, workshops and more. Orla has received a Visual Artists and Craft Makers Award, undertaken residencies at the Crinan Hotel and Argyll Hope Spot, and most recently has shown her work in a solo exhibition at Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh. Her work has been created for organisations including the National Galleries of Scotland, Hendrick’s Gin and the NHS, with paintings collected internationally.

Her process is inspired by the contrasting elements she paints in, from parks and cities to rural landscapes, often slowing down to look, then working quickly and intuitively, standing or sitting to bring a sense of movement and energy to the page. Outside, Orla paints in collaboration with the weather, embracing the unexpected textures and moments that happen when working on location. It’s this conversation between deliberate intention and complete play that she loves to explore, and share with others, chasing the joy found in the process. You can get to know Orla and her approach to painting through her art adventure vlogs on YouTube.

Location & accommodation

Our accommodations for this trip reflect the contrast between buzzing modern city and calm coastal living, which we invite you to experience.

Our base in Glasgow is the new Social Hub, a bold, modern hotel and certified B Corp situated in the bustling, cobblestoned Merchant City district. A space within the building will serve as our studio space. Please note that the Social Hub doesn’t have any twin rooms and every guest will get a double room for single occupancy.

Our base in Argyll is the old historic town of Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll. Inveraray is the ancestral home of the Clan Campbell and Duke and Duchess of Argyll, which still have their seat at Inveraray Castle. The lively town has independent shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants to explore.

Our comfortable accommodation is at the Inveraray Inn, an over 250 year old family run hotel overlooking Loch Fyne. All bedrooms are en-suite. The bright and spacious Campbell Room on the the hotel’s ground floor will be our studio space for the week with 24/7 access.

Please note that this heritage building has no lift and most of the bedrooms are accessed via the original spiral staircase.

Price & inclusions

The cost of this trip is £3680 per person (shared room), plus £500 to have a room to yourself. It includes:

– 3 nights en-suite single occupancy accommodation in Glasgow
– 6 nights en-suite single or twin occupancy accommodation in Inveraray
– Daily programme of art workshop and excursions with Orla Stevens
– 9 breakfasts
– Welcome drinks & welcome dinner in Glasgow on arrival evening
– 2 buffet lunches and refreshments during workshop sessions at our Glasgow hotel
– Dinner on first night in Inveraray
– Farewell dinner on last night
– Lunch and private tour at Ardkinglas House
– Minibus transport when travelling as a group
– Minibus transfer back to Glasgow (airport or city centre) on the departure day
– Studio hire fees
– Entry fee and private tour at Inveraray Castle
– Entry fee to Kilmartin Museum
– Entry fee to Ardkinglas Woodland Gardens
– Entry fee and private tour of Mount Stuart House
– Wild at Art canvas bag and sketchbook
– Detailed pre-travel information by email
– And a member of the Wild at Art team will be with the group throughout to ensure guests are well looked after.

Not included: International flights; transportation to and from our meeting venue in Glasgow; meals other than those listed above; alcoholic drinks other than welcome drinks; gratuities. Personal travel insurance is required.

A non-refundable deposit of £600 is required at the time of booking, the rest is due 10 weeks before the start date. With the detailed pre-travel info we will also send you list of recommended materials and other things to bring, such as suitable outdoor clothing.

The experience starts and finishes in Glasgow, which is well connected in terms of international air routes (Edinburgh Airport is also convenient).

Please note: This tour involves some moderate walking on most days, which means a certain level of mobility is required.

The above itinerary is based on careful selection of suppliers and is accurate at the time of publication. But should it be necessary, Wild at Art reserves the right to make changes.