Private Suite, Beyond the Frame with Caitlin Winner

May 8-12, 2025, Painting workshop plus 4 nights in a Private Suite with a king bed and private bathroom. Breakfast and lunch each day (3 days total) plus two catered dinners and welcome drinks.

Beyond the Frame: Making Immersive Paintings with Photo References

In this three-day, four-night workshop, you’ll make an immersive oil painting from your own source photos. Instead of reproducing a photograph, you’ll learn to make intentional decisions about composition, light, and color to support your painting’s narrative.

The workshop will kick off with a welcoming dinner, drinks, and a presentation by Caitlin on her background and current work. Each day will feature a short presentation, followed by a demo and a working session with 1:1 feedback.

On day one, we’ll familiarize ourselves with our reference photos and begin our first pass – painting with loose, intuitive gestures. Over the next two days, we’ll gradually build up the structure of the painting, allowing its internal logic to emerge.

Day two includes an introduction to a drawing transfer technique and a color mixing demo.

On day three, we'll address common pitfalls of working from photo references and we’ll dive deeper into techniques for painting faces and hands. We will end the workshop with supportive group and 1:1 critiques.

About the location: The River House Arts retreat center is located on a unique bend of the Etowah River. The 5-acre property is designed by an artist for artists, as a place to unwind and explore in the studio, cabin, and grounds along the river banks.

Retreat fee includes airport transfers from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, lodging, breakfast and lunches each day, two catered dinners, and the painting workshop. Two dinners at local wineries are self pay.

If flying in, try to schedule arrival in Atlanta late morning to early afternoon for shuttle service.

Full payment to reserve your spot. No refunds. Travel insurance encouraged.

The River House Arts, 685 Deerfield Drive, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533