Watercolor Classes and Walks in the Woods

We are always excited when Gay Bryant and Rita Rothmeier join us at The Swag for a wonderful week of watercolor classes, printmaking classes, and hiking. Gay is a painter and printmaker from Knoxville, Tennessee, and a great friend of The Swag.  (You can visit her website to see her own wonderful work!) Rita is a fiber artist and naturalist from Rabun Gap, Georgia.

Each morning, Gay and Rita will lead a short hike, and each afternoon, they’ll teach watercolor painting or relief printmaking classes to guests of all experience levels.  Often, some of our guests are experienced artists, but most have not made art since elementary school.  Nevertheless, Gay and Rita bring the best out of each student with their kindness, encouragement, and knowledge of their media.  I was able to spend several rainy afternoons around the table with Gay, Rita, and the guests as we painted, visited, and relaxed.

Gay has worked as a studio artist for the last 30 years and has a “deep appreciation of nature, architecture, and events of everyday life.”  In addition to teaching at The Swag, Gay and Rita teach at the John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  Gay’s art has been featured in various exhibitions in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Rita is a well respected artist and teacher in bobbin lace and an accomplished spinner and knitter.

Every guest leaves the class with a matted painting–worthy of framing–and most of us were quite impressed by what we were able to accomplish with Gay’s and Rita’s guidance. We hope you will join us!  Click here to book a room now or call us at 828-926-0430.

–Annie Colquitt