Paint Out in Amsterdam!

SIGN UP CLOSES ON THE 11TH FEBRUARY.

Join us for our first trip abroad as a group! We are excited to take you to Amsterdam, where we will be welcomed and shown around for the full 9 days by artist and friend, Jack Browning - who lives there! We have planned a really exciting itinerary which has just the right amount of paint-time, down-time and everything Amsterdam has to offer in-between!

April is widely known as the best time to visit Amsterdam, with 14 hours of daylight and the refreshing spring climate means we can comfortably enjoy outdoor activities in April.

We’re going to cap the numbers for this trip so that the group can be well looked after. With this being our first trip aboard as a group, we wanted to make sure as much as possible was covered in your ticket price whilst you’re in Amsterdam, so there will be very few times that things are at your own cost - mainly when we break away from being a big group! From your meals, to entrance into the different attractions, your transport to and from the places we will take you, coffee breaks etc… we want this to be covered in your ticket. (Flights & Accommodation excluded).

GETTING THERE.

Your travel to and from Amsterdam is of course not included, which also goes for your transfer to and from the airport into the city centre. Your accommodation is also an additional cost - we will book together once we have confirmed sign ups. If you are coming with a friend and want to stay just as a two for example, we can help you book that. The idea would be that we stay together in town houses, in or walking distance from the city centre. If you would like more information on this, just message me and I can talk you through the plan and estimated costs. From my research it looks like accommodation will be from £150-£200 a night. Please don’t book your own accommodation first, I’d like to make sure we are all close by - and those solo travellers are with new or old friends if they wish to be. If you’d like to have your own apartment in Amsterdam, this can be arranged (but of course, this will cost extra). We would like to create a community feel - so ideally students having their own bedrooms & bathrooms, but in an apartment style, so you can make friends and be sociable during your down time if you wish.

You will need to fly into Schipol Airport before Day 1.

From there, you have several options.

1. Public Transport: Train from Schipol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal.  You can purchase this at the station itself for around 5 euros. The train takes 20 minutes. This is at your own cost.

2. Taxi; Amsterdam has a subsidised taxi service. This could be between 35-50 euros into the city centre. The taxi takes 25-30 minutes. This is at your own cost.

Below is our itinerary for the week; however please don’t hold us to the exact days in which we will be doing things. As we finalise the numbers for the trip we will then confirm our bookings with the relevant places - if we can’t do that day we may switch to another day for example. The same goes for the restaurants and meals etc. What I can promise you is, what we say is covered, will be covered in your ticket price.

The evening before Day 1 - we would like to meet you for a welcome drink and nibbles. Where we will meet will be confirmed nearer the time, but we hope to meet at 7.30pm. Your first two welcome drinks and a traditional Flammkuchen is included. It’ll be nice to meet everyone and get excited about our time ahead of us. We will then all drift off to our accommodations after we’ve had some food to get ready for Day 1!

Day 1 - 6th April - Saturday

Out and About - Plein Air

We will meet at 9am at Dam Square where we will then get set up and paint around the Koninklijk Palace for the morning. We will all grab a bite to eat for lunch together at a local traditional Dutch cafe where there will be sandwiches, good dutch coffee and a beer if you fancy it!

For the afternoon, you can either stay at Dam Square, or join us as we head towards Jordaan where there are hundreds of scenic canal spots. Jordaan is known for its beautiful houses, nice restaurants and original shops.

As we wrap up we will head straight for a bite eat then we can all get an early night. We are going to eat around Jordaan.

We are hoping to book a restaurant called Pesca. Your food and first drink is included. After our meal you are free to do what ever you wish for your evening!

Day 2 - 7th April - Sunday

We will kick off Day 2 at the Van Gogh museum. We will have an audio tour included in our ticket. We will then head to The Atrium Cafe for our lunch. Your food and first drink is included. That afternoon we will head to Vondelpark, which is a short walk from the museum. We are trying to see if we can leave paint gear at the museum entrance (I will tell you closer to the time). Vondel Park is an expansive, 19th-century urban park with a playground, ponds, an open-air theater and several cafés and restaurants like Tasting room 't Blauwe Theehuis Vondelpark3, De Vondeltuin etc. We will head to one of these for our evening meal.

Day 3 - 8th April - Monday

Today is your free day! We will be around The Old Church (De Oude Kerk) for the day - but it’s your own choice where you want to go or what you want to do (or paint!). We are staying close by here so we are near the Rembrant House.

We have a booking at the Rembrant House at 11am - this a museum tour and a walking tour, both with a guide. We will walk around the area of Rembrants’ house (this is included in your ticket price). We will experience the seventeenth-century atmosphere and the unique glimpse of Rembrandt’s domestic life. We will also see the exhibition of Ferdinand Bol.

That evening we will meet at 6pm at Red Light District Amsterdam Centrum. This is also known as the “Red Light District”. This is your typical scenic Amsterdam with the canals and bridges etc but we will have the reflections and neon lights. It should look really pretty! We will think about wrapping up at 9.30pm and meeting at the Cafe in Vaag Amsterdam for a night cap (or two). (Your night cap is included!).

Day 4 - 9th April - Tuesday
We will head to Keukenhof, which is a 30 minute drive out of the city centre. We’re going to get an Uber Van at 9am from the city centre to and from for ease. When we get there we visit the tulip fields and windmills. At the tulip fields over 7 million flower bulbs will have been hand planted. Though we are not able to paint at the Keukenhof due to the space restrictions, we will be able to photograph as much as we like and paint from those. We will have lunch at one of the cafe’s at the Keukenhof (there are 6 different places we could choose from whilst we are there). Your ticket, uber and lunch is all included.

After to lunch we will head to another local tulip field where we will paint the tulips. We are currently working on getting permission to paint there, so I will inform you more as soon as we get numbers etc. We will book Ubers when folks are ready (around 5pm). When we head back we will all freshen up and then head to dinner. We are hoping to head to The Pantry for 7.30pm to eat around 8pm. This restaurant is Traditional Dutch cuisine. Your evening meal and two rounds of drinks are included.

Day 5 - 10th April - Wednesday

We will all meet at the train station (to be confirmed which one) at 8.30am. This morning we are going to visit the Royal Talens/Rembrandt Paint Making Factory. We will visit the factory, have a tour and also be given a masterclass on materials. We will also have our lunch at the Rembrant factory. This is a 1 hour 15 minute train ride away and is included. After we have finished we will head back to the city via train. You are free to do what ever you wish for your evening!

Day 6 - 11th April - Thursday

Today is your free day! We will be around the De Waag building from 11am. If you’d like to come and paint with us there, that is where we will be! Breakfast and lunch is up to you where you go - but we will be getting our sandwiches around De Wallen because the sandwich shops there look amazing! That evening we will meet at 5pm outside the De Waag building at the front and paint around there. We are hoping to focus on the buildings and reflections that evening! Our advice is to grab a bite to eat before you meet up with us, or on the go that evening. (This is at your own cost).

Day 7 - 12th April - Friday

We will visit the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam at 10am. This is around a 30 walk away from where we will be staying. We can also arrange trams or taxis. This is the Compact botanical gardens, originally planted in 1682, with formal outdoor & greenhouse sections. We are hoping to be able to paint there for the entire day.

That evening, we are hoping to eat at the White Room by Jacob Jan Boerma. This is a Michelin Star (1) restaurant so Dinner Jackets and Evening Wear will be required for this evening. We really want to spoil you by taking you here! The name The White Room is derived from the historical name of the room ‘De Witte Zaal’, the name that was given to the restaurant when it first opened in 1885. The room is listed as a monument and is considered to be the oldest restaurant of Amsterdam in original condition. History and future are connected with one another, due to the modern styling of this unique restaurant.

Day 8 - 13th April - Saturday

We will visit the Rijksmuseum for the day! This is open from 9am - 5pm and we plan on being there, and sketching there all day. Here we will enjoy the Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh. We will have lunch at the cafe in the Atrium. Both your lunch, a coffee and your museum ticket is covered. This evening is your own. You are free to go for your own evening meal wherever you choose or we can break off into smaller groups - (This is at your own cost).

Day 9 - 14th April - Sunday

Our last day will be at The Beurspassage. This is a small passageway connecting two major streets in downtown Amsterdam. Beurspassage is a short row of stores with impressive paintings and chandeliers. This is a very photogenic spot for tourists and perfect for a little bit of shopping! The perfect place to pick up some souvenirs and possibly gifts for those at home. Your lunch at a local cafe is included (or if you want a sandwich on the go). That evening we will go for a farewell evening. This location is a surprise and will be revealed on the day. Just know, your meal and drinks for the evening are covered.

Travel & Medical Insurance

You must have comprehensive travel insurance incase you need to cancel your trip, or in an emergency when we are there. Travel insurance can also cover you for baggage delays, medical and dental emergencies, travel delays, sickness whilst travelling and more. Please ensure you also get insurance if you’re booking a flight that in non-refundable. The cost of your flights or your accommodations are not covered in any instance by Workshops in Yorkshire. We reserve the right to ask you to confirm you understand this as part of our T&C’s when you sign up for this paint out.

If you’re coming in from the USA, click here to see a good comparison site for insurance.

If you’re coming in from the UK, click here to see a good comparison site for insurance.

What you need to bring:

• An Open Mind - ready to explore.

• Some cash (get ahead of time just incase) - this is for any little bits and so you’re not caught short if you want to buy something.

• All your Paint Supplies: Plein Air Easel, Panels, Panel Carrier, Paints, Brushes, Mineral Spirits, Medium, Backpack - full list will be send through nearer the time. I am happy to bring Rosemary Brushes with me (I’ll ask you nearer the time for your order). I will also be happy to go ahead and get gambol etc if you need it (I’ll run a tab for these things, so they will be at your own expense, but I’m happy to source them for you if I can).
  On that note, we highly recommend getting in early. There’s some art shops in Amsterdam you might like to visit before we start our paint-out!

• All weather clothing; it should be lovely weather, but keep an eye on this so you’re not too cold or too warm! Everything I read tells me it will be chilly in the evenings.

• Good humour and a relaxed, no-drama attitude! We want this to be so much fun for everyone and of course, something may go wrong somewhere, but we need everyone to just trust us to put things right!