The Paradise Artist Retreat will be held September 16-19 2010.

The Paradise Tattoo Gathering has gained a reputation for being a unique event in the tattoo industry, taking place at a beautiful secluded resort and focusing on seminars and forums. This year we're shifting the focus to the other fine art that tattooists are creating. At The Paradise Artist Retreat, over a hundred tattooists will be making art together for four days in the hills of Western Massachusetts while attending workshops on painting and figure drawing, with a curriculum led by Guy Aitchison, Shawn Barber, Nick Baxter, Cory Kruger, Chris Dingwell, Tom Strom and others. Many of these workshops are free and open to all attending artists. Between workshops, artists will work on the fine art projects of their choice alongside their colleagues, outside during the day and inside at night.

Painting passes are $150 per artist for four days, which includes entry into the discussion panels and seminars with Guy Aitchison and Shawn Barber. The first hundred artists to buy passes also receive free entry into the opening party including a great meal! Other seminars have an additional fee. All artists must provide their own supplies, canvas and materials. You will need a portable, collapsable easel. We recommend ordering one from Dick Blick. This afforadble easel will accommodate both the performance and display of your work. If you produce more than one piece, we have alternative ways of displaying art as well. First 20 artists to sign up will receive a free signed print of the Paradise Artist Retreat poster!

The retreat will be open to the public, and many of the works created over the weekend will be auctioned off online, and in person. Merchandise, including prints and clothing, of the artwork created can be sold on consignment via ParadiseArtistRetreat.com and TattooNOW.com for a fee. There will be a book/DVD documenting the weekend, with large quality shots of the artwork produced, as well as candid interviews and in progress photos.

Seminars include:

Every morning from 10:30-12:30: figure drawing from a live model, with short poses led by Chris Dingwell and long poses led by Shawn Barber. Drawing the human figure from a live model has for ages been one of the central skills practiced by artists in all mediums. It's a great exercise for not only loosening up but developing a stronger sense of flow, proportion and balance. These sessions are free to all attending artists.

Thursday, September 16 and Saturday, September 18 from 2:00-7:00:
Shawn Barber: "Portrait Painting From Reference"; open to 10 students in each session, $200
Shawn is well known for his ability to capture the energy and personality of his subjects using his energetic, expressive style of brushwork. In this 5 hour workshop, Shawn demonstrates the thought process, techniques and materials used to get these unique results. Each student will do a painting of their own during the class while Shawn makes critiques and suggestions; the small size of each class allows for some truly in-depth learning. Shawn has decades of experience as a painter and educator; this is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the tattoo industry's best known painters.

Thursday, September 16 from 2:00-5:00:
Nick Baxter: "Realism Oil Painting Techniques"; open to 20 students, $150
This seminar will quickly cover the basics of oil painting technique and supplies, but will focus primarily on intermediate to advanced techniques of sharp-focus realism techniques, such as glazing, scumbling, thin layer build-up, color-matching and blending, and reproducing photographic effects. Therefore some experience is recommended, however beginners can still gain valuable insights and tips. The seminar content will partially be determined by the participants' wants and needs, but all are encouraged to bring their own painting supplies and any in-progress works for critique and instruction on taking them to the next level. Live demonstrations and exercises will be given, and all participants will receive Nick's instructional oil painting booklet if they do not already own a copy.

Friday, Sept. 17 2:00-4:30:
Shawn Barber: "Introduction To Live Portrait Painting"; Free to all attending artists
In this seminar, Shawn will start by showing a short presentation on the basics of painting a portrait from a live model. Students will then begin their own projects; 2 live models will be on hand, as well as a number of teacher's assistants to walk through the class and answer student's questions. Although brief, this class will offer answers to some of the most fundamental questions about portrait painting.

Saturday, Sept. 18 from 5:30-7:30
Guy Aitchison: "Texture"; free to all attending artists
Guy is known for his realistic textural effects that he uses in both his painting and tattoo work. In this 2 hour workshop, Guy demonstrates a few basic concepts on how texture works and how to use it the most effectively in any artistic medium. He will also be providing some exercises for students to take with them so they can experiment directly with some of the ideas presented in the class.

For the paid seminars, seats are limited so we recommend registering immediately. You can register at customerservice.hyperspace[at]gmail[dot]com.

Video Coverage form last years tattoo gathering. Note: There will be no tattooing in 2010.