AGE ON PAINTING HOLIDAYS
We’ve all heard that age is just a number. There’s a mental side to that saying, and of course there’s a physical aspect to it.
Can you go on a painting holiday at 80 and beyond? Painting holiday organizers like Azenart get asked about the average age of participants quite often. There’s no age limit to go on an art vacation. It all depends on how physically demanding your art holiday is going to be. At Azenart, guests are mostly 40+, and the age span goes from 40 to about 80, and sometimes beyond.
There are different types of art holidays.
Retreat painting holidays:
Retreat painting or drawing vacations are mostly ‘stay-at-the-rental-and-paint-in-the-gardens or at the studio with one or two outings which most probably will not be very demanding physically. This is the right type of holiday for less mobile elderly folk, who are happy staying in one place most of their art vacation. The question with retreat painting holidays is, is this the right painting holiday for you personally, as far as painting subjects and excitement is concerned. It also depends on the tutor. Questions you could ask yourself are, will I be happy traveling and paying for this holiday to stay on the premises with other participants the whole time? Some guests will be happy doing so, others will end up getting bored within 3 days, and regret having come all this way.
Painting holidays with excursions:
This type of art holiday is for people who are sufficiently fit, no matter what age, and who enjoy being a tourist as much as being an artist on art excursions. Participants who go of this type of art adventure like to sight-see and paint or/and draw at different painting sites, take pictures of exciting places they are visiting. The artistic tourist in them is a happy camper. There is no age limit to these painting holidays either. Most painting holiday companies who organize artistic excursions are careful not to make people walk more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Local transportation is organized in a careful manner, as they must take into consideration that not everyone is equally physically able. Art vacations are not hiking holidays. Questions one would ask themselves about these types of artistic tourist excursions is, is this not going to busy for me? These art holidays are generally not designed for 20 year olds. Most only have one or 2 all-day excursions. The rest are afternoon outings only, with some stay-at-the-rental mornings, and generally one full day of staying at the rental/house and painting there.
Studio painting/drawing holidays:
There art holidays usually have a theme, like portraiture, still-life painting or subjects painted from photos. Like retreat holidays, participants spend most of their time indoors. The painting subject is to be sufficiently captivating to those attending a studio painting holiday, as this is repetitive throughout the holiday.
Whichever painting holiday you choose, make sure it is suited to you and your likings. Age is not to be a major criterion. Life is short. Enjoy what you do.
