I just returned from a lovely time teaching a travel painting workshop aboard The Holland America Noordam. Our ship sailed from Auckland south to Tauranga, then Napier, Wellington, Timaru, Dunedin, Fjordland, then we crossed the Tasman Sea over to Tasmania and visited 2 ports there, Hobart and Burnie. From there we headed North to Melbourne and finally ended in Sydney!
It was a lovely time and everyone made wonderful sketches! I taught for a couple of hours each day either in port or onboard.
I've just received a 5-star review from Alyson, one of the sketchers......
"I had a wonderful time! There were daily watercolor lessons, both aboard the ship and in-port. All levels were welcomed and encouraged. Kristen Stone is a talented and kind instructor. The shipline chosen, Holland America, was a dream. Every whim was catered to. This was my 8th cruise and my 3rd international art workshop and now, my favorite vacation ever!"
I published a 5 minute movie on YouTube, which is a compilation of photos and short videos from the trip!
To view the movie, click New Zealand And Australia Travel Painting Workshop
In front of the historic 1892 Tea Room at The Block Arcade in Melbourne, AU
In lovely downtown Auckland with mom and Bob
My sketch of the piano player onboard, he was fabulous!
A windy but beautiful day in Burnie, Tasmania
Sketching High Tea onboard
Tia sketching onboard
I often sketched my breakfast in my tiny sketchbook!
Ken with his bar sketch onboard
Some beautiful scenery from Fjordland, NZ
Sketching drinks at The Piano Bar onboard
The beautiful harbor in Hobart, Tasmania
Sketching in Mount Maunganui, NZ
Tia and I in Dunedin, NZ
Nature sketching in Napier, NZ
Bob and I on our first day onboard in Auckland
Bob, Tia and Linda at dinner
Our group had a fabulous ocean view table for 10 each night in the main dinning room
Myself and Tia with Grandma Judy in Tasmania
Sketching at an ale house in Timaru, NZ
My sketch of The Dunedin Railway Station, NZ
Beautiful scenery and birdcalls at The Fern Glade Platypus Reserve in Burnie, Tasmania
A beautiful poem I found at The Fern Glade Platypus Reserve in Burnie, Tas
Bar sketching is a lot of fun! I taught this onboard on a sea day, this is my demonstration sketch!
Our group sketching in Napier, NZ
Maura with her sketch of The Flinders Train Station in Melbourne, AU
My sketch of a Pukeko at The Royal Botanical Garden in Melbourne, AU
Alyson with her sketch of Doubtful Sound in the New Zealand Fjords
My sketch of a Maori ancestral home at Te Papa Museum in Wellington, NZ 
Teaching onboard on a sea day!
