Hello Everyone

We have some great news to share with you!

Europe is calling....

We are now able to announce our Portrait of Europe - A Mediterranean Odyssey 2014 tour!

Our Mediterranean Odyssey 2014 preliminary tour brochure is here!

The feedback we receive is you would like us to announce our tours earlier as many of you prefer to make your travel plans well in advance.

With this in mind, we have put together an early outline of our Portrait of Europe - A Mediterranean Odyssey 2014 tour. This is just an initial brochure so you are able to see the exciting destinations we have woven together to make this 2014 tour another unique and magical small group tour of Europe.

Click on the link below to view our initial brochure and outline of our Portrait of Europe - A Mediterranean Odyssey 2014 tour:

Portrait of Europe

The final brochure and pricing will be released once the 2014 hotel prices are available.

Our reputation for creating unique, leisurely-paced, fun-filled tours to spectacular European destinations has meant word-of-mouth has spread awareness of our tours far and wide.

What makes this tour so unique?

• Exceptional tour to destinations personally selected by Richard and myself
• Uniquely different, our tours focus on sight-seeing as well as art, photography, wine appreciation and Mediterranean cuisine to enable you to savour and capture the essence of our destinations.
• For those who would love to try their hand at painting - or would like to extend their painting skills - I will be there to help you portray the magic of your adventure in watercolour.
• Richard will extend your photography skills in a 'how to make the most of your digital camera' workshop - the spectacular scenery and your awe-inspiring experiences will be portrayed in beautiful photographs forever.
• Richard will also share his vast knowledge of wine as we enjoy two exceptional wine tasting experiences you will never forget.
• Two Mediterranean cook-schools - one in Turkey and one in France - will ensure you bring back cuisine skills and recipes to savour .
• We are tour leaders with extensive experience and a passion to offer tours that allow our guests time to delight in the heart and soul of each destination
• An essential ingredient is the leisurely-paced nature of our tours allowing 3 - 4 nights in most land-based destinations
• Beautiful hand-picked hotels
• Luxury Azamara Quest 7 night cruise exploring Turkey and the Greek Islands (Veranda Staterooms)
• Private luxury air-conditioned coach with English speaking driver.
• We show you what we feel is the best of the best of Europe at an affordable price.
• We specialize in introducing you to experiences you never knew existed.
• Leave your cares behind, put yourself in the hands of well-travelled and highly experienced tour leaders (Richard and myself) and let us whisk you away for 29 nights of fun, laughter, adventure and a holiday of a lifetime - memories that you will savour and enjoy forever.

You may like to take a look at some images from our previous tour

Please note:

The current brochure is an initial outline of what we have in mind. There is still fine tuning to be done where we add additional excursions and experiences. While every effort has been made to provide information as accurately as possible please be aware that some changes may need to be made for practical reasons, but our aim always will be to make any substitutions that are as good as or better than those detailed here.

What to do now?

If you would love to join us on our Portrait of Europe - Mediterranean Odyssey tour in September 2014 - or if you are interested to know more - feel free to contact Richard or myself. Contact details below.

"Sharing our experience and passion for the mystical places that draw us back to savour again and again is a great passion for Richard and me. We create unique tours that are seamlessly woven together so you can delight in experiences that dreams are made of. Richard and I would love you to join us aboard this trip of a lifetime."

We hope you can join us!

Please click to contact Susan and Richard

New Book:

The Power of Us: New Zealanders Who Dare to Dream

Susan Harrison-Tustain is humbled and honoured to be included in a new book that celebrates "53 inspirational New Zealanders who dare to dream". The book is the result of a collaboration between New Zealander of the Year (2010), Sir Ray Avery, television journalist and interviewer Cameron Bennett and noted photographer Adrian Malloch.

Sir Ray Avery is the author of the best-selling autobiography Rebel with a Cause, which charted his rise from street kid to knighthood. He is the CEO of the award-winning development agency Medicine Mondiale which manages a global network of Scientific, Clinical and business  experts who donate their knowledge and time to develop medical solutions which make quality healthcare accessible to everyone. Sir Ray was the recipient of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Award 2010, The Blake Leadership Medal 2010 and Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2011 New Year honours list for services to philanthropy.

"Nobody is as clever as all of us" is one of Sir Ray Avery’s key philosophies — the importance of teamwork and harnessing the talents of a group. The book is a celebration of 53 New Zealanders who are extraordinary in their own fields, both locally and internationally. Drawn from many activities — science, business, writing, film, sport, art, technology — each person is a high achiever and a risk taker. At the book launch in Auckland, Sir Ray said "I wanted this book to focus on the people who play on the world stage and do incredible things for New Zealand. The people who were selected for the book had excelled across a range of fields and deserved to be recognized for their work."

Susan Harrison-Tustain feels incredibly honoured and humbled to have been asked to feature in this book of New Zealand achievers."This is a compelling book. Looking from the reader's perspective it is immensely inspiring to see how 'ordinary' people have dared to believe in their dreams and have made them happen. But more than that - these are 'ordinary' people with extraordinary passions; people who have kept their feet on the ground through the hard work and the successes, the knock-backs and the surges forward. These are Kiwis and this book will be an inspiration to all who read it. It is not just for New Zealanders - it is universal. It is one of those books you will not want to put down. The message is that we can all reach our goals - and beyond - it is just a matter of daring to take flight. "After reading this book, it is hard to imagine how anyone could use the words 'I can't' ever again" says Susan.

The Power of Us is available through all good New Zealand book sellers. For those overseas, please write to Susan via her 'Contact' form 

Great news!

You have asked for it and now we are ready to launch the:

Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting!

What does this mean for you?

• Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting On-Line Painting Critiques
• Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting  6 Month On-Line Painting Courses
• Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting One on One Workshop (in Susan’s studio)

The Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting is designed for all levels of skill from beginners to advanced and professional artists.

As artists we often reach a plateau in our painting journey - we want to move forward but are not sure how.

The Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting is specifically designed to help you understand and reach your full potential.
"After twenty years of teaching painting workshops in New Zealand, US and Europe, and an internationally best selling North American published book, as well as best selling watercolor DVDs - the demand for my painting tuition is far outweighing the time I have. So I have created The Susan Harrison-Tustain School of Painting where on an individual basis I can lift your work to the next level and beyond. My school of painting is about understanding your goals and then you and I working together to achieve them. Depending on which mode of tuition you chose, I can tailor an Art Critique, a personlized One on One Workshop in my studio or a 6 month Painting Course specifically to meet your needs.

A personal critique of your artwork, online workshop and private One on One painting workshops are the ideal way to learn how to paint in Watercolor and Oil – and extend your painting skills, understanding and knowledge.

Do you want help with your painting? Do you want to learn:

- how to choose your subject

- how to create the best compositions

- what to leave out

- what to avoid

- what to emphasize

- how to interpret your subject

- how to analyse your subject

- how to really ‘see’ you subject

- where to begin to paint

- how much water to use with your watercolor paint

- how to apply your paint

- how to create smooth washes

- how to paint underwashes and underpainting

 Just released and only two double spots left!

TOUR 2012

"Portrait of Europe  -

An Artist's Mediterranean Odyssey 2012"

~~~ A spectacular 29 day sight-seeing, painting, photography, wine appreciation and European cuisine tour! ~~~

Join Susan and Richard for a superb tour of their favourite haunts of Europe. A unique tour focused on sight-seeing, painting, photography, wine appreciation and European Cuisine.

Have you always wanted to visit Europe or return to some of the most incredible destinations Europe has to offer in a leisurely paced taylor-made tour?

But don't want to travel on your own?

Would you like to travel with a small group of like-minded people and in the security of a very  experienced tour guides who can take care of everything for you?

(Click on the image of the brochure to read the full itinerary. The brochure may take a short while to download as the beautiful image file is large.)

Join Susan and Richard with their small group for a magical, leisurely-paced tour to magnificent destinations. This is a tour with a difference. Specializing in unique tours, Susan and Richard have personally created an itinerary offering a trip of a life-time. Focussed on sight-seeing, there are also many opportunities if you have always wanted to try your hand at painting. Imagine sitting painting in an ancient European village cobbled street, or amongst the wild-flowers and summer grasses in a meadow below the Swiss Alps - cows with bells and snow capped mountains and chalets hugging the hillside. With waterfalls and the aroma of summer/autumn captured in every stroke - this is a tour that will take your breath away with the spectacular experiences we have in store for you. You may be an experienced artist - Susan will be there for you all - guiding you every step of the way.

Your passion may be photography. Where better than on a unique European tour to learn how to get the most out of your digital camera! Richard will be there to offer you his expertise as well as two workshops on how to take magnificent shots of the stunning scenery, markets, people, birds and all nature has to offer.

Richard will also conduct two wine appreciation evenings where he will share his vast knowledge and many magnificent European wines for you to explore.

While in Bellagio, Lake Como we will visit star chef Luigi Gandola's famous restaurant. We have a cook school booked for you which begins with a visit to Luigi's Mamma's vegetable and herb garden. Then it is back to the restaurant to try our hand at Italian cooking with Luigi's expert guidance. How idyllic! The icing on the cake of course is that evening we get to eat the foods in a banquet of fine food and wine! This evening will be the second of Richard's wine appreciation evenings.

Have you longed to cruise in a five star cruise liner along the French and Italian Rivieras? The quality of the cruise we have chosen and the fantastic destinations are outstanding and allow us to visit numerous places including Portofino, Cinque Terre, Florence, Amalfi, Sorrento, Capri, Taormina, Rome - amongst others in a leisurely cruise where there is time to soak up the flavour of each destination.

This is only a very small sample of the long list of magical destinations and excursions we have planned for this unique land and cruise tour - our 2012 "Portrait of Europe Tour'

Click on the image for the full itinerary. The brochure may take a short while to download as the beautiful image file is large. Feel free to contact Susan and Richard using their contact form if you have any queries.

This tour has only just been released. Already we see the tour is almost full. We hope you can join us for this trip of a life-time!

'South Island Tomtit' Watercolor on 300 gsm Arches Hot Pressed paper size: 16" x 10", 410 mm x 255 mm © Susan Harrison-Tustain		'Stewart Island Robin' Watercolor on 300 gsm Arches Hot Pressed paper size: 12" x 7 1/2", 300 mm x 190 mm © Susan Harrison-Tustain

Stewart Island, New Zealand has a well deserved pristine, clean, green reputation. Stunningly beautiful this land feels almost prehistoric and it is not hard to imagine this is what most of New Zealand must have been like before man arrived. Almost predator-free this place has a mystical atmosphere. The bird song and wild-life as well as the native forest, Manuka scrub and wilderness is awe inspiring. An artist's mecca. It is here that I studied many of our native species including the South Island Tomtit and the Stewart Island Robin that will feature in my 2011 Recollection exhibition.

The South Island Tomtit flittered from branch to branch in a native forest area that was covered by a dense canopy of tree tops - shading the undergrowth from sunlight. A stream trickled beside the track and the almost luminous green moss covered everything in sight. Quite beautiful and almost surreal - this place was a heaven for bird-life.

Preview of the framed paintings:

We were also befriended by a gregarious Stewart Island Robin. He was our 'shadow' for about one kilometre of our tramping day. When we stopped - he stopped. He would sit nearby as I sketched - daring to draw closer and closer. My shoe lace was his ultimate target and as he tugged at it and then darted back into his perceived 'safe zone' - I was able to make quick sketches and notes for the study you see here.

My painting technique for feathers begins with underwashes of local color. I then use a dry- brush watercolor method. This is ideal for capturing the texture of feathers in watercolor. Layers of watercolor drybrush emulate the natural layering - and careful color selection and mixing help to create the feeling the viewer can reach into the painting and touch the feathers.

When painting bird studies I like to observe closely the pattern on the feathers, how they lay - one on top of the other as they protect and also repel rain. They way the texture of the feathers differs between the ruffled soft downy feathers in one area and the stronger more stiff feathers in another is always fun to observe and portray. I also note the amazing color patterns on each feather. The challenge is not to simply depict the bird - but it is to portray it's character within the paint layers. I hope you can feel something of the nature of each of these beautiful creatures.

Feel free to contact me via my contact form if you have any queries.

~~~~~

Learn about my Watercolor Painting Technique in my Watercolor DVDs.

Learn about how to paint in my Free Art Lessons.

"Kaitiaki"
Mixed Media on Flax Paper
350 mm x 440 m
13 1/4" x 17 1/4"
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

A chance meeting lead me to create this painting. I met Wallace Aramoana while I was visiting Ohiwa Harbour, near Ohope Beach, New Zealand. This is a man whose impact on his community, land and the youth of the area is legendary in that corner of NZ. My painting of Wallace was created on flax paper. I wanted it to capture his connection to the land. I wanted this to be a tribute to this man of the land and a man of his people. The New Zealander. Wallace believes this land is for everyone. Meeting this Maori elder was a life-changing experience for me. I wanted to title the painting "The Orator", but his reply was "No - that would be about me - I would like it to be about all of my people - 'Kaitiaki ' (translates to Caretakers of the land. )

How perfect that title is. It also relays the respect and admiration I have for this man. To paint him is an honor for me.

Click here to visit my painting exhibition page where you can find details on the exhibition including a sneak preview of some of my exhibition oil and watercolor paintings.

Feel free to contact me via my contact form if you have any queries.

~~~~~

Learn about my Watercolor Painting Technique in my Watercolor DVDs.

Learn about how to paint in my Free Art Lessons.

Great news! I have several new Youtube video clips that have only just been released.

The Video clips are posted here on my blog, but just wait a moment until they are fully loaded!

These cover:

- My journey to become a professional artist

- My magical palette - my limited palette of just 12 colors

- My brushes and paper

- My easy to make Isolating tool

- and others

Keep watching for future videos where I will show you how to create fantastic black and dark colors as well as the perfect green mixes.

There will be many others as time allows.

Click here to view some of these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNMEllAoY-w&feature=related

Don't forget to subscribe and click "like" if you enjoy them. Youtube loves to have that feedback

Have fun!

"Back From the Brink"
Oil on Belgian Linen
size: 660 mm x 510 mm - 26"x20"
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

Time for sneak preview of another exhibition painting.

On the 'Endangered Species' list, the New Zealand takahe was thought to be extinct. In the 1948 a small number were found in the Murcheson Mountains.
Inspired by the prehistoric appearance of the large red beak and iridescent plumage, my oil painting grew from a drive to create greater awareness of this incredibly fascinating creature.

Crouched down and hidden by tussock, I was awed to see such a stunningly beautiful and large, rarely-seen bird come out of native bush into the tussock. It was a breath taking experience, not just because it is a rare bird - but also because the bird is incredibly beautiful with it's luminous opalescent blue and green plumage. I am sure I stopped breathing for a while as I didn't want to make a sound or intrude. To scare them or to influence their behaviour would have altered their demeanour. I felt privileged to be there at that instant when three (one adult and two juvenile) emerged from the bush. I lay silent, observing, sketching and studying how best to portray this bird, while trying to draw the detail and make field notes before the moment was gone.

I love my paintings to say something about the subject I am portraying. In this case this painting composition speaks of the journey of these beautiful birds which were, until recently, thought to be extinct. With the help of the Department of Conservation in Te Anau, New Zealand - these birds are slowly coming back from the brink of extinction. There are still only 280 birds in existance so they are on the endangered species list of New Zealand birds. My composition epitomizes this part of their journey as they emerge from the bush and tussock - back into the light. I wanted to depict the takahe in a natural setting, foraging, unaware that we, the viewers of the painting are observing in silence, just behind the broken fern frond.

I wanted to celebrate that we still have these stunning creatures. Help build the awareness of the takahe and to paint a tribute to them that will go on for generations to enjoy. To see these creatures was breathtaking and to capture them in oil paint and on canvas is an honour.

Please click to visit the Exhibiton page and see more
sneak previews of Susan's latest work

Learn  about my Watercolor Painting Technique in my Watercolor DVDs.

Learn about how to paint in my Free Art Lessons.