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Artists from across Canada spent last week in Jasper to paint our scenic views.
Jasper Watercolour Retreat society, a non-profit group, has brought artists to the park for 25 years.
They meet for a week in May and two weeks in September, based at Tekarra Lodge, to paint a different view each day as a group.
Tom Phillips, president of the society, said: 鈥淲hen we are painting we often paint alone so we can get a reinvigoration from this and turn back into painting.
鈥淲ith seeing new techniques it鈥檚 a chance to think, 鈥業鈥檒l go home and try that.鈥欌��
Phillips said all the artists are open and friendly and happy to share techniques.
鈥淲e are a group of likeminded artists at various levels,鈥� he said
鈥淯sually not raw beginners but intermediate and some people paint professionally, most of us not.
鈥淲e try to stay relatively close together and often encourage people who are less experienced to stay a bit behind and look over shoulders to get a way of doing things.鈥�
Some of the artists at the retreat, including Hinton鈥檚 Sam Wilson, have work shown at the Jasper Artists Guild.
The group last week painted locations including Edith Cavell, Medicine Lake, Snaring River and Cottonwood Slough.
Judith Lam, from Vancouver, said: 鈥淭his is my first time here and it has been amazing, better than I realised.
鈥淧eople here are so helpful, just so open and very willing to share.鈥�
Lam said she signed up for the retreat when a friend from a studio in Vancouver recommended it.
She said: 鈥淭he scenery is stunning. It is a wonderful experience, I highly recommend it if you love nature.鈥�
And for Anne McCartney, from Edmonton, it was her first retreat after taking a few years break.
She said: 鈥淚 love going outside constantly and it鈥檚 an escape from all the things from home.
鈥淚 love going out as a group and painting as a group and it鈥檚 supportive.鈥�
Jasper Watercolour Retreat is run by volunteers.
鈥淲ithout them we couldn鈥檛 do it,鈥� said Phillips.
