NEW! Embrace Winter Beauty: A Painting & Wellness Retreat, Jan 17-19, 2026 at The Preserve at Chocorua
- Date: January 17-19, 2026
- Age: Adults ( 18 and up)
- Price: 1095.00
- Artist: Melanie Barash Levitt
Join award-winning artist Melanie Barash Levitt of Jackson Art and Ginger Rober, owner of Restorative Health and Fitness for a creative, relaxing, and rejuvenating 3-day Winter Painting & Wellness Retreat. This small group retreat will takes place at The Preserve at Chocorua, a picturesque 26-acre estate tucked away in the historic town of Tamworth, New Hampshire, in the White Mountains on January 17-January 19 ( MLK weekend).
During this winter getaway, you’ll immerse yourself in untouched natural beauty—a true seasonal wonderland. In addition to daily painting sessions, we will share meals, unwind by the fire, practice yoga/stretching, relax with a personalized treatment, enjoy peaceful winter walks (snowshoes provided), and create in one of the most charming locations in New England.
We will paint at the Preserve in the Hayford Barn, a stunning 4,000 sq. ft. timber-peg barn with a vaulted ceiling. This spacious and beautifully heated barn is perfect for yoga/stretching, painting sessions, tea time, and social hour.
Participants may choose to paint indoors or set up outdoors for plein air painting when weather allows. The adjacentIce Pavilion—a covered open-air space with an outdoor hearth stone fireplace—offers an additional sheltered location to enjoy the scenery. Two outdoor fire pits with comfy seating are also available for warming up with a hot drink.
Painting Instruction:
Each day, Melanie will lead a winter landscape painting demo/lesson using both brush and palette knife. She will cover:
•Mixing a winter palette
•Mark-making and expressive brushwork
•Building a strong composition
•Creating atmosphere and light
•Understanding values
•Working from observation, memory, and sketches
Participants will explore The Preserve’s natural beauty as their subject—snow-laden trees, paths, winter skies, and rustic structures. Melanie will be painting in oils, but participants may also use water-based oils, acrylics, open acrylics, or watercolor (demos will be in oil).
All levels are welcome, including total beginners. Melanie will work with each student at their level. Participants are required to bring their own art supplies. See supply list below.
Relaxing and Wellness:
We will start each morning with yoga and stretching taught by certified instructor, Ginger Rober. Each participant will also enjoy a choice of massage, facilitated stretch, or energy work included in the package. This will be scheduled over the course of the three days.
Mount Chocorua and the surrounding basin have inspired artists, poets, and writers for centuries, including E.E. Cummings, Wallace Stevens, and Grover Cleveland. The Preserve continues this tradition—offering creative refuge, quiet beauty, and space for reflection.
WINTER PAINTING & WELLNESS RETREAT INCLUDES:
• Two nights and three full days at The Preserve at Chocorua (retreat begins Saturday at 10 AM and ends Monday at 4 PM)
• Home-cooked meals include two breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners, and six snacks. (allergies and intolerances accommodated) BYOB
• Early morning coffee/tea + daily afternoon tea time
• Three days of painting: demos, instruction, and individual guidance
• Special class on Day 1 for beginners only
• Evening color-mixing demo (Winter Palette)
• Winter Painting Slide Show
• Group Yoga/Stretching classes each morning
• One private massage, facilitated stretch, or energy-work session per person
• Optional daily walks/snowshoeing
• Group critique and celebration of paintings on the last day
This retreat offers the perfect blend of art, wellness, community, and rest that allows you to relax, rejuvenate and be creative!
DATES & COST:
Saturday, January 17 (starts at 10am) to
Monday, January 19 (ends at 4pm, Martin Luther King Day)
Three-day all inclusive rate of
$1095 (shared bathroom)
$1195 (private bathroom)
Use toggle when registering to pick your option.
There are 7 rooms with private bathrooms and 6 rooms with shared bathrooms. First come, first serve when registering. *There is also the Maple Cottage available with its own kitchen. Inquire if interested. Participants are required to bring their own art supplies and yoga matte.
NOTE: If you’d like to arrive a day early or stay an extra night, The Preserve is offering a special reduced rate for class participants. Contact Mary at the Preserve at 603-323-8333 to add on a night or two. Spouses who wish to share your room and join meals may be added—just reach out for arrangements to cover food.
THE PRESERVE AT CHOCORUA is located at 88 PHILBRICK NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD, TAMWORTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 03886. For more info visit https://www.reservethepreserve.com
SUGGESTED SUPPLY LIST:
-Paints: Oil Paints, Water Soluble Oils, Acrylics, or watercolor. Bring a limited palette of paints, a warm and cool of each primary and a few others if you would like. Feel free to bring what you have. Melanie uses mostly Gamblin Professional Oil Paints which you can get at Michaels or online at Dick Blick or Cheap Joes. She will be doing her demos in oil.
Melanie’s Palette: (feel free to bring what you have)
-Titanium White
-Cad Yellow Light
– Cadmium Orange
-Cadmium Red Light
-Alizerin Crimson or Quinacrodine Magenta
-Ultramarine Blue
-Phthalo Blue
-Phthalo Green
-Yellow Ochre
-Dioxazine Purple
-Transparent Red Oxide
Other Supplies:
-Palette to mix paint
-Gamsol or odorless mineral spirits only (for oils) along with brush washer or jar to hold solvent.
-Solvent free Gel or Liquin medium for oils. Pick other medium for water soluble oils
-Medium of choice for acrylics, retarder
-Wet palette helpful for acrylics
-Jar for water (acrylic, watercolor)
-Palette Knife (2″ blade with tip and bent neck)
-Brushes- I like flats and filberts size 2,4,6,8,10
-Aprrox 5 canvases (I use boards) variety of sizes, bring what you like- 6×8″ 8×10” ,9×12” , 12×16″
-Wet canvas carrier or way to transport wet oil paintings
-Rolls paper towels
-Plastic bags for trash
-Small sketchbook/drawing pencil
-Notebook to take notes
-Bring your own easel (studio or plein air)
– Warm clothes and paint clothes
– Yoga matte
– Personal Items
– BYOB
For Snowshoeing & Winter Walks: Dress in layers. Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. You can also bring a small sketchbook and drawing pencil or sharpie for our winter walks. Bring your own spikes /snowshoes or borrow snowshoes from the Preserve.
Ginger Rober LMT is a Muscular Therapist, Certified Fitness Coach, and Yoga/Pilates instructor. Ginger has over 30 years experience in nutrition, fitness, and muscular therapy. She brings energy healing into her therapy sessions and specifically details each session to the individual needs of each person.
Melanie Barash Levitt currently lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and is the owner of Jackson Art Studio & Gallery. Melanie is an award winning artist who paints in a loose, impressionistic style with a brush or a palette knife. As a plein air painter, Levitt paints on location braving the elements to capture the mood of the scene. Her favorite subjects are the mountains, rivers and small farms of New Hampshire and the rugged coasts of Maine. Her artwork resides is in the home of many collectors through the US, Canada and Europe. She exhibits her work in galleries and juried shows throughout NH, ME, VT and NY and has received numerous awards for her paintings in regional shows and juried events. She is an artist member of the Salmagundi Club in NYC and on the staff for the Plein Air Convention 2026 in the Ozarks.
Cancellation Policy: We ask that you to give us three weeks notice if you need to cancel for a full refund minus a $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations should be made by phone by calling (603) 387-3463. This provides us the opportunity to fill the space. We are sorry, but we cannot give refunds or issue credits for missed classes or no shows.
