Daily painting & demonstrations with artist Michelle Shain.
Participants will learn page-composition, compare watercolor and gouache media, study master paintings and paint Adirondack subjects. Michelle will teach students how to use scale, striking object juxtaposition and perspective to enhance their painting practice. Students will develop their own visual language that blends joy, spontaneity and drama.
Michelle will be on hand at all times to guide students. All classes will take place in the Rec Hall and on the porch overlooking Schroon Lake. Maximum # of students = 14.
Registration is open!
Typical Day
We will learn and create together, while also having time to enjoy the beauty of the Adirondack mountains.
8:00 am: Optional Morning Rec: Hike, Yoga stretch, Kayaking
9:00 am: Breakfast
9:30 am: Art Class, Demo, Painting with Michelle
1:00 pm: Lunch
2:00 pm: Art Class, Demo, Painting with Michelle
5:00 pm: Art Share & Happy Hour
7:00 pm: Dinner
2-Day Pre-Retreat Workshop (August 21-22, 2026) designed especially for beginners
Foundational painting skills, tools, color-mixing techniques, simple still lifes and scencs taught to prepare participants to be able to fully engage in the main retreat. $500, includes 1 breakfast and 2 lunches. Workshop only available to full-retreat participants.
Amenities
Delicious Chef-Prepared Meals Included
5 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 4 Dinners with unlimited wine
Canteen open all day: water, coffee, tea, juice, and snacks
Many dietary restrictions can be accommodated
Additional Activities (weather permitting)
Campfire Night - BBQ Dinner/Bonfire/S’mores
Half-Day Hike
Boat ride tour of Schroon Lake
Crafter Dinner - bring your needles or projects : )
Lakefront Dinner Party at Apple Tree Lodge
Adirondack Artists Showcase wine & cheese party
Half-day trip to Shelbourne Museum
Free Time to play tennis or pickleball, go hiking, for a swim or kayaking, walk into town or just enjoy the serenity of Terra Alta Cottages
Use of 14-acre wooded property, private beach, lakefront and Rec Hall
Private Facebook group with Michelle Shain and attendees starting June 2026 to meet others, share art information and get excited about the retreat!
Accommodations
All cottages have 3 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, living room, separate kitchen, screened-in porch and high-speed internet.
5 Nights
Enjoy your own cottage $2,100 - $2,400
Share with a friend or make a new one $1,700 - $2,000
Commuter Option $1,000
2-Day, Pre-Retreat Beginner Workshop 8/21-8/22/2026 $500
Partners/families of guests are welcome, dogs too; but all meals and activities are for artists only. Maximum # of people per cottage is 6. Pet fee: $75.
Fully-staffed venue. Terra Alta Cottages host and maintenance staff available at all times
Michelle Shain
About the Artist
Paintbrush is in hand whenever I am on the road, on a boat, train or plane. I'll sketch in a café, on a park bench, mountaintop or at a picnic. I am Michelle Shain. My background and education in graphic design helps me use lettering, striking composition and playful scale juxtaposition to tell painted stories.
Professionally, I have illustrated and published several children’s books and often use illustration to help design brands, brochures, signage and infographics. I am very involved in my hometown community and have changed the landscape of our Main Street with numerous hand-painted murals and a park signage system. My work for the local theater includes illustrated posters, seasonal brochures and complete graphics and imaging for their annual galas. "Live Painting” events, as well as house, dog and wedding portraits are also in my toolbox.
As a teacher, I have taught classes at The Art Guild in watercolor and journaling. In addition my “Pack Your Bags” virtual art series takes students around the world while painting.
Please visit www.m44art.com to see samples of my work and a complete client list.
Painting Retreat with Michelle Shain
August 2026
