Painting Trip to See the Cranes and Deer on the Baltic Sea

There are several vacation rentals on the grounds of the Künstlerhaus Prerow. If you're interested, I'd be happy to put you in touch with the manager of the Künstlerhaus.

On the first evening, we’ll start with an introductory session at the Künstlerhaus Prerow. Your instructor will then present a photo slideshow and lecture on the natural environment of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst region, the crane migration, and the lives of the “birds of happiness” and the deer rut. At the same time, the planned schedule for the following days will be explained.
Among the photos for this painting trip, you’ll find a chart with the timeline of planned activities. Please note, however, that we’ll be observing animals in the wild and will have to adapt to the weather and the animals’ behavior. Please keep in mind that we’ll be out in nature, not at a zoo.
On Monday morning, we’ll start with an introduction to watercolor painting and do our first exercises on paper. In the afternoon, we’ll go to Darßer Ort to observe the deer. We’ll take either a horse-drawn carriage or the Darß Express to Nothafen or the lighthouse. From there, we’ll hike along the beach to the core zone of the national park. On the loop trail through the dune landscape, we’ll have the chance to observe red deer during the rutting season. With a little luck, during the excursion we’ll be able to spot not only red deer but also eagles, great white egrets, little egrets, cormorants, terns, swans, flocks of starlings, seagulls, and more. After sunset, our hike will take us back along the beach to Prerow.
On Tuesday, in the studio at the Künstlerhaus Prerow, we’ll paint our wildlife watercolors featuring the deer, drawing on our experiences and the photos we took. Frank Koebsch will explain topics such as subject selection, composition, creative possibilities, watercolor techniques, and more. Step by step, we’ll develop our paintings, and Frank Koebsch will guide you throughout the process.
In the evening, we’ll set out on an excursion to watch the cranes fly in at sunset to their roosts. To do this, we’ll drive to the crane village of Bresewitz and hike together to the Oi–Kir lookout point. With a little luck, we’ll be able to witness thousands of cranes flying in against an orange sky, trumpeting as they do, in the Bodden landscape.
Wednesday begins with an excursion to the “Uns Kranichutkiek” observation platform near Flemendorf, as well as to the “Kranorama” and the “Kranichwelten.” Here, using spotting scopes, binoculars, and telephoto lenses, you can observe these “birds of happiness” up close in their natural habitat. The meadows around the Kranorama are always bustling with activity. A visit to the “Kranichwelten” exhibition then allows you to get up close to the exhibits and discover the birds’ anatomy.
In the afternoon, we’ll begin our first crane watercolors at the Künstlerhaus Prerow.
Thursday is then entirely devoted to painting, so we can put into practice and experiment with what we’ve experienced and learned. The day concludes with a group discussion of the paintings.