urban sketching france : trip down memory lane

20 May 2021

Since I'm planning on teaching a 10 day painting retreat in France this September (details here), of course I'm dreaming about sketching those beautiful old villages and gorgeous landscapes again. And eating fresh croissants and drinking French wine!

A little trip down memory lane today with a few sketches from my previous trips to France over the last decade or so. The hashtag #ReneeInFrance on instagram has lots of my French sketches all in one place.

Join me in September for 10 amazing days of arty goodness.

A free lesson for you!

One of my all-time favourite paintings of a stormy day in a ruined Roman town in Spain.

You can do this! Let me show you how. Join my community to receive this free video tutorial.

Join here

sketching retreat in spain : sept 2027

11 August 2026

My first watercolour retreat in Spain — Cabo de Gata, September 2027. Four years ago I moved to Spain. I've been painting here ever since — and quietly planning the day I could share it with you. ...

how to paint a sunflower field in watercolours

8 August 2026

How to paint sunflowers in watercolour – loose, bold and full of light. If you've ever wanted to paint a field of sunflowers but dreaded the thought of rendering every single petal, this lesson is f...

how versatile is potters pink?

1 July 2026

Potters pink is very pretty, dusty pink with an old world feel. It granulates beautifully and is very lightfast. While pretty on its own, it’s a super versatile colour to use in all sorts of ways. J...