Look at those smiles! Day 1 at Castelnaud-la-Chapelle with our finished sketches
Can't believe this just happened! 9 amazing days in beautiful Dordogne and being thoroughly spoilt at Perigord Retreats. I had the happiest, funnest group of people and we explored beautiful villages, painted plein air and in the studio and ate wonderful meals together. So much laughter and such fantastic creative energy. This is what dream painting holidays are about. Pinch me! I feel like I'm dreaming.
A few collages below to give you an idea of what we got up to. Painting on location and in the studio. There was also plenty of time to just be a tourist in some of the lovely villages. Each day was very full, in the bus at 8.30am and back at the retreat around 4pm for some studio time, before meeting for drinks and then dinner around 6.30pm. After dinner it was time to relax and some of us enjoyed a hot spa with a view of the stars.
Talking of dinner - I could write a whole post about the food. Each meal so lovingly crafted from locally sourced organic produce. Shared meals on the terrace each evening gave a lovely family feel to our group, and often we had a picnic lunch next the river when we were out and about. The last night we had a banquet. I'm not kidding! Next to the indoor pool we enjoyed 8 (or was it 9?) courses accompanied wonderful wines. An incredible way to end an incredible trip.
I can't wait to do it all again! So I'll be back in May 2023. Why not join me? More details here.
Sketching in La Roque Gageac, FrancePainting in the studio and in the gardens at Perigord RetreatSome sketches and paintingsSome more of sketches & paintingsNext year I promise to get better photos of the food
Edit February 2023 - we only have one more room left for the retreat in May 2023. Contact me if you'd like join us. More details here.
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...
Here's a deceptively simple painting delivers maximum impact for minimal effort — a wet-in-wet background and a limited palette do most of the work, while the result glows with light and looks far m...
There's something irresistibly paintable about a weathered fence post half-swallowed by summer wildflowers. It's the contrast that does it — rough, sun-bleached wood against the soft, fleeting delic...
