recap! travel sketching in france, 2026

Five times at Périgord Retreats, and the magic is still there.

Every single time I hop on the train in southern France and get whisked through countryside and villages, that are so very French, to Gourdon Station — I get that slightly disbelieving feeling ... How am I here? How have I forgotten how beautiful this is? And then my heart speeds up a little, knowing I'm about to share it all with a new group of excited artists.

This year's group.

Fourteen women: Spain (me!), USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Austria, Réunion Island, and Kenya. Different ages (28 to 77 years old), different backgrounds, different corners of the world — but our days were completely shared. Same locations, same painting challenges, same picnic blanket. That common thread does something to a group quickly, and in a way that's hard to explain until you've been part of it.

Ability-wise, this was the most diverse group I'd ever had — from someone with 25 years of watercolour experience to someone who'd barely picked up a brush before. That range made for some of the most enjoyable teaching I've ever done. Everyone shares, everyone develops. On the final evening we laid all the paintings and sketchbooks out together and were blown away by everything we'd made in ten days.

What the reviews don't tell you.

People write lovely things after retreat — about the painting, the locations, the food (always the food). But there's something that everyone says a lot and you might not see in the reviews:

You don't have to think about anything.

No groceries, no cooking, no planning, no logistics. You wake up to breakfast on the table, climb into the bus, and from that moment your only job is to look, paint, explore, and enjoy. Picnic lunches in places you'd never find on your own. Studio time back at base in the afternoon. Long dinners around a shared table with the kind of conversation that only happens when a group of people have spent a whole day making things together.

This year I had guests taking a real break from high-powered careers and busy family lives. Others who'd just retired and were finally, finally making space for themselves. Some were healing after something hard, and being quietly brave by travelling solo for the very first time. For all of them, the gift wasn't just the painting — it was ten days of not having to be in charge of anything.

What we painted.

Reflections of Beynac Castle in the river, my secret garden in Gourdon, the towers of Pont Valentré in Cahors, Disney moments in Rocamadour, tranquil country village scenes, fields of poppies and lavender.

We covered linear and aerial perspective, colour mixing, watercolour skills and tonal contrast. We talked about materials — a lot. We sketched outside in all sorts of places.

But most of all we told our own stories of our travels in personal sketches and notes. Our memories of this trip will be more vivid because of that.

The Pont Valentré evening.

Every retreat has a standout evening — the one that gets talked about for the rest of the trip. This year it was Pont Valentré in Cahors. If you don't know it: medieval fortified bridge, honey-coloured stone, towers reflected in the river.

We arrived in the early evening and sat sketching together on the bridge as the last of the late sun caught the towers and turned them almost pink. Then Harrison and Pascal arrived with pizza and wine. How dreamy is that? We'll be talking about this for years.

The food.

We came home with sketchbooks full of beautiful work — but ask anyone in this group what they'll be talking about for the next six months, and the story will be half about the food. Katel and her team thoroughly spoil us with French home cooking that is an extraordinary treat. Breakfast, picnic lunches, long dinners at our shared table — these are the moments where friendships are made that will last forever.

On returning — and returning again.

Three guests this year were back for a second time. Several have already signed up for another adventure next year. When someone spends ten days with you, goes home to their real life, and then decides to do it again — that's the review that means the most.

Thank you.

To the marvellous, beautiful, strong women who trusted us enough to travel across the world and paint with me. Who embraced every adventure and painted up a storm. Who laughed, sang and danced. We met as strangers and leave as friends. I can't thank you enough.

And as always, to Harrison and Katel, who spoil us rotten and laugh along with us, and who somehow make every retreat feel new for me too. And to Pascal, Audrey, Janice and the rest of the team — the fairies in the background who add the magic that makes everything feel seamless.

Interested in joining me in France next year?