Painting holiday, Italy - September 2026
Join me for an unforgettable sketching holiday in Italy.
Have you ever dreamed of traveling to Italy, staying in a palazzo, exploring a picture-postcard setting of medieval villages, mountains, and coast, and capturing your entire journey in a sketchbook? Then this might be the perfect trip for you!
Hotel Leone is a restored pre-1500s palazzo which has been transformed into an award-winning luxury boutique hotel. It sits at the foot of the ancient hilltop town of Montelparo and rests elegantly between the Sibillini Mountains and the Adriatic coast.
Every winding alley and sun-soaked vineyard is a scene waiting to be captured in your sketchbook. During our week together you’ll connect with fellow artists, indulge in local delicacies, and immerse yourself in cultural activities that will ignite your creativity. And we’ll sketch and paint it all!
We’ll paint plein air or in our dedicated studio space, covering concepts of perspective, composition, colour theory, and watercolour techniques. We’ll tackle a variety of subjects, and my goal is to give you the confidence to never go anywhere without your sketchbook again.
7 nights from €3,499 per person. Limited spots!
Her teaching style is not only exemplary but also infused with genuine support and encouragement that makes learning so much more enjoyable.
The location
Our home for the retreat is Hotel Leone.
This medieval hill town is full of charm, with narrow streets, worn stone steps, shady courtyards, and open piazzas that offer stunning views. At Hotel Leone, guests can experience the real day-to-day life of Le Marche, where the changing seasons still guide local traditions and work. The hotel has been fully restored with care, keeping its historic character while adding modern comforts. The owners have made it as environmentally friendly as possible and are known for making guests feel welcome and well looked after.
Group sizes are small
With small group sizes, I’m able to give each person plenty of one-on-one guidance every day. And you'll be thoroughly looked after by our hosts.
Non-painting partners are welcome too! There’s plenty to do beyond painting.
Fully hosted
Hotel Leone is all about comfort and relaxation. There are plenty of inviting spaces to unwind—whether it’s the cosy sitting room, the bar, the poolside lounge, or the terrace and courtyard, perfect for long breakfasts or relaxed evening meals. The on-site restaurant, set under a vaulted ceiling, adds to the charm. Bedrooms are spacious and thoughtfully equipped, some with balconies and internet radio. All rooms include air-conditioning, tea and coffee facilities, TVs with a wide choice of free films, soft towels, and crisp high-quality linen. Each floor also has an honesty mini-bar if you’d rather enjoy a quiet drink than join fellow painters for a cocktail in the Empire bar.
It’s the ideal base for a creative week—somewhere you can truly switch off, recharge, and focus on your sketchbook.
The details
When: 18 to 25 September 2026
Where: Hosted by Hotel Leone
Price: From €3,499 per person (7 nights)
Price includes — pretty much everything!
- 5 days of painting tuition, including demonstrations and one-to-one guidance
- 3 days of plein air painting at hand-picked scenic locations
- Botanical eco-printing workshop with local artisans
- Hands-on pasta-making class with three generations of the same family
- Pizza giro night at a local trattoria
- All meals included — daily breakfast, buffet lunch, and 4-course gourmet dinners
- Private group transfers to and from either Ancona airport or Pedaso (station or bus stop)
Not included: flights to Italy or travel insurance.
For watercolour enthusiasts of all levels
- Gain confidence painting on location
- Learn to create travel sketches with minimal materials
- Follow my step-by-step guidance and live demos
- Get one-on-one feedback to improve your work
- Master perspective (without fear!)
- Explore a limited palette approach for cohesive, harmonious paintings
- Work in the studio whenever you like—day or night
- Connect with other artists who share your passion!
Ready to join us?
Bookings are open! Please drop me an email renee_walden@icloud.com or a message on Facebook or Instagram.
Travel sketching is a passion of mine.
18 years ago, I packed a sketchbook along with my climbing gear on a trip to Spain and France and I filled it. Since then the sketching part of a trip has overtaken my climbing passion and I never go anywhere without a sketchbook.
I've been visiting Europe for about 6 months a year, almost every year, since 2007 and I have a massive stack of sketchbooks that are filled with priceless memories. There are watercolour sketches of villages, landscapes, flowers, food, and people in every sketchbook, along with little notes that bring me straight back to a place whenever I open a sketchbook. Sketching outside has immersed me in places, creating very vivid memories and has allowed me to meet so many local folks I would not have encountered otherwise.
I've been teaching people to paint in watercolours since 2017. I've run classes outside giving people the tools to learn to sketch plein air; studio-based classes on painting birds, flowers, and landscapes; and classes on Zoom. Since June 2022 I've been guiding painting holidays annually in France and I can honestly say these trips are some of my favourite days of my year! I'm excited to guide one in Italy this year.
Ask me for more details...
Please drop me an email
I have been truly fortunate to attend Renee's watercolor retreats on two occasions, and both experiences have been nothing short of transformative. Her teaching style is not only exemplary but also infused with genuine support and encouragement that makes learning so much more enjoyable. ... beyond her exceptional skills, Renee exudes warmth and kindness, making her a joy to learn from and be around.
I absolutely love painting lessons with Renee. I first discovered her on Patreon last year, what a fabulous selection of tutorials and everything is so easy to find and well laid out! ...
Then I was lucky enough to join Renee at Perigord Retreats and I absolutely loved it! We had such fun painting each day, going on excursions, chatting, eating and drinking, Renee and everyone were so friendly and supportive it was so great I'm booked again for next time! 😊
Renee has an amazing way of breaking down complicated subjects into concrete steps. Watching her paint in real time, and explain her “why” behind choices such as color palettes and composition was so valuable to me. I learned so much about perspective, capturing light and shadow, and questions to ask yourself when planning a painting that I now apply to my creative practice since coming back.
Renee is a phenomenal teacher and artist! She explains techniques and fundamentals for sketching and painting in such an understandable and applicable way. When painting, she also gives wonderful encouragement and tips to help you not only feel confident in your work, but also push you to be brave. Working with her is absolutely the best. Renee is friendly, knowledgeable, kind, and so incredibly talented.