Watercolour Art Retreats in Europe & Morocco | Renee Walden

Watercolour Art Retreats

Paint the World in Watercolour

Watercolour Art Retreats

Light up Your Creativity

Watercolour Art Retreats

Discover Magical Places

upcoming retreats...

Watercolor painting holiday in France, 2026
2026
Dordogne, FRANCE
FULLY BOOKED

27 May - 05 June 2026
Small group (usually 12-14)
from €3,600 per person

Fully booked for 2026, but I have spots available in 2027 (see below).

Watercolor painting holiday in Italy, 2026
2026
Montelparo, ITALY
FULLY BOOKED

18 - 25 Sept 2026
Small group (10-12 students)
from €3,499 per person

Staying in a boutique palazzo, exploring a picture-postcard setting of medieval villages, mountains, and coast, and capturing your entire journey in a sketchbook.

Watercolor painting holiday in Morocco, 2027
2027
Marrakech, MOROCCO
FULLY BOOKED

20 - 27 February 2027
Small group, around 12 students
from €4,000 per person

Travel sketching in Morocco. Vibrant souks, exciting bazaars, intricate tiles, warm light, and landscapes begging to be sketched. In connection with Perigord Retreats.

Watercolor painting holiday in Italy, 2027
2027
Umbria, ITALY
FULLY BOOKED

16 - 25 April 2027
Small group (12-16 students)
from €2,800 per person

For 60 years, artists have gathered at La Romita School of Art, a restored 16th-century monastery nestled in the Umbrian hills. Here, ancient stone walls hold the creative energy of thousands who've come before you.

Watercolor painting holiday in France, 2027
2027
Dordogne, FRANCE
6 ROOMS LEFT

21 - 30 June 2027
Small group (usually 12-14)
from €4,000 per person

Fill a sketchbook with vibrant watercolor memories of France – medieval villages bathed in golden light, riverside scenes along the Dordogne, the dramatic cliffs of Rocamadour captured in your own hand.

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Watercolor painting holiday in Italy, 2027
2027
Tuscany, ITALY
6 ROOMS LEFT

2 - 9 October 2027
Small group (12-14 students)
from €3,195 per person

Tuscany in autumn — golden vines tumbling across hillsides, ancient stone glowing in the October light, olive groves heavy with harvest, and the kind of beauty that stops you mid-sentence.

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Watercolour art retreats

Have you ever wished you could slow down, soak in the beauty of a place, and capture it in your sketchbook? I'm Renee Walden — a watercolour artist and passionate plein air painter — and that's exactly what I help people do.

Forget selfies! The real magic happens when you sketch your travels.

What to Expect

  • Art retreats that nourish your creativity
  • Time to slow down and truly see the world around you
  • Supportive teaching — no experience needed
  • Inspiring locations, from medieval French villages, to Italian hill towns to lakeside New Zealand views
  • Local cuisine, good wine, lots and lots of laughter!
  • A friendly, welcoming community of fellow creatives

Renee is not just an artist, she is an incredible mentor, guide, and source of inspiration.

Although I joined the retreat as a companion, accompanying my wife Priya, and not as one of the… Read more… participating artists, I was genuinely amazed by the experience she created. Renee has a rare ability to make art feel accessible, inspiring, and deeply personal for everyone around her, not just those holding a brush.

— P&BB, Canada

Renee is a talented artist and teacher!

Her encouragement and skills were shared equally to all in our group at Perigord retreats. Lots of laughter was a feature of our stay here and there was… Read more… individual attention to everyone’s needs .

— BM, Australia

let's paint together

Capture your life in colour.

Since 2017, I’ve been running watercolour art retreats and painting holidays. These are joy-filled adventures with sketchbooks, watercolour, laughter, good food, and a glass of local wine at the end of the day. These retreats are all about learning, creating, and filling your sketchbook (and your soul) with colourful memories.

Think of it as a the best trip you could ever imagine!

What to expect on a painting retreat.

Relaxed painting and sketching sessions in beautiful spots — a bustling market, a sleepy village square, or a sunlit garden. Studio time for demos and tips. Individual guidance, because small groups mean you’re never left staring at a blank page.

Absolutely everything taken care of so that all we have to think about is painting!

No rush, no stress, just painting, chatting, exploring, and soaking up the atmosphere. By the end, you’ll have a sketchbook bursting with your creations, new skills, and, for sure, a few new friends.

Who these watercolour retreats are for.

Anyone who loves to create, travel, and see the world in colour. Beginners welcome. Experienced artists welcome. Solo travellers welcome. Partners welcome. Friends, family, grandmas and grandkids welcome (it's happened!)

Why travel sketching?

Unlike a photo, your sketches capture the full experience — the light, the movement, the smells of the market… the whole story. Travel sketching turns ordinary moments into memories you’ll treasure forever. You'll capture your journey in a way that feels alive and deeply personal.

My aim? To inspire you to never go anywhere without a sketchbook again.

What's special about a painting trip?

You might be interested in this blog post I wrote.

See my reviews on Google.

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!

I completed quite a few of the projects where Renee explains things so clearly and also gives the reasons why… Read more… things are done in a certain way. Renee gives great help and feedback on everyone's efforts and it's just a great learning experience with new projects and challenges coming each month, it really keeps you motivated.

— KJ, UK

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.… Read more… Working with her is absolutely the best. Renee is friendly, knowledgeable, kind, and so incredibly talented.

— RF, USA

My time spent with Renee in Marrakech (Perigord Retreats) came at a perfect moment for me as a novice in this medium. Renee included tips to help me better understand perspective in sketching and the process of laying color down. Her warmth and genuine caring are “the main thing” that I take away… Read more… from this very special woman. Many thanks to Harrison and Katel at Perigord Retreats for such a wondrous experience!!

— LS, USA

Renee shares the techniques that make her paintings sing with vibrancy and movement. Perspective drawing becomes “almost easy” with her simplified teaching tips and secret tool. She is kind and generous and gives each person suggestions for improvement. Renee’s depth of knowledge and love of the… Read more… watercolour medium is clear and she is bursting to tell you all about it. Go and listen, paint, and have fun!

— MS, Canada

previous retreats

recap! travel sketching in france, 2026

recap! travel sketching in france, 2026

9 June 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 French countryside and villages to Gourdon Station — ...

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recap! an autumn week in tuscany

recap! an autumn week in tuscany

5 November 2025

I’m still dreaming of the autumn colours in Tuscany — the rolling landscapes, the hilltop villages, the incredible food, and the unforgettable setting of Hortulanus. But what lingers most are the ...

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recap! french watercolour retreat

recap! french watercolour retreat

16 June 2024

June means my annual trip to southern France to guide a painting holiday. 10 days where I share my love of painting outdoors with a small group of people giving them the skills to capture their memori...

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recap! art retreat in france

recap! art retreat in france

13 June 2023

It’s hard to believe that our wonderful 10 days at Perigord Retreats was a month ago already. I guess it’s taken me that long to absorb the whole experience and take it all in! I can honestly say ...

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