11 - 18 Oct 2027
Small group (10-14 students)
from €3,390 per person
A river valley, a historic spa town, chestnut forests turning gold in October — This historic and authentic family home provides quiet luxury at an unhurried pace. Urban and landscape sketching right outside the door!
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.
20 - 27 Feb 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.
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.
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.
2 - 9 Oct 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.
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
The retreat was a fabulous experience for me as a studio watercolour artist with little experience in plein air painting. Also, journaling through sketching is a new experience for me. I love to… Read more… travel and my new lessons in journaling with watercolour will be an integral part of my future trips.
Renee is an outstanding watercolor artist and teacher. In early 2022 I began taking classes online from her on a regular basis and then attended her in-person workshop in the Dordogne region of… Read more… France later in the year accompanied by my photographer husband. It was an experience of a lifetime. Returning home to California after the wonderful retreat I continued taking online classes from Renee to hone my skills and to be encouraged by her personal direction in small groups. I am a Patreon supporter of Renee's and pursue the projects and lessons she provides on that platform regularly. Recently in March 2026 my husband and I again participated in one of her retreats in conjunction with Perigord Retreats. This time the location was Marrakesh in Morocco. Once again the experience exceeded our expectations and as a result my art practice continues to grow and thrive. I am grateful for her guidance and her rare ability to be both a fine artist AND a skilled teacher. I highly recommend Renee to any watercolor artist searching for a teacher who will make a difference and will help you along your creative path.
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?
I have followed Renee for some time now, and this watercolour holiday exceeded all my expectations. In a short period, I became much braver with my paints and brush — finally letting go of hesitation and fear. With Renee's guidance, I also discovered the mistakes that had been holding me back… Read more… from painting confidently.
I have taken lessons with Renee in three formats: via Patreon, online zoom classes, and through an in-person workshop. Renee is an excellent teacher! She encourages one to grow by giving kind feedback and guidance, but leaves plenty of space for one to stretch on their own. Renee’s teaching… Read more… abilities are only topped by her kindness — she’s such a fun person to spend time with as well as to learn from!
This is an amazing experience and Renee gets you started off right. No matter your experience level, or whether you’ve done Plein Air painting or not there is so much for you here. Everyone’s paintings developed over the eight days and were not all the same.
I’m now continuing Plein Air on my… Read more… own and feel so much more confident in what I’m doing. I may even add people (carrot people that is.). I really hope to go back in a couple of years and explore more. There were several repeats at this class.
I’ve been taking classes on Renee’s Patreon after discovering her on Instagram. I love her style of sketching and painting. Her teaching is excellent, she not only shows you the how, but also explains the why. Recently, I had the pleasure to join her on one of her painting retreats in France. Our… Read more… group had so much fun painting and spending time together in the relaxing atmosphere Renee created. After a painting demo we each got individual advice while we were painting, helping us to improve our style and technique and to get more confident in our art.
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 — ...
19 March 2026
A week in Marrakesh: sketching, souks, and golden sunsets. I've been home a week now, and I'm not quite back. Part of me is still sitting in front of the Koutoubia Mosque as the light turns golden, he...
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 ...
25 June 2025
How do you sum up ten unforgettable days of painting, exploring, and connecting in one blog post? It’s almost impossible to choose just one photo to represent each day — every moment held somethin...
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...
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 ...