France Art Retreat 2027
Where Body and Light Meet the Page
A 10-day mixed media portrait retreat in the Périgord, France
Septemper 9-18, 2027
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Join me in the Périgord for a mixed media portrait retreat where we start in the body and finish on the page. We’ll use embodied practice to quiet the planning mind and build intuitive backgrounds, then use the techniques that bring our portraits to life. Hosted at Perigord Retreats with Harrison and Katel, among medieval villages, cliffside towns and prehistoric caves.
Along the way, we’ll wander Sarlat, make cheese in Rocamadour, kayak the Dordogne, and stand before 20,000-year-old cave paintings.
No experience necessary. Whether you’ve drawn for decades or haven’t picked up charcoal since school, you’ll get one-on-one guidance that meets you where you are.
Why Join Me?
You deserve ten days that are just for you. Not the to-do list, not the calendar, not anyone else’s needs. Just you, a studio, and a landscape that has inspired artists for centuries.
Some things only happen when you step out of your usual life, your usual light, your usual four walls. A portrait that finally feels like yours. A process you trust. A fuller eye.
Come for the art. Stay for the slow mornings, long lunches and new creative friends.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign, consider this your invitation.
What Awaits You
- Embodied warm-ups and intuitive painting. Start each session in the body, then build backgrounds guided by feeling, not a plan.
- Mixed media portraits. Learn to see lights and darks and use a grid for proportion, working in a mix of media like graphite, charcoal, pastel and acrylic. Paint a portrait, florals, or whatever calls to you.
- Guided tours and cheese making. Sarlat, Moulin de Cougnaguet, and a hands-on cheese making class in Rocamadour.
- Art that’s 20,000 years old. The painted cave of Pech Merle.
- Medieval villages and the river. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, La Roque-Gageac, Domme, and a paddle down the Dordogne.
- A small group. Maximum 15 artists, one-on-one guidance, and a studio open 24/7.
A Word From Your Host
Helping students build real skill in portraiture is a joy for me as a teacher. I believe a strong technical foundation is what actually sets you free to create with confidence, not what holds you back.
For this retreat, I’m adding something new: embodied practice. We’ll infuse sessions with movement to get out of our heads and into our bodies, so the work begins from instinct instead of the inner critic. Then I’ll teach you how to build and bring life to your portraits (or anything else you choose to make).
Bring your body and light to the page, and leave with skills you’ll use for life.
Our Sample Itinerary
Excursions and days may change based on weather, light, and the energy of the group. Think of this as a taste of our rhythm, not a fixed schedule. Most days pair a morning outing with a picnic lunch and afternoons back in the studio.
Day 1, September 9: Arrival & Welcome Dinner
We pick you up at Gourdon train station and bring you to Perigord Retreats. Settle in, wander the grounds, and meet your fellow artists over Katel’s first homemade dinner.
Day 2: Opening the Studio
Our first embodied warm-up, then a gentle start on intuitive backgrounds. Take the afternoon to settle in, with time for the pool or hot tub.
Day 3: Sarlat
A guided tour of Sarlat’s medieval old town, then free time to wander, shop and sketch. Back at the studio, build on the morning’s inspiration.
Day 4: Moulin de Cougnaguet
A guided tour of the historic water mill, then back to the studio. This is where we dive into lights and darks and using a grid to refine your piece.
Day 5: Rocamadour & Cheese Making
Shop and explore this cliffside pilgrimage village, then roll up your sleeves for a hands-on cheese making class.
Day 6: Saint-Cirq-Lapopie & Pech Merle
Wander one of France’s most beautiful villages above the Lot river, then descend into the painted cave of Pech Merle to see art more than 20,000 years old.
Day 7: La Roque-Gageac & Domme
A golden village built into the cliffs of the Dordogne, then sweeping views from the Domme ramparts. Spend the afternoon turning the day’s sketches into paintings.
Day 8: Kayaking on the Dordogne
A morning paddle past the cliffs and villages you’ve been drawing, then an afternoon of painting and a long soak in the hot tub.
Day 9: Château des Milandes & Final Studio Time
Visit the fairy-tale home of Josephine Baker, then return for a last studio session to finish your pieces and share your work with the group.
Day 10: Departure
One last breakfast in the conservatory, goodbyes, and a transfer to Gourdon train station.
Places We’ll Explore
Rocamadour
A cliffside pilgrimage village that stacks houses, chapels, and a castle in dramatic layers above the Alzou canyon.
Pech Merle
One of the few decorated caves in France still open to the public, home to the famous spotted horses panel.
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Perched nearly 100 meters above the Lot river and long loved by artists, including surrealist André Breton.
Domme
The “Acropolis of Périgord,” a bastide town with sweeping views over the Dordogne valley.
The Dordogne River
See the same cliffs and villages from the water, paddle in hand.
Château des Milandes
A fairy-tale Renaissance château once home to Josephine Baker, entertainer, French Resistance spy, and civil rights icon.
La Roque-Gageac
A golden village built into the cliffs, with a medieval fort carved into the rock.
Sarlat
One of the best-preserved medieval towns in France, with golden-stone streets, Gothic and Renaissance mansions, shops, and markets made for browsing.
Moulin de Cougnaguet
A fortified 14th-century water mill, built by Cistercian monks and still in working order.
Your Home Away From Home
Perigord Retreats is run by Harrison and Katel, who’ve spent years hosting all kinds of artists in this corner of southwest France. You’ll have a fully-equipped studio open 24/7, an indoor pool and hot tub, and grounds made for slow mornings and quiet sketching.
Harrison knows the region inside and out. With a list of more than 70 places to visit, he advises each day’s destination around what the group needs, and he’ll shift plans on a moment’s notice if the weather or the mood calls for it. Katel runs the kitchen, cooking a locally sourced, three-course dinner every evening. Guests consistently say her cooking is one of the best parts of the week.
Let’s Talk Food
- Breakfast: French pastries, fresh yogurt and fruit in the conservatory as the sun comes up.
- Lunch: A picnic of fresh salads, quiches and homemade cookies, waiting in the shade (with wine, of course).
- Dinner: A homemade three-course meal with wine, cooked by Katel.
All meals and drinks are included, except two lunches and two dinners on select excursion days, when you’re free to explore local restaurants.
What’s Included
- 9 nights’ accommodation at Perigord Retreats
- Daily workshop instruction with Lulu
- Private transfers to/from the Gourdon train station
- Delicious farm-to-table meals, snacks, tea, coffee, and wine at the retreat property
- Daily excursions to picturesque French villages
- All excursions, entrance fees & private tour guides
- All local ground transportation during the retreat
Not included
- Two lunches & two dinners
- Airfare/travel costs
- Visa fees (if applicable)
- Travel insurance
- Extra nights lodging
- Personal shopping and souvenirs
- Personal art supplies
Ready to Join Me?
Bring your body and light to the page, and leave with skills you’ll use for life.
Private Room with
Shared Bathroom
€3,500
Single Occupancy
Private Room with
En-Suite Bathroom
€4,000
Single Occupancy
Private Room with
En-Suite Bathroom
€6,550
Double Occupancy
For 1 painter and a partner who isn’t participating in the art workshops.
*€6,800 for 2 people who are both participating in the art workshops. Please inquire on registration form for this option.
Dates: September 9-18, 2027
€500 RESERVATION DEPOSIT TO SAVE YOUR SPOT
** Perigord Retreats will handle all payments securely and assist with all booking details.
