We moved into Perigord Retreats after it had been left empty for 5 years. The garden had been untouched during this time period and many of the rockery plants had massively outgrown the rockery. painting workshops in France
Since then, we’ve spent a lot of time and effort creating new beds and planting trees, shrubs and flowers. We have a long term plan for the garden with various themes. The bottom garden has a lot of herbs – easy access from the kitchen. The top of the property holds more mediterranean and tropical plants. We planted an olive tree in 2016 and a lot of lavender. Around the pool area there are palm trees and stones.
All of the mature oak trees have had the deadwood cut out. Now it’s one of the best spots to sit in the shade on one of our homemade benches or alternatively lay in one of the hammocks watching the world go by. painting workshops in France
Art studio
By taking the staircase or walking round the outside of Villa Quercy you can descend into the art studio. With ample space for 20 painters, the art studio is high ceilinged and very luminous. During the summer it’s one of the coolest rooms in the house and you’ll really appreciate working down there. We have space to dry your paintings, wash your equipment and plenty of storage. Of course, there is a fridge, running water and kettle so you’ll be able to enjoy your favourite drinks whilst you paint.
To find the the art studio on the virtual visit, head downstairs and you’ll find it. painting workshops in Francepainting workshops in France
Where are we?
Draw a line between Bordeaux and Toulouse, go half way along the line and then a little bit east and you’ll find the perfect place for your painting workshops in France. More specifically, Perigord Retreats is located in the Dordogne and Lot regions.. Full of rich history, beautiful countryside and excellent weather year round. Living here is almost like going back in time when you consider the style of buildings and many of the traditional ways of life, cobbled streets and small doorways are far from uncommon. There are hundreds of unique places to explore and find your perfect painting regardless of your interest. This place really has it all.
You can read in more detail about the region by checking out our excursions page.
Perigord Retreats
Specifically, we are located only a few miles away from the old Medieval town of Gourdon, which lies between Sarlat la Caneda and Cahors, two larger towns in the region. Our little hamlet is very quiet and peaceful, the land surrounding our property means we have no direct neighbours and the lack of urbanisation close-by gives incredible views of the Milky Way almost every night! when you walk out of our front gates in the morning you can look down into the valley below. The good thing about living higher up is that we are always slighter warmer and so our flora is generally a couple of weeks ahead of other areas.
If you’re coming here to paint traditional French life, you’re in luck. Our hamlet has around 15 beautiful stone houses carefully looked after by their owners. You’ll find a wide range of colourful flowers or climbing plants to paint. But this is just the start. We have a long list of places we can visit depending on what you want to see.
Here at Perigord Retreats we are deeply and permanently committed to preserving the environment. Each of us can and must do our bit to preserve nature and protect our fellow men – we count on your collaboration too. Water is precious, please do not waste it. Our vegetation and plants are very important so please respect our nature.
