When you go on a residential art retreat in Europe, it can be a bit of a daunting prospect… It’s such a big commitment in terms of the travel time required, jet lag and even financially… So it’s entirely an entirely normal feeling! Which country do you choose? How long do you go for? Do you go with a company or go through hell trying to organise it yourself?
Well… Keep reading and by the end, you’ll know everything you need to know to make sure you get the most out of any residential art retreat you go on.
1. Choose the right residential art retreat
Now I’m going to guess that you’re considering one of two options… Either you plan on joining a retreat that is being hosted by a professional artist who you already know and like. In that case, you’re likely to trust their decision regarding the location and retreat company. If that’s true, it’s still nice to be able to do your own research by checking out their website, YouTube channel and social media channels to see the kind of places they visit, what the property is like and even what the hosts are like.
The other option is that you’ve got your heart set on joining a residential art retreat in Europe, but you haven’t necessarily decided which country or company you want to go with.
The best thing you can do is look for online activity on their social media channels and website. Something that is regularly updated and shows a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, vlogs and lots of photos gives you the opportunity to really see what the retreats are like before you make a commitment. You should even reach out to the company by email or phone, if they’re hesitant to chat or take a a long time to respond… That might be a red-flag for you…
2. Don’t worry about the planning
As long as you choose the correct company for your retreat, you shouldn’t have to worry about this. At Perigord Retreats, we take care of all transport, accommodation and meals from the point you reach the airport until you get back to the airport.
We understand that there is always a part of you that feels like you need to run around like a headless chicken and see/do everything you possibly can during your retreat… That’s why we make our art workshops 10 days long. 7 days is too short and involves too much rushing around/maximising your time. 2 weeks can be a bit too long and can become a bit expensive… 10 days is a perfect compromise, it’s short enough to stay interesting but long enough to not feel burdened to cram as much as you can into the retreat.
3. Focus on getting something out of each day
Just a simple objective is enough, something that you can look back on at the end of the day and feel happy that you achieved.
That could taking a step forwards with your plein air painting skills, taking photos to paint later in the studio or at home, absorbing as much atmosphere as possible from a medieval village etc. etc. Just try your best to avoid letting days slip by without anything interesting happening… It’s that simple, really!
4. Be “present”
Focus on what you can control, the duration of the retreat can’t be controlled… But being present ‘in the moment’ is something you can control – here’s how you do it.
Pay attention to the small things… The smells, people’s conversations, other people’s smiles, the different colours… All of these things can be incorporated into your paintings in your own way. They definitely make a difference to how you view a scene and how you’ll remember the retreat!
Appreciate good moments in the moment. Enjoy that feeling of the sun warming your back as you paint the village nestled into the cliff by the river. You can acknowledge the moment for what it is.
5. Take time to reflect
Before you go to bed each evening, or when you’re in the shower, or even when you’re tying your shoelaces before you leave… Just take a few minutes to think about what you’ve done that day.
For example, when you visit a medieval village, take a few minutes to consider your experience compared to inhabitants of the village during medieval times. Think about the feelings you experienced when you were painting ‘en plein air’… The people who admired your painting, the sun kissing your skin and the smell of freshly ground coffee drifting from the café under your nose.
If you enjoyed reading this blog, you might want to consider reading this one about bringing your non-painting partner on a residential art retreat.
Until our next post, happy painting! 😀