Bethany Fields Perigord Retreat 19 – 28 August 2027

What You’ll Experience

Painting the French Countryside En Plein Air

Each day we’ll paint outdoors in pastel, watercolor, and sketchbook studies, responding to the ever-changing light, atmosphere, and poetry of rural France. We’ll explore color harmony, composition, simplification, value, and design while learning how to create paintings that feel personal, expressive, and alive.

Whether standing before a sweeping valley at sunset, tucked into a medieval alleyway with a sketchbook, or painting beside an ancient stone bridge, you’ll learn to see with fresh eyes and translate those experiences into meaningful work.

Sketchbooks, Watercolor, and Visual Journaling

Alongside pastel painting, we’ll gather inspiration through pen and ink sketching, watercolor studies, photography, and visual note-taking throughout the journey. The goal is not perfection, but rather attentiveness; learning to observe deeply and savor the beauty around us.

Ancient Villages and Timeless Beauty

We’ll wander through some of the most beautiful villages in France, exploring centuries of history together. From cliffside towns and bustling market squares to quiet churches and weathered stone pathways, every day offers inspiration for both art and reflection.

There is something profoundly moving about standing in places shaped by hundreds of years of human life, beauty, craftsmanship, and story.

Food, Fellowship, and the Joy of Living Well

Our days will be filled with delicious regional meals, fresh bread and pastries, local cheeses, lively outdoor dinners, beautiful local wine, and long conversations beneath the fading evening light. We’ll laugh together, paint together, share stories, and experience the simple joy of being fully present in a beautiful place.

Some of the most meaningful moments happen outside the studio, over shared meals, during walks through ancient villages, or while watching the sun disappear over the fields after a full creative day.

A Day out Looks Like this:

You’ll start your day with a breakfast of freshly baked French pastries, homemade yoghurt, or fresh fruit, which you can enjoy in the conservatory as you watch the sun rise. We’ll head out around 9 am when the places we visit are quiet and the weather is perfect.

You can spend a morning exploring a new place by walking around the side streets to get a feel for the local atmosphere or by sitting in a quiet spot to watch the world go by. There’s always a beautiful picnic lunch of fresh salads, quiches, homemade cookies, and much more waiting in the shade when you’re ready to eat (wine, of course!).

Then, in the afternoons, we generally head back to the studio for some creative time as well as some time to use the pool, nap or find a quiet spot for reading, sunbathing, painting or chatting.

In the evening, we put on a homemade, locally sourced 3-course meal complete with wine.

After dinner, you’re free to head back to the studio to create, enjoy the sunset or use the hot tub. There are plenty of little walks to go on, lots of nature to experience or time to catch up with family and friends.

We design our workshops so that everyone gets what they want out of their time with us.