Esté MacLeod Workshop 9 – 18 September 2025

Come and join me and other creative kindred spirits from around the world on an art filled adventure in France this September. This delicious late summer period is an ideal time to get creative and be charmed by the beautiful medieval towns and the spectacular scenery of the historic Périgord. You will be inspired by the season’s changing colours and our peaceful countryside setting and comfortable accommodation.

Plein Air & Studio Painting

Delicious Homemade Dinners

Daily Excursions

To Beautiful Locations

This is a nine day long retreat so we’ll have time to take things a little more leisurely. The art program’s emphasis is on exploring of possibilities through play and indulging yourself in the process of creation with a focus on semi- abstract artworks in water-based mixed media.

After breakfast our program will start with an outing to one of the medieval villages or other scenic attractions along the Dordogne River or the Lot Valley where we’ll take time to absorb, sketch and record our surroundings.

Back at our dedicated studio space we’ll get busy making art, incorporating what we’ve observed, drawn and painted. This retreat is all about colour moods and semi-abstract, layered interpretations and impressions rather than realistic versions of our surroundings. In daily demonstrations I will show you a variety of techniques in water based and drawing mediums: from mark-making with aquarelle pencils and pan pastels to colour mood experiments with watercolours, expressive textures created through gel printing and stamping to collaging and layering in acrylics and more we’ll make time to play and explore themes linked loosely to landscapes, still lives and florals. By incorporating exercises to nudge you out of your comfort zone and by altering the pace we work at you will experience new ways of working and creating.

Our venue is Perigord Retreats, close to Gourdon. We’ll have exclusive access to their comfortable accommodation and lovingly crafted food of local origin, a fully equipped art studio with round the clock access and even an indoor swimming pool! This retreat caters for a smaller group and I’ll be on hand to offer guidance and personalised feedback. With time to relax and to experiment, you’ll have ample time both to explore new directions and focus on making cohesive artworks.