Tammy Gilley Workshop 2026

Tammy Gilley is hosting a workhop with us for the first time from 02 – 11 September 2026.

This 10-day all-inclusive creative journey will be in collaboration with Perigord Retreats will be in the Dordogne and Lot regions! A place full of exquisite beauty, fascinating history & endless inspiration!

Immerse yourself in the allure of southwestern France and create your own one-of-a-kind travel journal! In this hands-on workshop, we’ll journey through picturesque towns, markets, and historic sites, gathering inspiration and unique vintage materials along the way. Using vintage books, antique papers, ephemera, and found objects, you’ll craft a bespoke journal that captures the essence of your travels.

See price information and book your spot

Plein Air & Studio Painting

Delicious Homemade Dinners

Daily Excursions

To Beautiful Locations

“Ready to embrace your inner artist? Let’s make some beautiful messes together!“

The Soulful Wayfarer: An Art & Story Retreat in the Heart of France

A retreat for the creative traveler who longs to see the world not only with their eyes, but with their soul.
Ten days to wander, paint, collage, write, and dream — while soaking in the beauty of Dordogne’s medieval villages, golden light, and slow-living rhythms.

Here, art journaling becomes more than a travel record. It becomes a soulful unfolding — where every sketch, swatch of vintage paper, or scribbled reflection becomes a keepsake of your inner journey as much as your outer adventure.

The Threads We Weave

The Vintage Travel Journal

The French Ephemera Bar will be set up on a table in the studio with bowls of vintage and found papers. Treasures such as: metro stubs, café sugar wrappers, market flyers, bits of lace or ribbon.
Daily creative sessions in the Perigord sunroom or garden — layering papers, adding watercolor sketches, pressing flowers, and making each page a living keepsake.
Gentle instruction on layout, lettering, and composition — but with plenty of room for your own voice and style to emerge.

2. The Soulful Journey

Guided reflections and prompts to help you capture not just what you see, but how you feel and what you’re becoming on this trip.
Soul Truths woven into our days as mantras, writing sparks, and visual meditations.
Keepsake Tokens, whispered reminders to slip into your journal, tape to a page, or keep tucked in your pocket as you wander French villages and golden fields.

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 do some sketching. 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. Katel really is the star of the show; you won’t be disappointed with her cooking!

After dinner, you’re free to head back to the studio to paint, 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.

3. The Story Keeper Necklace

Create your own art journal necklace — a wearable keepsake inspired by our time together in France.
Use beads, charms, paper, and tiny collage fragments to craft pages that dangle and shimmer with meaning.
In the end, you’ll carry home not only your travel journal, but also a piece of soulful jewelry that whispers your story close to your heart.

A Taste of the Experience

Morning Mornings: Breakfast on the terrace followed by a soulful prompt or art technique demo.
Exploration Afternoons: Excursions to local markets, châteaux, and hilltop villages. Sketching time built in — no rushing past beauty here.
Golden Evenings: Return to the retreat house for wine, long-table dinners, and cozy creative time by lamplight.

Special Touches to Make it Unforgettable

A “Glimmers Walk” through the medieval streets — a slow, mindful wander with cameras or sketchbooks in hand to collect tiny joys and visual treasures.
Soul Truth Cards Ceremony on our final night, each guest pulling a card to carry home as a symbolic keepsake.
Soulful Strolls with Prompts – each excursion includes a guided moment where you offer a soulful journaling or noticing prompt.

Join Us for this Unique French Experience

A rare blend of art instruction, inner journeying, and immersive travel.
Ten days in one of France’s most beautiful, less-touristed regions.
A hand-crafted journal you’ll treasure forever — a soulful map of your trip and transformation.
Small group size for intimate connection and personal attention.
The perfect balance of structure and spaciousness: planned excursions + open creative sessions.