I’m back after an unforgettable eight day Surface Pattern Design Art Retreat in Teyssode, France. Our retreat was held at the picturesque Domaine d’en Naudet in Southwest, France. I was so honored to be able to host this retreat with my fellow artist friend, Jeanetta Gonzales.

I really cannot put into words how healing this art retreat was for me and so many others. One of the coolest things for me to see was the creative breakthroughs happening on a day-to-day basis. This retreat was about self-discovery as an artist more than anything! We gave ourselves permission to be ourselves, painted up a storm, learned new things about ourselves, and truly had the best time!

Oh, and before you dive into the blog post — Our 2024 retreat has officially been announced! Join us in Morocco in October 2024 for the experience of a lifetime!

Day 1: Meeting our Art Retreat Guests

On day one I was buzzing with excitement, but also slightly nervous to meet this wonderful group who traveled across the world to create with us. I received the photo above while waiting for the group to arrive and once I saw their sunny faces I instantly knew it was going to be the best time! We has 16 guests join us for the retreat! Thirteen of the women came from the U.S., one from the UK and two from Australia.

It was a wonderful mix of art levels and professions. Some were professional artists, some designers, other who dabble in art as a hobby, and some who would like to become professional artists! Though we came into this experience as strangers, we walked away as lifelong friends.

Our evening started with a welcome cocktail hour & dinner by our lovely hosts Sophie and Nicholas of Domaine d’en Naudet as well as a tour of our stunning venue. It was so nice to be able to relax and get to know each other over delicious food!

Day 2: Abstract Workshop & Winery Visit

Welcome to the barn! The barn was our art studio that was available to us 24/7. It was amazing having a dedicated space for creation where guests could come and go in the mornings and evenings. It was nice to be able to quickly pick up where we left off.

We wanted to make sure to give our guests a warm & colorful welcome, so in our first workshop, we loosened up with abstract painting with acrylic paint. Abstract was the perfect subject to start with in order to break expectations and create for the sake of creating. I really wanted the group to get comfortable creating freely around each other with no judgements. The biggest takeaway from the abstract exercise was the guests realizing they had permission to use the colors they wanted, how they wanted!

Our guests were showered with lots of colorful gifts when they arrived to the table as well! Thank you to our sponsors for all the colorful goodies! Created By gifted our guests with these “Creativité s’il vous plait" totes (designed by myself & Jeanetta)! My friends at Tervis hooked everyone up with a bright EttaVee x Tervis stainless steel water bottle. And my friends at Enesco sent each guest a beautiful apron to paint in as well as an acrylic phone holder for their phones!

Special shoutout to Daler Rowney for sending over vibrant acrylic ink, Canson acrylic paper, System 3 paint brushes, and acrylic paint.

Day 3: Jardins de Martels & Watercolor Workshop

Day 3 kicked off with a sunny visit to Jardins de Martels Botanical Garden. We spent a couple of hours wandering the gardens, soaking in all of the vibrant colors and peaceful sounds. We gathered inspiration by taking photos and sketching. Afterwards we enjoyed a beautiful lunch outdoors before heading back to the barn for our next studio workshop! Jeanetta led us in a fun watercolor workshop where we created art based on the inspiration we gathered at the gardens.

Day 4: Landscapes & Studio Time

A lot of the next two days were spent creating in the barn. It was as if we couldn’t get enough painting time in! I started to realize how rare it was to be able to paint uninterrupted. It was nice to have the time to work out ideas without the pressure of a deadline. Since this was a surface design retreat in addition to a painting retreat, Jeanetta and I talked about how to put together collections and encouraged our guests to start thinking of the art they were creating as a series.

It was really fun for Jeanetta and I to be able to paint alongside our guests. We were able to exchange ideas, share techniques, and learn from our guests.

It was so special to have such a small group since we were completely available for one-on-one feedback, demos, and pep talks! At the end of the day, we held a halfway point check-in where we encouraged our guests to further push their art and ideas and make them more cohesive.

Day 5: Studio Time at the Venue

Day 5 was another full day at the venue. This gave our guests the chance to relax, paint and bring their collections together based on the feedback given the day before. It was so magical to see everyone’s artwork start to come together into cohesive collections!

Day 6: Day Trip to Albi

After a busy few days of painting and workshopping, Day 6 gave us the opportunity for a little sightseeing and shopping! We headed to the charming town of Albi for a change of scenery and it was so lovely! We started the day with an inspiring visit to the Toulouse Lautrec museum, followed by a beautiful walk along the riviera, and a fun lunch at Robinson’s — a vegetarian restaurant hidden away in a lush tropical garden. After that, we had free time to explore the city. I ventured off to Saint Cecile, the massive cathedral sitting at the city center. It was so fun to travel and explore with this wonderful group!

Day 7: Farewell

Our last day was a tearful one! Even though we were only together for a week, the connections we made and the experiences we shared made it feel much longer. On our last day, we wrapped things up by painting some more and held one-on-one collection reviews for our guests.

As a group, we were so appreciative of our hosts, Sophie and Nicholas, that we wanted to create a piece of artwork for them to show our gratitude. It was so much fun to be able to collaborate on a piece together and create something that brought together the energy and artistry of our collective retreat experience.

Biggest takeaways

I cannot say enough about how meaningful this retreat was to me. I learned so much during this magical week, and I could go on for days about all the little moments that were special throughout the trip. But one of the biggest takeaways for me was just how important it is to be in a community as artists.

It’s SO important for women to have time to reconnect with themselves and have the space to create without judgment. This retreat reminded me how impactful it is to have a trusted tribe of women in your corner who are there to cheer you on, help you grow, teach you new things, and hold space for you to be your fullest self.

I left the retreat with lifelong friendships feeling rejuvenated and full of creative inspiration. I can’t wait to open up more retreats in the future so that as many people as possible can experience the joy of creating in community!

Future Retreats

Interested in joining us for a fabulous retreat just like this one? We’re heading to MOROCCO in 2024! Click here to learn more and book this once-in-a-lifetime retreat!

If the 2024 retreat is sold out by the time you read this, make sure to enter your email below to get on the waitlist for all future retreat news! We plan to keep hosting these each year, and would love to have you!

Thank yous!

Merci beaucoup to everyone who made this retreat possible and provided the best possible experience for our lovely guests!

Uptrek - Our retreat organizer who took care of all the logistical details
Domaine d’En Naudet - Our stunning venue and hosts who made our experience one-of-a-kind
Created By - Provided beautiful totes for our guests
Daler Rowney - Provided our guests with vibrant acrylic paint, brushes, and Canson Acrylic paper. The supplies were a huge hit
Enesco US & Enesco France - Provided our guests with colorful painting aprons
Tervis - Provided our guests with EttaVee waterbottles to keep us hydrated all week long

2023 Art Retreat Recap