23rd - 29th August 2025 Art Escape
Painting & Drawing Watercolour Retreat, Force, Italy
Jump into your creative zone in the midst of stunning Italian countryside, on this inspirational all-media art retreat. Whether you are already an art practitioner, or a complete beginner, this summer art escape will let you create to your heart’s content. Participants will have the opportunity to explore and work-in various media from painting to drawing & sketching to print-making.
The tranquil and relaxed atmosphere of the country house setting, is the perfect location for an inspirational and productive art holiday spent in the company of like-minded people. Nestled amidst rolling hills, sunflower fields, vineyards and olive groves, there is an abundance of inspiration everywhere you look.
With views this good, there may not seem much need to head anywhere, but of course, we venture out to explore the area through the eye of an artist and to experience some of the local traditions. On our trips to historic towns, like the Renaissance city of Ascoli Piceno, boasting Italy’s finest Travertine Squares and ancient little towns, we’ll explore the local culture and experience in some traditional events like summer festas and sample some of the local cuisine. During a fun and vibrant hands-on Cooking Class, will discover the healthy secrets of the Mediterranean Cuisine for the creative brain. Our curated program, also includes a fantastic vineyard paint and sip, a relaxing day trip to the stunning sea-side for a swim or sketching charming coastal scenes. Perfect for soaking up the atmosphere and sea-side flair on the palm-lined promenade with its stunning Liberty (Italian Art Nouveau) villas. Or maybe, you just feel like pitching yourself in a cafe and sketching the little fishing harbour before enjoying a superb sea-food lunch.
A well balanced and curated program of demonstrations, plein-air opportunities, cultural and culinary explorations of the area, make this a perfectly relaxing and creative adventure in one of Italy’s most beautiful and varied regions, Le Marche
COST/DETAILS
€ 2.300 p.p. single en-suite
€ 2.150 p.p. twin/double en-suite
Deposit: €500 on booking
Full amount due 21 days prior to arrival.
Non-painting partners sharing room with participant at discount
See our Terms & Conditions.
INCLUDED*
- 7 nights/6 Days Accommodation
- Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, aperitivi, coffee/tea breaks at The Retreat
- tuition & demonstrations
- studio and plein-air sessions
- all day open studio
- painting excursions to select locations in the area
- Mediterranean Cooking Class
- Paint & Sip in vineyard with wine tasting.
- All-day sea-side excursion day with opportunity for beach day or exploration of coastal town. (lunch not included on excursion day)
- Sight-seeing visit to the Renaissance city of Ascoli Piceno
- cultural and sight-seeing visits to local towns
- all art materials for this course
- use of studio easel and field easel
- pick up and drop off at San Benedetto del Tronto train or coach station for all main-line and Rome and Rome airport connections
MEET YOUR TUTOR
THE ART
On this art escape, we’ll be painting & drawing the stunning landscape themes in the beautiful and dramatic le Marche region. Daily practical demonstrations and tuition by professional landscape painter John Skelcher will enable you to take your work to a new level. He will guide you in your work throughout, whether you are a complete beginner or already have some experience. You will be able to improve your technical understanding of the media and learn techniques and processes. More experienced practitioners will also benefit from the constructive discourse that helps overcome any hurdles they may meet in their work. What sets this art escape apart, is that you are guided throughout by a tutor who cannot only paint but teach to an excellent professional standard! Your work will develop via integrating high quality demonstrations with opportunities to practice, followed by show and tell sessions, to highlight areas for development. Regardless, if you are a complete beginner, or have experience but are looking to add more depth, texture and dimension to your work – you’re in the right place on this retreat.
The LOCATION
This art escape takes place at The Retreat and Studio. The Retreat is a beautifully restored country house with large art studio, dedicated to hosting art retreats. Set in the heart of the beautiful Italian countryside of the Le Marche Region, it has been home to Painting Holiday Italy and The Retreat Art Workshops and Creative Holidays for over 15 years.
Beautifully appointed en-suite bedrooms, provide comfort and relaxation. A large guest lounge, gym, furnished terraces and refreshment area with tea/coffee and snacks available all day, a large garden with panoramic views and pool area and yoga/exercise area are available for guest use.
A fully equipped, large studio provides ample space for demonstrations and easel work. But what could be better than to open the doors out to the most breath-taking panorama, and be inspired by the beauty that surrounds you, even before stepping outside?
The FOOD
Culinary delights and deliciously fresh and healthy mediterranean meals are prepared by our very own nutritional chef, Jana who not only runs her own Cooking School, but she also has been a nutritional chef for a UK healthy ageing platform for numerous years. She has written over 2000 recipes for healthy living and has taken care of The Retreat guests’s meals for 15 years. Her daily fresh and vibrant meals are a feast for the senses and will have your taste buds working in overdrive. From delicious breakfasts, to lunches, dinners and her speciality aperitiviti for our critique sessions -each meal is different and inspiring. All dietary requirements are catered for. Make sure though, to leave space in your notebook for new recipes! For our art retreats, she focuses on providing inspiring and tasty mediterranean dishes for improving creative and physical energy, so that you can simply relax, and enjoy every mealtime, knowing it will help let your creativity flow naturally.
Location
Nearest Airports
- Ancona
- Pescara
- Rome
- Florence
- Bologna
- Bari
- Perugia
Train Connections – all main lines
IS THIS RETREAT FOR ME?
The Retreat has welcomed painters from all over the world for many years looking for tranquillity, a relaxed and supportive creative atmosphere allowing guests to fully focus on their art work, find new inspiration, and re-charge their batteries.
If you love amazing landscape, rural tranquility and enjoy spending creative time in the company of like-minded people, then this retreat is for you. Coupled with deliciously healthy, mediterranean meals, cultural and artistic explorations and a big portion of relaxation, this retreat will not only energise your creative vibes, inspire your art work, and built beautiful memories.
and Nothing spells ‘Bella Italia’ more, than the uninterrupted panoramic views towards the mystic mountains of the Sibylline, the sandy beaches of the Adriatic coast, and the quintessential vineyards and olive groves that adorn the gently rolling hills. A dream for any experienced and beginner plein-air painter alike.