# Seaside Watercolor Explorations Retreat with Artist Karen Rice in Greece Join watercolor artist Karen Rice on the sunlit island of Zakynthos, Greece. Breathe the sea air and watch golden cliffs stretch along the horizon as you explore watercolor in a setting that supports focus and creative freedom. Open to beginners and seasoned painters, the retreat offers clear guidance to deepen your skills while you paint landscapes, seascapes, and florals.Inspiration continues in Zante Town, where climbing vines and sun-aged walls draw the eye, and on a boat trip to Navagio Beach, where a rusted shipwreck rests beneath high cliffs and shifting light.Stay in a peaceful Greek villa surrounded by island stillness and open skies. A local chef prepares meals each day with fresh ingredients. Evenings give you space to continue painting or enjoy time with fellow artists. You will leave the island with a cohesive body of watercolor work shaped by your days in Greece and the creative energy to carry it forward. ## Details - **Dates:** September 12 - 19, 2026 - **Location:** Planos, Zakynthos, Greece - **Starting Price:** $4,650 - **Category:** Painting ## Program ### Seaside Watercolor Explorations Retreat Join artist Karen Rice for a soulful watercolor retreat on Zakynthos, Greece. Start your mornings in the villa’s sunlit studio, then shift to the open terrace as the Ionian breeze arrives. Your imagination grows during two art days on the island. In Zante Town, wander past vine-wrapped balconies and time-worn facades, pausing to sketch under arcades beside the harbor. A boat carries you to Shipwreck Beach, where high cliffs frame chalk blue water. The rusted hull rests on pale sand as shifting light maps patterns across rock and sea.With Karen’s guidance, you will build skill in reading light and shadow and in creating layered washes. You will also practice expressive brushstrokes. Step outside to paint en plein air, capturing warm tones of the countryside and the understated charm of nearby hill towns. Focus on landscapes and florals as you bring energy and emotion into each composition through color and movement with tactile texture.You will leave with a body of work rooted in place and feeling and with the confidence to carry that momentum forward.During your workshops, you'll cover:Watercolor basics: wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, damp into wet, damp into dampUniform washesLifting off methodPlastic card techniqueSpattering techniqueEmbracing the happy accidentHow to make your paintings look more 3D by using color, tonal values, texture, mark-making, and sizeCapturing great reference photos and transposing them into paintingsExploring abstracts, florals, and landscapesDiscovering your style...and many more.Your venue, a stunning Greek villa perched high above the sea, offers the perfect setting to reconnect with your creativity. Paint every day in a sea-facing studio, connect with fellow artists in inviting shared spaces, and relax by a serene infinity pool. Delight in chef-prepared Greek cuisine and local wines, form lifelong friendships, and taste the wealth of Greek hospitality. As you slow down and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and flavors of Zakynthos, you’ll find your artistic voice strengthened and your perspective renewed.Please note: The retreat venue is located on terraced grounds, with access to the studio, common areas, and accommodations requiring the use of stairways. The beach can be reached by descending a steep stairway of approximately 50 meters (164 feet). Additionally, the trips involve moderate walking, so this retreat may not be ideal for those with limited mobility. ### Day 1: Arrival Arrive at Zakynthos Airport for your 3:30 PM transfer to a breathtaking seafront venue overlooking the Mediterranean. Settle into your elegant room and take a moment to recharge before joining a guided tour of the grounds. Discover the inviting pool, the shala art studio, and thoughtfully designed communal areas. In the evening, savor a delightful three-course welcome dinner in the lively company of your fellow artists. Enjoy a glass of wine with Karen and the group and plan out the week ahead. ### Day 2: Art at the venue Day two opens with a nourishing breakfast and fresh coffee. Karen starts with a relaxed chat about your aims for the day and the scenes you may paint around the villa and coast.The morning session focuses on basic watercolor techniques. You begin with wet-on-dry to sharpen edges and shapes, then move into wet-into-wet for luminous transitions. Karen also covers the in-between stage, damp-into-damp, where forms stay soft without losing structure. Warm-ups follow with broad washes, spatter, a light spritz, plus salt and plastic cards to build texture and confident mark making. This playfulness starts to build momentum before shifting into a more deliberate method of painting. After lunch the focus returns to watercolor landscapes. Karen teaches you aerial perspective to help you learn how to create depth in your painting. This is achieved by using size, detail, tone, color and contrast. Karen demonstrates tilting techniques to show you how to blend and mix colors on the paper creating atmospheric effects. Karen also demonstrates how to create textures in your paintings by using spattering and salt techniques. As evening arrives, recharge in the pool or keep working at your pace. Then gather for a shared dinner and good company while the sunset warms the Zakynthos countryside. ### Day 3: Boat trip to Navagio Beach Start the day on the terrace with a refreshing breakfast and a warm cup of coffee as sea air rolls in and morning light settles over the water.Board a boat at Porto Vromi and follow the coast of Zakynthos. Clear water reveals pale stone as you pass sea-carved caves and towering cliffs. Wild coastal plants grip the limestone and break the rock with flashes of green. Watch how light grazes the cliff faces and how the water shifts in hue. Notice the structure of the flora that thrives in salt air. At Navagio Beach you view the MV Panagiotis from the boat, a rusted hull in a bright cove against deep blue water and a clear sky.Return by boat to Porto Vromi for lunch at the venue, then settle in for an afternoon of painting. With Karen, turn sketches and photo references into expressive watercolor compositions. Map your layout and explore wet-on-wet passages. Encourage pigment to flow across the paper and build atmosphere by layering washes. Refine forms by using tonal values and creative color mixing. Afterward, move at your own pace. Take a swim or wander the garden, then rest as the light shifts across the terrace. As the sun lowers, gather for an evening meal and enjoy easy company while the Zakynthos hills take on warm color. ### Day 4: Art at the venue Start the day with a hearty breakfast, then gather your brushes for a full day of painting and exploration on Zakynthos.Begin the morning by returning to yesterday’s work. Ideas can shift and evolve as you build on your compositions. Karen guides you through core design principles, showing how movement and expressive brushwork strengthen visual storytelling. Work with wet-on-wet passages and bold layering to deepen color and atmosphere.After a light lunch and herbal tea, settle into an afternoon of focused practice. The island setting supports your process as you explore watercolor in greater depth. Plan your paintings and explore different techniques including wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, damp into wet, and damp into damp. Use plastic cards to create expressive marks and shapes then add darks and details to help finish your paintings.Spend the rest of the afternoon in your own rhythm. Keep painting or cool off with a swim, then find a comfortable spot to recharge. In the evening, gather for a filling dinner and unhurried conversation as the day draws to a gentle close. ### Day 5: Trip to Zante Town Greet the new day with a delicious breakfast and a fresh cup of coffee. Prepare your materials and your sketchbook for the second trip of the retreat.Take a short ride to Zante Town, the capital of Zakynthos. Wander through shaded streets where stone buildings show their age with warmth and character. Balconies bloom with color while shutters fade in the sun. Bougainvillea and oleander spill from gardens, and distant hills frame the harbor. Sketch what catches your eye and/or take reference photos. The scene favors landscapes and flowers, from promenades by the sea to small courtyards wrapped in vines.Return to the venue for a nourishing lunch and take a moment to reset before you dive back into your work.In the afternoon, keep exploring the town and the shoreline. Settle with your sketchbook and start turning impressions into visual ideas. Work on loose sketches or note color palettes shaped by hill lines and coastal blooms under a shifting sky. Karen will guide you in capturing the sense of place, whether your focus is landscapes and florals or the small details that catch your eye.Close the day in your own rhythm. Swim or keep painting, then rest before coming together for dinner as the light softens across the sky. ### Day 6: Art at the venue Start the morning with breakfast and coffee on the terrace as sea air wakes your senses. Return to the studio and settle in for a focused session that carries the ease of the island into your art work.Build on yesterday’s momentum with richer watercolor practice. Explore color mixing and layered washes while shaping compositions that balance harmony with expression. Karen shows you the importance of line and color in your paintings. Karen will demonstrate a structured process that will enable you to develop your work with confidence using sketches, reference photos and your imagination. After lunch we will return to the studio for an unhurried afternoon of painting. You could continue working on a previous painting or start something new, pacing your work to the rhythm of the day. Karen will encourage you to continue practicing the basics such as water control, brush techniques and color theory to build on your knowledge and confidence. Karen offers one-to-one support as you plan and paint your watercolors and she is on hand to answer any of your questions throughout the day.As the Ionian light softens, choose what you need. Pick up your brush again or step away to recharge among olive trees and sea breezes. In the evening, meet for dinner and casual conversation while the sky dims over Zakynthos. The day closes with steady progress in your paintings and a clear path for tomorrow’s work. ### Day 7: Art at the venue Begin the final day with a nourishing breakfast, then sit down with Karen and the group and reflect on your progress so far, try to notice what has shifted and revisit the moments on Zakynthos that shaped your work. Spend the morning refining your paintings with Karen’s guidance. Adjust your compositions, adding any necessary final touches to finish your paintings. Ask questions and seek feedback so you can work with steady confidence as you prepare your work for its final stage.After a relaxed lunch, open the studio for a joyful mini exhibition of the week’s paintings. Join if you wish; the showing is entirely optional. Prop sketchbooks open and hang fresh studies with finished pieces. Music drifts in, and a round of toasts brings easy smiles. Karen moves through the room with warm words and sincere praise. Stories ripple from painting to painting as color fills the space. It feels like a celebration in motion and a fitting close to a week of making art together.As the sun lowers, gather for a farewell dinner. Greek music fills the space while food and dancing carry a bright mood through the evening. ### Day 8: Departure Enjoy breakfast with your art group and get ready for your transfer to Zakynthos Airport (ZTH). Check-out is at 10:00 AM, and you'll arrive at the airport at around 10:30 AM. ## Instructors - **Karen Rice** - Watercolor artist and teacher ## Accommodation ### Stunning Greek Estate ### Shared standard ensuite room (female only) ### Shared superior ensuite room ### Shared penthouse (female only) ### Single standard ensuite room ### Single superior ensuite room ### Single ensuite room - shared villa with private pool ### Single deluxe suite ## Book This Retreat Visit [https://uptrek.com/retreat/seaside-watercolor-explorations-retreat-artist-karen-rice-greece](https://uptrek.com/retreat/seaside-watercolor-explorations-retreat-artist-karen-rice-greece) to make a reservation. *Provided by [UpTrek](https://uptrek.com)*