# Viva La Collage - Creative Collage and Mixed Media Retreat with Artist Caroline Simas in Spain

Join Caroline Simas for a vibrant mixed-media and collage retreat in the inspiring Cabo de Gata Natural Park in southern Spain. Over the course of a week, awaken your creativity through playful exploration of color, pattern, and texture as you learn to see the world through an artistic lens. Whether you’re new to art or a seasoned creator, Caroline’s step-by-step guidance and personalized feedback will help you gain confidence, loosen up, and dive into expressive, joyful art-making.Settle into your own private room at a peaceful retreat estate surrounded by sweeping desert views, breezy terraces, and gardens full of inspiration. In the studio, enjoy daily lessons and hands-on collage and mixed-media sessions designed to spark ideas and support creative growth. Out and about, soak up the colors and textures of Spain with a visit to the historic Alcazaba fortress and the dramatic Tabernas Desert, as well as a scenic half-day trip along the rugged coastline to the fishing village of San José.Throughout the retreat, share delicious Spanish meals and local wines with fellow artists as you reflect on each day’s discoveries. You’ll leave with a collection of personal artwork, fresh inspiration, and lasting memories from your unforgettable week of creativity in Spain.

## Details

- **Dates:** May 25 - June 1, 2026
- **Location:** Níjar, Almería, Spain
- **Starting Price:** $4,950
- **Category:** Painting

## Program

### Creative Collage and Mixed Media Retreat
Join artist Caroline Simas for a fabulous week of creativity and discovery in the stunning Cabo de Gata Natural Park in southern Spain. This magical retreat is a perfect blend of studio time and on-location adventures designed to spark your creativity and boost your confidence in mixed-media and collage techniques while experiencing the beauty of Spain’s colors, patterns, textures and architecture. Even if you don’t consider yourself creative or you are a beginner, Caroline will guide you step by step and her lessons will prove invaluable as you benefit from daily classes, personalized instruction, feedback and advice as you create. Two trips are planned to further spark inspiration: a full-day visit to Almería, where you’ll explore the historic Alcazaba fortress and the dramatic terrain of the Tabernas Desert, and a half-day spent along the rugged Cabo de Gata coastline, with a stop in the charming fishing village of San José. Throughout the retreat, enjoy freshly prepared Spanish meals shared with fellow artists, accompanied by local wines, as you soak in the beauty and culture of the region. This retreat focuses on collage and mixed media and is open to artists of all levels.You’ll learn to look at your environment through an artistic lens, experiment freely with your ideas and become more confident with collage and mixed media. By the end of the retreat, you will have made wonderful new friends, feel inspired, and you will return home with a personal collection of collages and mixed media paintings plus a million memories from your incredible experience in Spain!The topics covered during your lessons will include:Create beautiful, handmade sketchbooksExplore collage techniques using a variety of materials and mediumsLearn to collage florals, landscapes, abstracts, food, and architectural elements from your travels.Collage a wine bottle, which will become a treasure to rememberExperiment in mark-making with ink using a variety of toolsUse paper, canvas, fabric, thread, stamps, paint, and more to create dynamic collage/mixed media piecesDiscover what subjects and mediums interest you mostAccess Caroline’s favorite travel art supplies for creating “on the go”Learn how to capture your retreat experiences into your sketchbooksDevelop skills for sketching outdoors and gathering inspiration from what you seeDiscover the joy of making a “beautiful mess”, “creating anonymously” and “PLAYing Attention”...and sooooo much more!Nestled in the heart of Cabo de Gata Natural Park, your retreat venue is a peaceful oasis surrounded by the region's dramatic natural beauty. With its rustic charm, gardens brimming with native plants, and panoramic views of the rugged terrain, the finca offers endless sources of inspiration. Whether exploring its tranquil pathways or relaxing in the welcoming common areas, you’ll find the perfect setting to immerse yourself in your art and connect with your surroundings.

### Day 1: Arrival
Arrive at Almería Airport (LEI) and catch your 3:30 PM transfer to the retreat venue, a short 30-minute journey. Settle into your comfortable room, take some time to relax, and get ready to meet Caroline and your retreat group. Join an orientation tour to explore the bright studio, peaceful gardens, inviting terraces, and the refreshing pool. Over a fabulous welcoming dinner, enjoy a relaxed conversation about the week ahead while savoring local Spanish flavors and a glass of regional wine, as well as non-alcoholic alternatives.

### Day 2: Art at the Finca
Begin your morning with a cheerful breakfast and a cozy cup of coffee alongside Caroline and your group. The table will be scattered with colorful inks, juicy paints, scribbly drawing tools, vintage Spanish stamps, old maps, and papers just begging to be torn, glued, and brought to life.Start by making your very own handmade sketchbook: a treasure box for all the beauty you're about to dream up. Then dive straight into layering and building vibrant collages in your freshly crafted book, guided every step of the way by Caroline’s playful techniques and joyful encouragement. Expect inky fingers, painty smudges, and a big smile on your face!Break for a delicious lunch and some well-earned rest. Stretch out in the sun, flip through your sketchbook, or chat with new friends while ideas tumble gently around in your head.In the afternoon, flutter into a world of birds and butterflies as you create magical collages inspired by the winged wonders of Spain. Snip out feathers from old maps, curl wire into antennae, and dot buttons like berries on a branch. With Caroline’s guidance, you’ll mix and layer stamps, paint, paper, and found bits into enchanting compositions full of motion, color, and charm.Later in the day, take some time to breathe, review your artwork, or simply soak in the dreamy surroundings. In the evening, gather for a shared meal, raise a glass of local wine or a favorite non-alcoholic drink, and enjoy warm conversation as the stars come out. Reflect on what you made, what made you laugh, and where your imagination might flutter off to next.

### Day 3: Trip to the Cabo de Gata Natural Park
Wake up to a peaceful morning and enjoy a hearty breakfast before setting off with Caroline to explore the wild, sun-drenched beauty of Cabo de Gata Natural Park.Wander through volcanic cliffs and quiet desert paths where the sea shimmers beside ancient rock. Snap photos of twisting plants, rippled stones, and windswept textures. Fill your sketchbook with scribbles, splashes, and quick sketches that capture the contrast of light and shadow, the curl of a cactus spine, or the ripple of a tide pool. Watch as the shapes, colors, and quiet surprises of the land begin to dance across your pages.Pause in the fishing village of San José for a relaxed lunch of local dishes, then visit the story-rich Reef of the Sirens, where waves whisper old tales and every rock feels like a secret waiting to be found.Return to the finca in the afternoon with sun in your hair and pockets full of inspiration. Pull out your photos, sketches, and collected treasures, and begin creating layered landscape collages with Caroline. Paint directly on driftwood or stones, press textures into paper, and glue scraps of maps where sky meets sea. Use Spanish stamps, magazine bits, and paints to echo the movement of wind and water. Caroline will be there with ideas and encouragement as your pieces take shape, strange and beautiful like the coast itself.End the day with a shared dinner and something to drink. Settle into the quiet rhythm of the evening and reflect on what you created, what challenged you, and what tomorrow might bring.

### Day 4: Art at the Finca
Start the day with a cheerful breakfast and a little morning sunshine, then gather with Caroline to settle into the rhythm of making.Step into the garden or nestle into the studio as light flickers through the trees and across the tiled rooftops. Follow the shapes and colors of southern Spain’s flowers and plants as you begin creating whimsical floral and botanical collages. Layer petals cut from painted paper, swirl ink around curling leaves, and press vintage stamps into soft backgrounds. Use buttons as blossoms, twist wire into wild stems, and play with scale and color to create something blooming and unexpected. Caroline will offer joyful guidance as you combine paints, maps, and marks into dreamlike arrangements that grow right off the page.After lunch, gather your energy and dive into a delicious new direction. Create collages inspired by the vibrant meals you’ve shared, the bright fruits you’ve tasted, and the colors of Spanish wine dancing in your glass. Paint a plum in magenta, collage a lemon with old sheet music, or stamp grapes into a pattern of playful chaos. Pull scraps from menus, corks, or labels if you’ve saved them, and follow memory’s lead. Caroline will be close by with ideas, feedback, and encouragement as you piece it all together.In the evening, unwind over dinner and allow conversation to flow like a good Rioja. Admire the day’s work, smile at the unexpected directions, and wonder what new flavors tomorrow might inspire.

### Day 5: Trip to Almería & the Tabernas desert
Begin the day with a nourishing breakfast, then join Caroline for a full-day adventure to the vibrant city of Almería. Stroll through palm-lined paths and winding passageways and let your imagination soak in the textures, colors, and patterns that surround you. Watch the sunlight flicker off tiled walls, admire balconies spilling over with flowers, and listen to the sea whisper along the edge of the Port of Almería as boats rock gently beside the shore.Spend the morning exploring La Alcazaba, a grand 10th-century Moorish fortress perched above the city. Wander through ancient courtyards and layered terraces, noticing the contrast between stone and garden, light and shadow, curves and lines. Snap reference photos of towers stretching into the sky, carved windows tucked behind vines, and pathways twisting like ribbons through history. Collect images and memories that will soon turn into paper shapes and painted layers. Caroline will help you observe with an artist’s eye, noticing small wonders you might have walked right past.Pause midday for a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant in town. Savor fresh flavors, sip something lovely, and allow your mind to drift to the next landscape on the horizon.In the afternoon, travel into the surreal stillness of the Tabernas Desert. Walk among weathered film sets and canyons shaped by wind and time. Photograph peeling signs, sun-bleached facades, and the wild sweep of desert hills. Watch textures and tones settle into your imagination like puzzle pieces ready to be reassembled. Collect colors, capture contrasts, and fill your camera roll with raw material for bold and unexpected collage work.Return to the finca just as the light begins to fade. Enjoy a shared dinner, sip something warm or chilled, and rest with the quiet thrill of knowing your pockets are full of future art.

### Day 6: Art at the Finca
Kick off the day with a hearty breakfast, followed by a relaxed coffee check-in with Caroline and your group. Feel the morning breeze drift through the garden as you gather your materials and prepare for a full day of joyful making at the finca.In the morning, begin creating a collage on canvas using everything you’ve explored so far. Choose your subject and style freely, then dive in with papers, inks, stamps, maps, magazine clippings, and painted layers. Rip, glue, smudge, and sketch your way into something entirely your own. Caroline will be nearby with tips, tricks, and encouragement as you mix textures, build layers, and weave your week’s inspiration into a bold and personal piece. Watch the memories of gardens, cities, coastlines, and conversations swirl together into color and form.After a light lunch at the finca, return to the studio for a special final project. Take an empty wine bottle and transform it with decoupage, using bits and pieces gathered from your time in Spain. Add a label made from a page of your sketchbook, press a stamp from Almería, glue on a flower petal you saved, or wrap it in twine from the desert breeze. Create a beautiful, heartfelt souvenir that carries the spirit of the week inside it. Caroline will guide the process and help you bring everything together into something both playful and lasting.As the light grows golden in the evening, step outside, rest, and enjoy the view. Later, gather for a shared dinner and something to sip as you celebrate everything you’ve created. Watch the laughter, colors, and memories settle gently around you like layers in a collage.

### Day 7: Art at the Finca
Begin your final full day with a nourishing breakfast and a cozy coffee check-in with Caroline and your group. Watch the light stretch across the garden as you chat about your creative path and the colorful, curious work that has unfolded over the week.In the morning, gather in the studio and begin crafting a bold abstract collage inspired by the vibrant colors and sweet memories of Spain. Use paper scraps, painted bits, fabric, thread, stamps, maps, and anything else that calls to you. Tear, stitch, glue, and splash with joy. Let your piece be wild or quiet, soft or sharp, filled with sunshine or tinged with mystery. Caroline will guide you through new techniques and gentle prompts to help you tap into all the wonder you’ve collected. Lean into color, shape, texture, and instinct.After lunch, prepare for a surprise final collage project. Caroline will introduce a playful twist to end the week with something unexpected and delightful. Then arrange your favorite work for a mini exhibition. Lay out sketchbooks, collage papers, and painted treasures for others to see. Wander through the room, laugh, share stories, and celebrate the beautiful chaos that’s come to life. Wrap up the afternoon with a closing circle to reflect on the magic, the messes, and the art that bloomed from it all.As evening falls, come together for a farewell dinner filled with warmth and color. Sip something lovely as the table buzzes with conversation and joy. Carry the feeling of the week with you, like confetti tucked in your pocket, ready to scatter again when the next idea takes flight.

### Day 8: Departure
Enjoy a light breakfast, bid farewell to Caroline and your art group, and board the 10:00 AM transfer to Almería Airport (LEI). You'll reach your destination at around 10:30 AM.

## Instructors

- **Caroline Simas** - Artist, mentor, creative business coach

## Accommodation

### Spanish countryside estate

### Single standard ensuite room

### Single superior ensuite room

## Book This Retreat

Visit [https://uptrek.com/retreat/viva-la-collage-art-retreat-artist-caroline-simas-spain](https://uptrek.com/retreat/viva-la-collage-art-retreat-artist-caroline-simas-spain) to make a reservation.

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