# Creative Watercolor Retreat with Artist Karen Rice in France

Join artist and educator Karen Rice on a wonderful retreat in the Loire Valley. Stay at a gorgeous 19th-century château in the Maine-et-Loire department and learn how to paint gorgeous watercolor paintings. Enjoy premium accommodation in an elegantly furnished room, and delight in chef-made French and international cuisine paired with delectable wines. Visit some of the most inspiring locations in the Loire Valley: the charming castle city of Saumur and an authentic French market, and draw your inspiration from the fairy-tale landscapes of France.

## Details

- **Dates:** September 24 – October 1, 2023
- **Location:** Concourson-sur-Layon, France
- **Starting Price:** $4,250
- **Category:** Painting

## Program

### Creative watercolor retreat
Join artist Karen Rice on a fantastic art journey in the Loire Valley of France. Enjoy expert instruction and plenty of one-on-one time with Karen and grow your watercolor skills. During the retreat, you will be going out to the beautiful French countryside and castle-topped towns to collect ideas and sketch, then you'll join Karen in the art studio or in the gardens to paint finished pieces based on the inspiration you found.Karen will offer you one-on-one time during the retreat, and watch you as you paint in real time to help you improve your technique mid-process. Karen will gently guide you to raise your confidence in your own abilities and learn to be compassionate and trusting in yourself. You'll learn to become more comfortable with your process and focus on your growth instead of expecting perfection. You'll find the hidden gift behind making mistakes, which will allow you to create loose expressive paintings with more ease.Throughout the week you'll be building up the skills and knowledge necessary to paint from life outdoors. You'll learn where to start, how to look at a landscape, what to put in the painting and what to leave out.Some of the techniques you'll learn:Wet on wetWet on dryDamp into wetDamp into dampLifting off methodPlastic card techniqueSpattering techniqueEmbracing the happy accidentHow to make your paintings look more 3D by using color, tonal values, texture, mark-making, and sizeIn addition to all this, you will become part of a supportive community of like-minded people and make life-long friendships while exploring the gorgeous French countryside, enjoying exquisite chef-made meals, relaxing at the château, and socializing over a glass of delicious French wine.

### Day 1: Arrival
Get transferred from Angers (St Laud) train station and arrive at Château de la Vigne where you will meet Karen Rice. Settle in your beautifully appointed room, then take your time exploring the vast property of the château. Stroll through the gardens and discover the nearby woods and ponds. Check out the private heated swimming pool or the period salon and library. In the evening, join Karen and the art group for a special welcome dinner. Enjoy the company and get to know Karen and your fellow art retreat participants. Indulge in a delicious, chef-made three-course meal accompanied by a delicious glass of French wine and delightful cheese platters.

### Day 2: Painting at the château
After breakfast, join Karen in the workshop space for your first day of painting. You'll begin your watercolor exploration with a simple class where you'll warm up and explore your supplies. You'll get a chance to work on different techniques Karen uses, starting off with washes, coloring techniques, doodling, trying wet-on-wet techniques, painting abstracts, and, gradually, creating beautiful inspired flowers.Break for a refreshing lunch, and join Karen Rice in the gardens for your second art class of the day. Karen will be going around and offering one-to-one feedback and support to anyone who needs it. In the afternoon, Karen will share how to prepare for a day of plein-air painting by making sure you're comfortable and having the proper setup to enjoy your time outdoors and create your best work.In the evening, enjoy a delicious dinner paired with wine, alongside Karen and the group.

### Day 3: Trip to the French market
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the château, then drive out to a local market in one of the neighboring towns or villages. Visit a local traditional fresh produce market, a key component of France's rich historic heritage. Farmers' markets are an integral part of the French way of life, and you'll get a chance to observe various people going about their business, admiring and buying fresh produce and delicacies to sustain the centuries-long French tradition of eating well. Typically, French markets are a cross between a farmers’ market and a traders’ market, so you can sometimes find traders selling antiques, trinkets, clothes, or jewelry alongside delicious produce straight from the farm.On the trip, Karen will guide everyone to sketch and take reference pictures for more artwork back at the venue. She will also perform a sketching demonstration to help you understand how to pick and choose the elements you want to reproduce in your artwork and how to capture their essence quickly and accurately.Return to Château de la Vigne in time for lunch, then join Karen in the art studio and discover how to transform your sketches and photographs into beautiful finished watercolor paintings.End the day with a delicious chef-made dinner paired with fragrant French wine.

### Day 4: Painting at the château
After breakfast, join Karen in the gardens for your first art class of the day. Today you'll learn how to paint beautiful loose watercolor flowers. Karen will guide you to draw the beautiful flower bunches made available at the retreat venue for this occasion. Then, you'll learn how to paint them in a loose way and capture their delicate petals and gorgeous colors and shapes.Take a break and enjoy lunch in the gardens, then continue your classes in the spacious art studio. Practice your newfound flower painting skills and receive one-on-one tuition from Karen if you desire it.Take some time to rest and relax in the afternoon, and join Karen and the art group in the salon for a delicious chef-made dinner served with wine.

### Day 5: Painting at the château
After breakfast, spend some time going around the property and find a nice spot to paint en plein air, or work from photographs and put into practice what you've learned so far.Break for lunch, then return to the gardens to paint some more. Karen will be available for individual tuition where necessary. In the afternoon you'll get to come up with more of your own ideas and get things together to create gorgeous finished pieces.In the afternoon, take some time to relax by the pool, have a walk around the venue, or socialize with your fellow creatives. End the day with a delicious dinner served with wine, shared with Karen and the group.

### Day 6: Sketching trip to Saumur
After breakfast at Château de la Vigne, head out to Saumur, an inspiring historic town only 20 minutes away by car. Saumur, the birthplace of Coco Chanel, is famous for the great Château de Saumur, constructed in the tenth century, and rebuilt in the 12th century by Henry II of England. The fairytale-like castle stands high above the town, offering visitors a magnificent view of the surroundings and conveying both a sense of power and romance.Karen will guide everyone to sketch and take reference pictures that you can use to paint back at the venue. Karen Rice will also be giving a sketching demonstration. Later you can find your own little sketching place to practice and capture the beauty of Saumur on paper.Return to the retreat venue in time for lunch, then join Karen in the art studio to continue your classes. In the afternoon, Karen will guide you to paint from the sketches you've created in Saumur, and create gorgeous landscapes of the Saumur castle and its surroundings.In the evening, relax, and enjoy dinner with the art group, paired with some of France’s finest wines.

### Day 7: Painting at the château
On the last day of the retreat, after a delicious breakfast, discover how to develop your style, learn to trust yourself, and learn what you're good at above all else. Play into your strengths to explore your personal style, guided by Karen Rice.After lunch, you'll get to appreciate how far you've come with a little exhibition and show-and-tell session. You'll get to receive the support of your fellow creatives, hear praise and constructive feedback, get inspired by other people's paintings, and appreciate your progress throughout the week.Celebrate your accomplishments over a special farewell dinner with wine, together with Karen and the art group.

### Day 8: Departure
Enjoy breakfast and get ready for your transfer to Angers (St Laud) train station.

## Instructors

- **Karen Rice** - Watercolor artist and teacher

## Accommodation

### Château de la Vigne

### Shared room with shared bathroom

### Shared standard ensuite room

### Shared superior ensuite room

### Single room with shared bathroom

### Single standard ensuite room

### Single superior ensuite room

### Single suite

## Book This Retreat

Visit [https://uptrek.com/retreat/watercolor-retreat-karen-rice-france](https://uptrek.com/retreat/watercolor-retreat-karen-rice-france) to make a reservation.

*Provided by [UpTrek](https://uptrek.com)*