Explore the Villages of Southern France

Impressionist Provence

Live and paint side-by-side with fellow artists

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9 Day Château Retreat for Artists near Avignon

May 29 – June 7, 2024 ~ Impressionist Provence.

Are you ready to paint and explore some of the famous sights of Provence? Join us on the Impressionist Provence retreat this June. Come visit, paint and explore the iconic villages of southern France that inspired so many artists. It’s Cézanne country. It’s the romantic landscape and the movie location of “A Good Year” with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, based on the book, of “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle. Your itinerary includes markets, vineyards and hilltop villages that will take your breath away.

We will visit Aix-en-Provence, known as the city of a thousand fountains. Here is Cézanne’s studio and we visit it. All you have to do is show up. We provide everything that you will need for a distraction-free painting experience visiting the historic villages where the impressionists painted, and enjoying plenty of rosé, the famed wine of the region.

For those who are not interested in instruction, but prefer working side-by-side with fellow artists from around the world we have the Impressionist Provence Art Retreat. This once-in-a-lifetime inspiring workshop will be unforgettable. We’ve chosen locations where we have access to our vehicles, materials and terraced cafés. Bring your camera because you will be truly inspired by your surroundings and want to snap references to paint later.

After dining together in the great room, we take up various painting-related topics for discussion, demos and serious fun! Although the workshop is not instructed, when painting side-by-side with other artists, you’ll leave the retreat with stronger skills and lifelong connections. Wonderful guests from across the world have joined us for Workshops in France, including painters, photographers, writers, sketch artists, journal makers and even a sculptor. Hear what they had to say about their experience.
We welcome non-painting partners, they are included on all our excursions and become part of the group.

The Location

We are returning to a historic château estate located east of Avignon for this wonderful art retreat. This château has been perched on top of the village in one form or another since the 600s. The estate is beyond charming with the arched entrance, ancient walls, and stunning terraces opening to incredible rooftop views across the Luberon valley. We have a great room for socializing and painting if needed, terraces for eating en plein air, and a splendid swimming pool. You can see images of it here.

We will visit the grounds in St. Rémy de Provence where Van Gogh lived for almost a year and paint where he painted. It is an unforgettable experience exploring parts of this remarkable region that has flourished since Roman times. Today Provence is a culturally thriving agricultural paradise. When you see the quality of light you understand why artists flocked to this region and why several of the Impressionists chose to live here.

Price is based on double occupancy. Single rooms are available. Airfare is not included. Discounts available for spouses or partners (painting or non-painting.)

Have questions about Workshops in France? We have answers on our Frequently Asked Questions

For those that prefer instructed workshops see our link here.

Guests will visit Aix en Provence to see Cezannes’s studio and enjoy a bit of retail therapy!

The Impressionists and Southern France

We adore Provence for a multitude of reasons, and honestly, most of them are art-related: the light, the warmth, the charm, and the wonderful places to paint are all found in abundance throughout the region. Over the years, many artists have traveled to paint there to experience these facets of Provençal living, including masters of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.

Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne was lucky enough to be born in the heart of Provence, in the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence. He grew up in the area and painted there for many years. During this retreat we will go exploring around Cézannne’s Aix-en-Provence. We found the location where he had painted Mont Sainte Victoire several times and we began to understand why. The view of the mountain changed so rapidly as the sun moved across the sky, and the ever-changing light affected the colors and shadows that were never the same from one minute to the next! The day we went was quite blustery with clouds racing across the sky. The view was spectacular, and if you were able to paint it, a new painting could have emerged every few minutes and it would be utterly different from the last one.

Vincent van Gogh

One of the most recognizable and influential artists, Vincent Van Gogh, spent time in southern France where he produced over 350 paintings and drawings.
Van Gogh is linked to two main locations in southern France: Arles, and St Remy. We will be visiting the sanitarium in St Remy where Vincent stayed for about a year. This was a very productive time for him as he was able to work in a studio and make studies of the irises, olive trees and landscapes that surrounded him in this beautiful location. He produced some of his most iconic work here, including The Starry Night. We love making the pilgrimage to this town and painting where Vincent painted.