French Painting Holidays
Celebrating the Essence of French Impressionism
At French Painting Holidays, we offer plein-air painting retreats in the Loire Valley, France—an experience that sparks your artistic spirit and creates lasting memories.
During your seven-night retreat, you'll have daily art tuition (six days) and the chance to learn, create, and connect with fellow artists in a friendly, relaxed, and informative environment. Your friendly hosts, Bret and Kathryn, English-speaking, are dedicated to making you feel at home throughout your stay.
Imagine waking up to the sounds of the countryside, painting in historic villages, vineyards, and châteaux, and then coming back to a traditional farm home to relax.
Our fully renovated 200-year-old stone farm buildings surround a large courtyard. You will stay in the Barn and Studio, which offer five bedrooms with stunning stone walls and large beams, three bathrooms, a spacious studio, a welcoming kitchen and salon, and a private courtyard.
Relax in the Farm House with its spacious formal lounge, cozy mezzanine library filled with art books,
elegant dining room, and a large bathroom complete with a bath.
You'll find the perfect setting to unwind and enjoy your stay.
Experience comfort and tranquillity in every corner of this inviting space.
Enjoy fresh, home-cooked meals made with local produce under the portico with a bottle of wine you have selected from the cellar, sharing laughter and great conversation with fellow art lovers.
Nurture your talent and create art in one of Europe's most enchanting settings,
The Loire Valley is often called The Garden of France.
Extend your painting journey in the medieval town of Chinon, located in the Loire Valley, with a stay
at La Maison des Artistes, our dedicated artist residence, which offers a distinct setting
for further inspiration and creative exploration.
Join us for an unforgettable artistic journey!
Impressionism
Impressionism is an art movement that began in France during the late 19th century. It is characterised by a focus on capturing fleeting moments, often using visible brushstrokes, vibrant colours, and a study of light and its changing qualities. Rather than painting in a studio, impressionists found that they could better capture the momentary effects of sunlight by working quickly outdoors (en plein air). This approach led to a heightened awareness of light, colour, and the shifting patterns of the natural scene. Their brushwork became rapid and fragmented, using separate dabs to depict the transient quality of light.
In our Painting Studio, we will provide tutorials developed by the impressionists on the use of colour and tonal qualities, along with instruction on light and brushstrokes. In the afternoons, we will practice painting en plein air to capture light in our chosen subjects. The following morning, studio sessions will continue to focus on impressionistic techniques and the application of colour and composition to help you develop your individual style.
Your Stay
Included
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Enjoy 7 nights' Boutique Accommodation, including transfers to and from Chinon Train Station. You will have your own room. We offer two Queen Rooms with en-suites and three Queen Rooms that share two bathrooms.
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Participate in 6 days of guided oil painting tuition with excursions to memorable locations
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French Painting Holidays will supply all painting materials, along with a complimentary apron
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All meals are included (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), with wine served during dinner
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A self-service laundry facility is available
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€3500 per person with own bedroom
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€5,000 for a couple sharing a bedroom, including tuition for both.
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€4376 for a couple sharing a bedroom with tuition and outings for one. (Please note we welcome your partner, but may not have room to take them out as guest artists take precedence)
Important Notes
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If having your own bathroom is essential, please book early.
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Please be aware that, like most traditional accommodations in France, there are stairs.
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We have one bedroom with an en-suite located on the ground floor.
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Guests should be able to carry their easels and navigate uneven ground, including cobblestones and small uphill rises, unassisted during outings.
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You are welcome to arrive by rental car.
Free Time
Welcome to our charming Farm House, where you can unwind in the stunning formal lounge and immerse yourself in the mezzanine library filled with art books. Enjoy the serenity of the courtyards, relax under the portique or discover the peaceful lanes of the hamlet. Engage in a friendly game of petanque, or let your creativity flow in the studio as you continue to create on your own painting storyboard.
Excluded
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Flights or travel to Chinon Train Station
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Travel insurance
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Alcoholic beverages or additional drinks on outings
About the Painting Holiday
Tutor Bret Gibson
Location Nouzilly, Chalais - Loire, France
The Painting Holidays cater for beginner artists in a relaxed, friendly, fun environment.
Experienced artists are welcome.
The Painting Studio and accommodation are located in the hamlet of Nouzilly, set within a group of traditional French farm buildings that surround an enclosed central courtyard. The farm buildings have been renovated with loving care for the painting holidays.
Each painting course runs for six days. To ensure that each individual receives one-to-one tuition, we limit the number of painting guests to six. At French Painting Holidays, we believe solo travel should be an upgrade, not a compromise. That’s why our Loire Valley retreats have no single supplement fee.
The Painting Course delivers a mixture of studio tuition and painting excursions to local scenes -
a 14th-century windmill, the local villages of Montsoreau, Chinon, Richelieu and d'Azay-le-Rideau.
Painting Holidays are held during the summer, from May to October
The Painting course is designed to encourage guests to discover and express their own
personal creative spirit using the French Impressionist style.
The course begins with tuition of the basics of painting in the Impressionist style using simple subjects, and progresses in easy steps towards the more complex.
The guests are shown how to mix all the Impressionist colours using three primary pigment colours and
white. After these basics have been delivered and practised, the class is taken on an excursion to nearby
locations where the tuition is put into practice, under the watchful eye and guidance of the
tutor.
The course is structured so that the previous day's experience is consolidated the following morning back in the studio.
At the end of the 6-day course, each student will have completed five to six paintings.
Typical Day (excursions may change due to weather; we will choose the best location for our guests' comfort)
Breakfast 8.00 - 9.00
Tuition 9.00 - 12.00 with a break for light refreshments
Lunch 12.00 - 1.00
Painting Excursion 1.00 - 4.00 with a break for light refreshments
Free time
Dinner 7.00 traditional French cuisine in the regional style
Free time
Day 1: Arrival
Participants arrive from 4 pm and settle in. Welcomed by hosts Bret and Kathryn.
7 pm Dinner
Social gathering after Dinner. Meet and greet.
Day 2: Nouzilly Windmill
Morning: Meet in the Studio
Share aspirations, expectations
Supply and demonstration of equipment and materials
Technique demonstration on the use of oil paints. Introduction to the Impressionist Colour Palette with Mixing Demonstration.
Drawing demonstration on the use of charcoal sticks, followed by composition, perspective and horizon line.
Afternoon: Excursion to a 14th-century local windmill and its surrounding landscape. Guests then proceed with their first painting.
Day 3: Richelieu Water Lilies
Morning: Drawing: Demonstration; charcoal composition, form, shadows, followed by colour mixing demonstration
Afternoon: Drive to Richelieu to follow in Monet's footsteps, paint waterlilies in the grand park of Cardinal Richelieu's former chateau, applying composition, colour and tonality.
Day 4: Montsoreau Scenes of the Loire River
Morning: Drawing: Demonstration; composition and perspective, followed by the Impressionist colour palette with mixing demonstration and the technique of painting water scenes and reflections.
Afternoon: Excursion: Drive to Montsoreau to paint scenes of the Loire River.
Day 5: d'Azay le Rideau Landscapes and Water Reflections
Morning: Demonstration on Impressionist colour, composition and content and how to paint country buildings and reflections on water.
Afternoon: Excursion: Drive to Azay-le-Rideau. Painting around this area.
Day 6: Chinon Streetscapes
Morning: Drawing demonstration on perspective and horizon lines, followed by the Impressionist colour palette with mixing demonstration with the use of light and shadows
Afternoon: Excursion: Drive to this Historic Village to paint streetscapes.
Day 7: Day in the Studio - paint as you wish
Finishing off paintings in the studio, with further instruction where required.
Evening: Assemble all paintings on the guest's studio storyboards, critique and select the strongest painting for the class display, and discuss over a glass of champagne and aperitifs.
Celebration Dinner in the formal dining room.
Day 8: Morning: Departure after breakfast, guests delivered to the Chinon Train Station
or to our residence, La Maison des Artistes Chinon, to continue their Loire experience.
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