Art Retreat: The Wonders of Provence
Exploration and Discovery
September 12 – 19, 2020
$ 3100 Single; $2600 per person in Double

Provence: Van Gogh, Cezanne, perched villages with views across the valley toward the Luberon mountain range, endless towns to explore within a 15 – 25 minute drive in any direction, antique markets, daily village markets, time to explore and create, and oh! French food!

Head deep into the Luberon Valley — land of sumptuous markets and wines, perched villages, stone farmhouses, lavender, olives, ochre-tinted hills, hikes, and food, food, food.

We’ll wind our way through multiple picture-perfect settings all a short distance from our own farmhouse, grab olives and tomatoes and pasta and whip up fresh meals under the trees, and traipse along the Sorgue, a gorgeously-green river colored by thousands of waving aquatic plants. Back home, we’ll talk about art and color, discoveries and ideas, share a few passions.

Toss your necessaries in a pretty woven basket and throw on that sweet linen dress (or pick one up at the market) and come with us to Provence in September 2020.

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WHERE
Our home base will be a FABULOUS mas (traditional farmhouse) just a ten minute walk from the famous perched village of Gordes, with its thriving Tuesday market, shops, cafes, cobbled lanes and gorgeous views over the city walls. Our house has ten bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, multiple sitting rooms, a chef’s kitchen, terraces, large greenspace with rose and olive trees, heated pool, internet, and views, views, views.

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PROGRAM
Our stay will feature learning sessions, opportunities to explore Provence, and plenty of time to sketch, paint, mosaic in the gardens, or write in cute cafes along the lane. Dinners and down time will be perfect for show and tell, sharing tips, and talking about materials. In addition to instruction, critiques will be available if desired.

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PLANNED ACTIVITIES, ALL OPTIONAL

• Exploratory visits to local perched villages including the picturesque Menerbes (A Year in Provence); Lacoste: the hilltop castle was once owned by the Marquis de Sade — now owned by Pierre Cardin with grounds used for summer theatre; also home to Savannah College of Art and Design; one of the largest ochre deposits in the world; explore the landscape and learn about making paint from natural pigments; Oppede-le-Vieux, which features both charming abodes and a large hilltop with picturesque abandoned village and a mountaintop church with stunning views; all excellent locations for sketching or watercolor as well as photography.

GOOD TO KNOW

• This art retreat is open to artists and non-artists — especially suited for painters, watercolorists, writers, and mosaic artists. No art practices that involve fire, caustic or smelly materials. A materials list will follow closer to the time of the retreat.
• Instruction and critiques will be held at scheduled times.
• You’re welcome to create as often as you like on site or in villages. Offsite visits not included in the daily schedule will likely involve finding transportation. We’ll have info available.
• You may join in as many or as few of the scheduled activities as desired, but there will be no refund for skipped activities.
• There is no train or bus transportation in this area; taxis are uncommon but possible. We’ll have a couple of cars for group use at specified times, but free spirits may want to rent their own car or share with 1 or 2 others. Rentals will be from the Avignon TGV station. There are fewer automatics, so be sure and reserve early if you want one. There’s parking space for 10 cars at the house, and roads in Provence are quiet and easy to navigate.

TO REGISTER
We’ve been taking names for some time and have begun the process of contacting those interested in the order received. For more information, contact Pam.

WHO WE ARE

Jean Cauthen grew up in Naples, Italy, New Orleans and the Carolinas, completing her education with an MFA  (Painting and Drawing) at James Madison University in Virginia. Her art career has led her to Moscow, Russia as a set designer, and she regularly returns to Italy (sometimes with students). When not working plein air, she creates large scale paintings in her Charlotte, NC studio. “My concentration is simple. No matter the subject, my focus is color against color. Shape with shape. Mark to mark. From this, and with care, expression and meaning can emerge.” www.jeancauthen.com

Pam Goode is a mosaic artist, writer, founding partner of Ciel Gallery, and founder of Wild Hair Adventures and Mosaic Art Retreats. An avid traveler, Pam is most inspired by being in unfamiliar surrounds where every sight, every thought, is new. “I see everything differently — feel everything differently — and the ability to communicate my own transformation though art thrills me.” A lifelong writer, Pam has been creating mosaics for twenty years, always with a concentration on color. “I want the leaps, the brazen, the WAKE-UP raucous combinations that stop you in your tracks and make you rethink your life and where you’re going.” www.pamelagoodemosaics.com

Laura McRae Hitchcock has been painting for over 30 years. She was a partner artist and teacher with Ciel Gallery and recent Artist in Residence at Olive Stack Gallery in Listowel, Ireland. Additionally, she is a 2016 participant in the nationally celebrated ArtPop program and grant recipient from the Arts and Science Council. “I try to get to the heart of the matter … my heart, that is. I’ve given up trying to be perfect, and instead I focus on finding that space where my heart speaks with paint. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but wow, what a ride it is!”   www.lauramcraehitchcock.com