A note from Leandra ..
If you have been following us on Instagram/ Facebook, you will have noticed that Alison just taught a retreat here at PaperArtsy HQ the past week or so, and wow, what an event it was!
Our June class of 2026 included 4 returning students from last year - that tells you something about the kind of event we offer; this is not intended as a 'bucket list' activity, this is an event that offers more than you can ever imagine in value. Just bring yourself, and we take care of everything, from class supplies to transport, accommodation (or pick your own off site),amazing food and along the way you get to customise to your preference on the odd occasion where we do eat 'out'. The touristic sites we went to were all different from the June 2025 retreat we had with Seth - in fact it is hard to pick where we take you - we are surrounded by so many fabulous places to visit that we truly are spoiled for choice!! So, if you get the chance to come to a retreat in the future, I am sure every participant will say 'do not hesitate'!
The view from the classroom is spectacular, in fact, I think this is my favourite room in our house, especially in summer when the pool is open! We are constantly rearranging the outdoor spaces to make the most of the view and the pool and to create shade where necessary. We are fortunate that there are several spaces where teaching can occur outside as well as inside!
Alison used the trip to Chateau Des Milandes (Josephine Baker's castle) to do some sketching and loose watercolour teaching, such a beautiful place to be inspired, be it by architecture, textiles or flowers. No experience required - Alison shared some brilliant techniques to make these skills are easily accessible to people of all abilities.
Friday night was the memorable pizza party. We invited PaperArtsy staff, their families and local friends to come and join us and our class of June 2026 to enjoy the music by Marc and Jacques. They played a range of chilled music that went down a treat with Pizza and a drink or two. The weather throughout the week was exceptional, you can see everyone comfortably glowing in the late evening sun!! A perfect evening!
And of course, the focus of the week was to learn from Alison. She packed so many great techniques into the 4 days of classes, from printing with found grasses to mini watercolour abstracts. All the recorded techniques ended up as pages in a vintage journal to be continued beyond the retreat, many students managed to get a significant number of spreads done in their books showcasing reminders of all the techniques they learned in class.
Not only did we wine and dine the class participants with delicious French foods by on site food guru Chef Fred, we took them to eat out locally on a few occasions. In the stunning nearby village of Villereal people could opt for something a bit high end with a Michelin taster menus or a lobster specialist restaurant (Hippocampe). For those wanting a lighter option they chose the local bistro is where all the French hang out or those at the creperie under the shade of Les Halles had a galette (savoury pancake with salad). While in Villereal we mooched around the Brocante hunting for vintage treasures.
A trip to the pretty Limeuil Panoramic public gardens earlier in the week offered amazing views where the Vézère and Dordogne Rivers converge. The Dordogne is a wonderful river to Kayak on, it is warm, and recognised as the cleanest river in France, so perfect for swimming too.
ArtsyCrafts retreats are a mix of creativity (4 days) and touristic explorations locally (3 days). If you would like to see more video of what we got up to, head to the PaperArtsy ArtsyCrafts highlight on Instagram and follow along to find out more about our next retreat!
