Exclusive 7-day Painting Retreats in Southwest France

Expand your creative potential in Southwest France!

This one-week, hands-on learning experience is designed to open up your mind, your senses, and your traditional thought processes to assist you in moving forward in a fresh new creative direction in your art work. The retreat is designed to break down walls and barriers, and to give you, the artist, more freedom of expression in your work.

We will discuss your own personal art history, and work together to bring insight into those areas which may be blocking or hindering the expansion of your creative self. This will be accomplished through a combination of dialog, physical movement, various experiential and creative activities which loosen up our traditional boundaries to allow the creative self to blossom more fully.

Come to this workshop retreat with an open mind and expect the unexpected as we take you down new paths, nurture new ideas, and utilize new methods and media to enhance your creative skills and bring new life and meaning to your own personal creative process.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced artist, this retreat will certainly bring you countless new ideas and help to move your creative spirit forward.

Class Description:

The retreat will be held at the art studio of painter/artist Mike SNOW, located in the romantic 17th century Château de Saussignac in the tranquil village of Saussignac, near Bergerac in the Southwest of France, just one hour from Bordeaux. The château is situated in the heart of the French wine countryside, surrounded by vineyards. You will have the opportunity to experience French culture and soak up the relaxing lifestyle of Southwest France.

The retreat consists of a welcome dinner the day of arrival, a general overview of the class, and time to get acquainted with a tour of the facilities.The second day will be the first of six full days of creative arts immersion. Retreat days run three hours in the morning followed by group lunch and discussion, and three additional hours in the afternoon. Dinner will be included on five of the six teaching days, leaving one night free for dinner on your own.The retreats have a minimum of four students and a maximum of eight. This allows for plentiful hands-on time as well as the opportunity to work closely with each individual participant. Each person is unique, and each creates uniquely. This allows us to learn from each others experiences as well, growing as individuals as well as together in a community.

Don’t be too surprised, as anything could happen during the class: we could paint the side of a building in graphite one morning, create chalk drawings on the side walks or even paint an old car. Expression and inspiration are the key to moving forward in your painting career. Allow yourself to BE FREE and we will give you the tools, support and space to make that happen. Our goal is to ensure that you have fun with your art, learn new things, try something new, and leave the retreat with lots of fresh new ideas to use when you return home.

Class Schedule for 2013:

• April 28 - May 5, 2013 - FULLY BOOKED
• May 5-12, 2013
• June 2-9, 2013
• June 14-21, 2013  -  FULLY BOOKED
• July 21-28, 2013
• September 15-22, 2013
• October 20-27, 2013

Arrive on Saturday afternoon, hotel check-in from 4pm.

Depart the following Saturday, hotel check-out before 11am.

Private One-on-One retreats are available on request.

About Mike Snow:

Mike SNOW was born in 1957 in the United States and lived there until 2005 when he moved to Southwest France to continue his development in the art world. As a child he always enjoyed drawing and painting, but instead pursued a career in the engineering and design fields. After establishing and growing his own company for many years, he decided to sell everything and follow his passion for art. He studied with Italian artist Francesca La Rue in Hawaii for several years, and also Hungarian artist Emö Simonyi in Italy. Today Mike lives in a 17th century château near Bergerac and Bordeaux, France, and paints full-time. He has a gallery located in the château and has exhibited in several countries.

His art is continually evolving as he has been influenced by a variety of countries, cultures and artists in his travels. His work can be at times both political and inspirational in style, full of expression and sometimes controversial. His goal is not to be the best artist in the world, but to enrich his life and the lives of others through color and the expression of life, capturing the essence of life and talking himself, his participants, and his following on a journey through the life of an artist. Finding himself, losing himself, asking why, and answering “Why not!” Mike is challenging both himself and others, as well as finding both physical and spiritual healing through honest and full creative expression, painting, and the creative imagination process itself. Mike has made the decision to lead only a few retreats per year to help inspire others, and to help us all grow as artists enjoying the time together as we progress down our own individual paths of creativity. “Art is a feeling. Art is an expression. Art is a journey. And art is my guiding light.”

Practical Information:

Language: The retreats are taught in English, as well as with some French. You are not required to speak French, but don’t be surprised if you learn some new words and phrases along the way!

Location: Saussignac is located about 15 km west of Bergerac, an airport very accessible to our friends in Amsterdam, Brussels and the UK. We are also about 1.5 hours by car from Bordeaux, and approximately 4.5 hours by train from Paris.

What is furnished: Paper, acrylic paint pallets and general materials for most projects. If you wish to do your work on canvas, there will be a limited number and sizes available for purchase in class or from the local art store.

Investment/Cost:

This seven-day retreat, starting with dinner on Saturday evening and ending the following Saturday morning, includes 7 nights hotel accommodations in a shared room with private bath, 6 full days tuition, 7 days breakfast at the hotel, 6 lunches (picnic style with coffee or tea), 6 dinners (normally 3 courses with wine), transportation to/from the hotel and the class site, and most supplies. The cost for the complete seven-day workshop is 1395€ (EUROS). Book early and save: book and pay in full at least 90 days before class and save 100€ for a discounted rate of 1295€.

Private room supplement: There is a 300€ supplemental fee for a private room with bath.

Significant-others & non-participating guests: If you would like to bring someone with you but they will not be attending the classes, the fee for that person will be 575€ which includes private accommodations for the two of you, plus breakfast each morning and dinner 6 of the evenings. (Lunches are not included for non-participating guests, as the lunchtime is considered a continuation of the workshop experience.)

Payment: A 30% deposit is required to hold your space in the class, and final payment is due in full at least 30 days before class begins. Payment may be made with credit cards through PayPal, or by direct bank transfer.

Refunds: If you need to cancel your participation in the class for any reason, a 90% refund will be credited if we are notified at least 90 days before the start of class, 70% if notified at least 45 days before class, 60% if notified at least 30 days before class, and 50% if notified less than 30 days before class.

Accommodations:

Your accommodations will be hosted at the beautiful Chambre d’Hotes (B&B) “Domaine de la Queyssie” which is located just outside the village of Saussignac, about 2 km distance from the Chateau. All rooms include private bath, private entry and a double bed. Shared rooms will include one double bed and one single bed. Most rooms have both a shower and bathtub. The B&B consists of traditional French old stone construction, and has undergone significant renovation and is in excellent condition. The facility includes a heated swimming pool and jacuzzi for guest use. Breakfast is served by the B&B in the main house each morning before class.

Attendance is limited and the workshops fill up quickly, so contact us today to reserve your place!

Experience the magic in the heart of wine country,

Saussignac, France!