Art retreat in Croatia
I have edited a short video with bits and pieces I had recorded during the art piece. If you want more visuals to support the story, feel free to go and watch it ;)
All the photos in this post are either from me, or from Zoe Akiko, the group photographer.
Why going?
In 2024, I've been wanting to improve my art, with this idea somewhere in my mind to create a side art business (Spoilers, it is now November 2024 and I have not started yet). The first step to doing this was to learn and find more time to paint and experiment. I also wanted to create occasions to meet with other artists and share some tips about art and making a business out of your art.
Some of the artists I have been following for years on Youtube have recently started to make som art retreats. The concept is appealing: you go somewhere - usually a very inspiring and beautiful place, with a group of passionate people and get some art instruction from one of your favorite artists. The dowside: it is very expensive. So in 2024, I was considering going on one such trip, but could not really justify the expense to myself. Finally, after long internal debates, I chose to try one, which was close to home (which means very little travel expenses) and hosted by Jess Karp. I jump into a last minute spot opening (the retreat was sold out, but she opened new spots just before the summer).
The retreat was to take place in Croatia, with a journey from Split to Dubrovnik. The programme was packed with several art workshops both outside for plein air painting and urban sketching, and inside for more traditional painting sessions; visiting; wine tasting, etc. We organized a chat to get to know everyone, and the group - all women- seemed (and actually was) wonderful!
First puzzle - What to bring?
The first issue I had was to decide what to bring.. I was afraid to bring too much, and be paralyzed by the choices (+ having to carry way too much around), but I was as afraid to forget some important supplies and not have what I wanted when I needed it. Another dilemma I had was between experimenting and being comfortable: Should I bring supplies I know well and already feel comfortable using (usually you don't want to deal with too many new things at a time), or should I take the oportunity to experiment with some colors / materials I know a bit less and don't dare to start using without a special occasi (what is more special than going on an art retreat?)?
The art retreat was focusig more on gouache and watercolor, so Jess's advice was to take our favorite drawing tools, brushes, sketchbook and a few colors of gouache and/or watercolors. Of course, that was not easy.
I ended up not taking any clear decision and bringing way too many things, with a mixture of old and new...
Color-wise, I decided to bring three (actually four) palettes (I know...):
My three travel palettes + fresh white gouache
1) my staple Portable Painter micro, with my usual colors inside (cleaned and refilled before leaving)
2) a fun watercolor palette to experiment with unusual mixes and new colors I had just bought (on the right of the picture)
3) a dry gouache palette with a mix of my usual colors (refreshed before the trip) and with the addition of a few convenience colors, or mixes I always end up doing (like greens) (on the left of the picture).
4) a stay-wet palette with some fresh gouache for longer studio sessions (again, going with the basics: primaries, earth tones and two convenience greens)
I chose a limited mix of brushes: a few gouache brushes from Sarah Burns' set, a couple old watercolor brushes, and my new Escoda brush.
I also brought a huge pencil case, with a variety of fineliners and fountain pens, a few watercolor pencils, and a couple watercolor markers (and of course a pencil, ruler, eraser, masing tape).
I had all the basics: collapsible cups, spray bottle, cloth to clean my brushes.
And of course… a variety of sketchbooks and papers to paint on. I brought two self-made A6 sketchbooks (one with grey and tan toned paper, one with watercolor paper) that could fit in my fanny pack along with a couple waterbrushes, my portable painter, a small bull clip, a wristband (that I use to clean my waterbrushes) and one or two pens/drawing supplies. I also took with me some larger sketchbooks for longer painting sessions. One was a A5 Stillman & Birn nova beige (spiral and hardcover), another was an A4 self-made soft sketchbook with Canson mixed media recycled paper (that I love for gouache), and the last one an almost A4 self-made watercolor sketchbook. And I also had “just in case” some A5 watercolor paper…
All of this was supposed to be quite light and easy to carry around (spoiler, it was not so light…). I had my fanny pack with the essentials, and then a pouch where I could put most of the remaining of these supplies (assuming I would not be acrrying all of my sketchbooks around all the time), and that was easy to toss in my backpack.
The art retreat in short
As I have already mentioned, the art retreat was starting in Split. A night train runs from Vienna to Split a couple times per week. I took one that would bring me there one day before the art retreat. I am quite anxious when it comes to travelling alone, especially with not-so-light luggages. Overall the journey went really smoothly. I arrived under the rain in Split, on the morning of the day before the official start of the retreat. I took the rest of the day off, to relax, paint a bit and rest before starting an intense week. The following day, the meeting was planned for the late afternoon, so I enjoyed some time exploring Split (gorgeous city). We met on the rooftop of the hotel, by sunset. And of course Jess had brought many art supplies for all of us (for which I struggled to find enough room to bring back!).
After this first meeting, the retreat per se started. We were blessed with wonderful weather, gorgeous landscapes, magical sunsets… The food was excellent, and our guide made the experience unforgettable. While in Split, we spent a day at Krka national park, which has a crazy waterfall! We also had our first pleinair session there, with a demonstration from Jess.
Our first plein-air workshop…
Listening to Jess’s explanation on how to break down a complex landscape
We went from Split to Korčula, a very nice and quiet island. There we stayed at a luxuous resort, where we could have long painting sessions on the terrasse, facing an inspiring landscapes. These two days were the art highlights of the retreat, when we really had time to explore the landscape and make a final piece. We were also starting to know each other better, and the whole group dynamic was getting better and better.
A full painting of the view from the resort terrasse
From Korčula, we took the ferry and the bus to Dubrovnik. On the way, we stopped for some wine and oyster tasting. The weather on the way was very moody, with fog and clouds over the mountains and beautiful clearings to spot the sea below. I really enjoyed the journey, and on the bus we could discover some amazing Croatian artists and learned a bit on the country’s history. Dubrovnik is just a treat to the eyes. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the city walls enjoying the crazy views and the golden hour on the city. This was our last full day, and the farewell dinner was a bittersweet moment. The next day, everyone went their own way, and the ones remaining gathered for a last painting session on the beach.
Will I go again?
Well... Maybe one day! I know better know what I expect from an art retreat, what I want to get out of it, and also what I don't want it to be. I am not doing an art retreat to get a group tour of a new place. I am going on an art retreat to make art, get inspired, learn from the instructor and the group and have lots of nerdy art conversations along the way. I partly had that during this art retreat, but not to the extend I was hoping for… I still gained a lot of painting inspiration, and I hope to stay in touch with the amazing ladies in the group!
For my next art retreat, I will make sure that the focus of the retreat is on plein-air, as this is what I struggle most with right now. An most importantly, I will make sure that the art retreat is about the art experience, not about tourism or content creation.
