Relax, enjoy and create.
Find inspiration and new friends during a week-long art holiday at Ribière. Since 2023, we have welcomed individuals from all over Europe to join our lead artists for creative breaks.
Focusing on painting and drawing en plein air both at Ribière and around the region with days out. ​Whatever your artistic level, your time with us is all about boosting your confidence, finding new skills and enjoying good food in great company.
What to expect
Each holiday runs for seven nights with six full days led by our experienced artist tutors. Your stay has been designed to give you the ideal balance of creative learning and relaxation.
Every day is different and combines instruction on tools and techniques with time to sketch and paint - both here at Ribière and on field trips to discover the wonderful Limousin and Dordogne regions.
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Holidays are on a full-board basis. So, start with a relaxed breakfast then enjoy a morning of instruction and creativity. A picnic lunch in the meadow or why not try one of our many great restaurants in the region if out on a field trip? An afternoon spent wandering through our woodlands or the medieval streets of Limoges. Round the day off with a glass or two of wine with dinner on the terrace before finishing your day's work as the sun goes down.
Groups are limited to eight artists. The perfect number, we think, for benefiting from one-on-one time with your artist tutor and meeting a good mix of people with similar interests.
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Travel
Getting here could not be easier. Whilst you are responsible for booking your own flight or travel arrangements, we provide transfers from and to the airport or train station. Limoges airport is only 20 minutes away and has daily services with Ryanair from the UK. The beautiful Benedictins train station in Limoges has direct trains from across France, including Paris. And you can easily locate us if travelling by car.
​Accommodation
You will be accommodated in our 17th Century converted barn. All rooms are single occupancy with either a double or twin beds and en suite shower room. Wifi is available throughout with tea and coffee making facilities in the kitchen. Towels and sheets are provided. ​​​
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Food
​We believe that a key part of your holiday is the food that fuels your creativity. We focus on freshly prepared, home-cooked whole foods and natural ingredients. On some of the day excursions, the option to dine out at artists' own expense will be offered. A great chance to sample some of our wonderful local eateries.​
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Pricing
The cost for a week's holiday based on full-board accommodation is 1500€. There is no single occupancy supplement and if you want to bring a friend or partner who can relax and enjoy the beauty of Ribière, they pay 900€ including meals.
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Materials
You will need to bring your own art/painting materials and a recommended list will be provided prior to your holiday.
Introducing...
Shelly Perkins
Shelly is a freelance wildlife artist whose passion for wildlife, travel and conservation are constant factors in the development and realisation of her work.
​Her art is created in a highly unusual way combining a variety of techniques both traditional and contemporary. She starts working by hand with strong, fluid line drawings, painted textures, water colour washes and found textiles which she then brings together digitally, layering up all of the hand rendered elements with the line drawings on top and the colour, textures and washes at varying levels of opacity underneath. Shelly prints all her illustrations using the Giclee technique a form of archival quality digital printing. Her limited edition prints are highly unusual and collectable pieces of art which feature in private and public collections all over the world.
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As well as showing her work in galleries Shelly also undertakes commercial commissions for illustration work, her list of clients includes BBC Wildlife Magazine, The National Trust, The RSPB, WWF, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, The Vincent Wildlife Trust and The Radio Times. In 2017 Shelly was chosen as the Scott Polar research institute's Antarctic Artist in Residence. In June 2024, Shelly featured on BBC Radio 4's Ramblings with Clare Balding.
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See more about Shelly here. ​
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Shelly's courses at Ribière are relaxed affairs, sharing her joy of capturing the natural world through art. They are focused mainly around sketching, with the addition of colour, through watercolour, pastel, coloured pencil etc used in an experimental and fun way. Shelly loves working 'in the field' where she shares techniques using observational skills and 'mark making' to produce fluid studies of the landscapes, flora and fauna of the surrounding area.
​Her aim is to give students the confidence to make a start on their own field-based work through good observational skills and giving one-to-one critiques on sketch books throughout the course. She makes the art side of things fun, accessible and inclusive, encouraging students to create a sketchbook filled with work during their time at Ribière. A one night presentation provides the opportunity to see how Shelly works and some of her major works.
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Media
Drawing, watercolour, watercolour pencil.
Subjects
Landscape, nature, animals, the natural world.
Dates
27th June to 4th July 2026
1st to 8th August 2026.
Introducing...
Kirstie Trobe
UK-based watercolour and pastel specialist, Kirstie Trobe, will be joining us in 2026 to share her creative flair. A successful portraiture, wildlife and landscape artist, she brings her passion for colour and composition to the holiday.
Taking inspiration from the people, fauna and flora that surround her, Kirstie works primarily in watercolour or pastels. Having completed her fine art studies, Kirstie’s creativity was channelled into her career as a graphic designer whilst raising her family.
With the children fully grown, she reignited her passion for art. As an artist and art tutor, she paints and runs regular workshops from her home studio in the heart of Worcester.
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Kirstie regularly exhibits at prestigious events like the Royal Society of British Artists and Broadway Arts Festival. As well as her own pieces, Kirstie undertakes commission work.
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See more about Kirstie here.
Kirstie brings her infectious energy to running workshops both at her home studio and here at Ribière. She shares her passion for colour and composition. By creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere she builds her artists’ confidence and provides guidance along the way in taking studies from the field back into the studio.
During the week, Kirstie provides group and one-to-one critiques whilst encouraging experimentation. She also demonstrates key techniques used in her own work.
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Media
Drawing, watercolour, pastel.
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Subjects
Landscape, nature, animals, the natural world.
Dates
30th May to 6th June 2026
4th to 11th October 2026