Arrival Day: Transfers are arranged from Heathrow Airport, where you will be taken to Stinchcombe House. On arrival to your accommodation, you will shown to your comfortable room, with time to settle in Meet Sarah who will give you an overview of the course and the materials we’ll be using before embarking on useful orientation tour of the gardens, teaching and dining are-as of the Manor House. For those guests who like to get a grip on their surroundings there will be the option of an early evening stroll to round the extensive grounds and woodlands. In the evening, get to know your art group over a freshly prepared evening meal, enhanced by a glass of carefully selected wine.

Your third day unfolds with breakfast, fresh juices and coffee where we can chat about the day ahead before heading out to the ancient Fortress and family home of the Berkeley’s, Berkeley Castle. During the tour of this stunning 12th Century Norman castle you will get to see the China room where Queen Elizabeth 1’s bedspread is on display, the Kings Gallery where Edward 11 was held prisoner and later murdered amongst a host of other rooms and gardens. This is the perfect opportunity to start a sketch book habit or perhaps build on an existing one. What a perfect memento to take back with you! You will then head out to the award winning Wetland Wildlife Trust at Slimbridge, a remark-able and vast mosaic of wetlands, including open water reef bed, grazing marsh, ponds and pools. After lunch at the Kingfisher Kitchen, Sarah and Andrew will help you explore parts of the 650 acre site, home to the world’s largest collection of exotic, rare and endangered ducks, geese and swans as well as a multitude of other wildlife such as kingfishers, water voles, otters and five different types of flamingos. Whilst Sarah will be on hand to help you find subjects to paint. Then armed with sketches, ideas and photographs, you’ll head back to the Manor House for a welcome home cooked evening meal, washed down with some delicious wine.

Day five starts with a gorgeous selection of breakfast items with coffee, tea and fresh juices. After breakfast, our guest artist will lead the session, giving you some invaluable lessons to set you up for the day. Sarah will aid them in teaching ways of quickly rendering iconic Cotswold doorways and flowers. Armed with the lightest of sketching materials, you’ll set out on a fabulous tour of some of the prettiest towns and villages in the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a region known for its picturesque scenery and quintessentially English charm. What a fabulous chance to put your sketchbook journaling skills to use! This will be the perfect op-portunity to sketch, take photographs of the iconic stone buildings and ancient market squares, visit antique shop and cosy pubs and marvel at its myriad of bridges, streams, and natural beauty. A minimum of at least 5 villages will be visited with lunch taking place in one of the larger towns such as Stow On The Wold. As the afternoon draws to a close, you will head back to the warm and inviting atmosphere of Stinccombe to enjoy a seasonal apple cider aperol spritz, by the fire before getting ready for a delicious 3 course evening

Over breakfast, the final day offers a chance to reflect on the work you would like to create inspired by the sights, sounds and reference photographs gathered during the retreat. On this final day, Sarah and Laura Jayne Smith will lead relaxed wildlife-focused sessions, with wildlife as the subject. The focus will be on exploring the versatility of gouache alongside watercolour, particularly for refined finishing touches, such as adding flowers and subtle environmental details around a bird to help the piece feel complete and considered. Sarah and Laura will be on hand throughout the day to support you in starting new pieces or developing work from the week. A printer will be available so that you can work from your own reference photos, helping you build on the inspiration gathered during visits such as Slimbridge Wetland Centre. A calm and rewarding close to the retreat, designed to help you consolidate what you have learned and leave with work you feel proud of.

After a hearty English breakfast, we will embark on our first art lesson during which Sarah will teach you loosening up techniques to create a beautiful English hare in graphite and watercolour. This exercise will help free up your style and paint with an emphasis on ex-pressive mark making and not precision brush work. After a delicious lunch Sarah will help you start your first main considered piece: a beautiful otter in its natural habi-tat. Once drawn she will take you steadily through the techniques to bring its char-acter to life, from the texture of its fur to the playful look in its eyes! Its watery surroundings will be painted after a visit to see them in action the following day. With this practical session finished you will have time to relax and refresh ready for a beautifully prepared meal at Stinchcombe Hill House.

After a freshly prepared breakfast, we will have a steady and solid day of painting at the venue. During the morning Sarah will teach you how to paint the water surrounding the otter which was started on Sunday. This will involve a host of new colours and techniques in which timing and pigment control will be key. After a light buffet style lunch, we will then prep and paint either flamingos in situ. The painting of these iconic birds will teach you how to paint the sky using a graduated wash, as well as convincing reflections, shadows, splashes and feathers. And of course, there will be the obligatory afternoon tea! Once the painting session has finished there will be some time to relax and freshen up before heading out to a traditional village pub for a evening meal in cosy surround-ings.

After a nutritious breakfast, we will enjoy a full day of uninterrupted painting. During the morning session, Lindsay Pritchard RBSA will guide you through a beautiful mini landscape in acrylics, inspired by the rolling hills surrounding Stinchcombe House. Lindsay’s clear and encouraging teaching style makes landscape feel approachable and structured, helping you simplify complex scenery into strong shapes, harmonious colour relationships and atmospheric depth. You will explore how to suggest distance, form and light using confident brushwork, gaining practical techniques that can be applied to future landscape subjects. After lunch, there will be time to continue developing and completing your landscape, refining colour balance, strengthening tonal relationships and adding finishing touches. Lindsay, Laura and Sarah will all be available to offer support and guidance as your work progresses. The day ends with a beautifully cooked dinner, freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients, providing the perfect opportunity to relax and reflect on the day’s creative achievements.

Enjoy a filling breakfast together, exchange any last contacts and catch the 10 am transfer to Stroud train station.