What’s on at The Walnut Barn
Each season we host a select number of residential creative retreats, designed to give you time and space to slow down and connect with the simple rhythms of French country life. Our retreats are designed for small, intimate groups of 6–10 people over 5–7 days. We work with our visiting tutors to design retreats that strike exactly the right balance between learning, exploring, and relaxing.
Spend a week with Toby exploring the semi-urban landscapes, villages, and river valleys of the Dordogne. You will sketch outdoors every day (weather permitting), learn practical techniques, and enjoy a calm, structured week that builds your confidence as an artist. There will be a mix of guided sessions, creative clinics, relaxed sketching time, and space to enjoy the area at your own pace.
During this retreat you will learn how to recreate the beautiful medieval buildings of the Dordogne in ink and watercolour. There will be an emphasis on how to achieve a strong sense of sunlight as well as learning techniques to add charm and character to your work. Projects will start off by sketching or photographing a suitable subject. You will then be supported to simplify and improve the composition during the drawing stage. You can expect to gain advice and demonstrations on how to add more expression into your sketches and linework. There will also be in-depth tuition on fundamental watercolour techniques that you will use throughout out the retreat and beyond.
A rounded introduction to the fifteenth century and the background of the Tudor Dynasty – discover just how one bold Welsh family emerged out of Wales to become England’s most famous royal family, and how their legacy remains today.
A mindful week of hand printing and hand stitching in the beautiful French countryside with acclaimed textile designer, Karen Lewis.
