Art Course & Retreat Details

Discover Your Creativity - Art Course Crete

With the beautiful Cretan coast and landscape nature as our muse, we aim to bring our attention to a mindful practice where the process of making art itself is central. You may be looking to explore creative expression and reconnect through the process of art and discussion, or simply wish to develop your knowledge of painting, materials, and technique. I work with a limited group of 4 people adapting the course to your skill level, interest, and needs. The art course crete explores ways of seeing, the process of creating artwork, what this means to you and the powerful therapeutic benefits your creativity brings. We can explore ‘image making’ across representation, abstraction, pure expressionism, and more.

Art Course Crete Overview

Duration: 5 nights
Art Course: Guidance, materials, tuition and program
Rooms: Twin or Double available
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Max Group Size: 4 people
Dates: 4 x Retreats (dates TBC)
April/May/August/Sept/Oct
Proximity to Beach: 10 min drive

Accommodation

Options available:

Twin room (shared) - A generous single bed size in a large twin room. Shared Bathroom for 2 people in the courtyard bathroom.

Double bedroom - Couple sharing or individual / friends with shared bathroom for 2 people in the main house.

All bathrooms are newly renovated with rain-head showers.

Inclusive Cost

Airport Transfers

Meals:
Light breakfast
Lunch (at retreat or taverna)
Drinks and snacks/fruit

Accommodation: - See options under accommodation

Art Guidance and Itinerary:
Materials and Guidance
(3-5hrs pd tuition over 5 days)

Price: 830€ pp (5 nights stay)

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*Price Excludes the below

Flights

Local taxi to painting day locations (taxi arranged - local cost based on 4 people per taxi share) All locations within 20 minutes of retreat.

Evening meals

Specific Day Trip Tours

What too / not expect

Great fun in a relaxed atmosphere. This is an authentic rustic village home with kitchen garden and olive grove. While it is a modern renovation with a quality finish, solar water heating, comfy beds, air conditioning, PV panel and wifi, it is not a shiny villa with an infinity pool… It’s more soul than bling if that’s a thing (:

Art Course Crete Map

Professional Art Tuition

The art retreat is run by your host who is a professionally trained artist with over two decades of experience working with creatives both teaching and mentoring.

Acrylic painting and drawing classes in Plein-air at different locations each day, individual guidance and demonstrations with your host.

This retreat is open to beginners and budding artists alike to paint the enchanting sights of Crete. An extraordinary journey that combines travel and creativity awaits.
Find out more about art guidance here

Location

Based in the village of Armenoi in the Apokoronas. We’re 10 minutes to the beach! Read more on the location

Art Course Itinerary (example)

  • Welcome Drinks

    Welcome drinks - Meetup

    Day 1 - Still Life / Beach Painting

    *All daily timings are flexible based on weather etc. Typically we start early, take a break in the warmer part of the day then regroup for the later afternoon and early evening.

  • Garden/Beach Painting

    8am-12:00 noon - Afternoons TBC

    Day 2 - Port/Beach Painting or Still Life

    Option 1 - We observe a still-life setup with volume, mass, light, shade in the courtyard of the artisan retreat.

    Option 2 - Beach Day Painting !
    Garden Salad Lunch
    Wine Tasting (pre-book) Dinner out

  • Landscape Plein Air

    8am-12:00 noon

    Day 3 - Landscape Painting. We explore beautiful local landscape views using a limited palette, we practise sketching en plein air, learning to paint landscapes with greater confidence and proficiency.

    Cretan Lunch - local taverna
    Dinner out

  • Day Trip Sketching

    Day 4/5
    We choose a day trip visit. Depending on group consensus we have great options.

    Discover Chania
    Beach Cove Painting
    Visit a Local Artisan Community
    *Botanical Gardens (pre-book)

    With a sketch book we explore and sketch from life areas of interest to you.

    Lunch out / Dinner out

  • Closing Days

    Day 5/6/7
    Further tuition and guidance on your paintings and drawings.

    Exhibition of works in the courtyard
    Beach for sundowners
    Evening meal out - Seafood Restaurant
    Airport transfers organised.

    Your work - You can of course take your work with you but If you would prefer, your work can be curated and gifted to local schools and communities for school children to enjoy.

Freshly Prepared Garden Lunch Menu

Prepared with fresh ingredients I can make lunch for you onsite in the kitchen garden combining food from the garden and local products from the village.

Breakfast at art retreat

Breakfast

Selection of fresh fruits / Yogurt / Muesli

Fresh Orange Juice / Chai / Coffee

Lunch

Fresh Olives / stuffed vine with tzatziki

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Our take on a Traditional Cretan Salad / Dakos with local produce

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Yogurt with thyme honey and berries

Wine/Raki and laughter

*Evening Meal

Eating out at local Tavernas
The village has some nice eateries within walking distance

Crete, the island of olive and orange groves. With fabulous beaches and local delicacies of authentic greek yogurt, thyme honey, unrivaled moussaka aand more..

Reserve your place

Do get in touch and I’ll be happy to chat more about your trip. Friendly, healthy and affordable experience on the beautiful island of Crete awaits!

nickpeperell@gmail.com

  • Food Allergies & Diet

    Important: Please let us know if you have a severe food/nut allergy or intolerance. This is important to know prior to joining the retreat so that we can plan accordingly.

    If you have special dietary requirements please do let me know. The majority of dishes are plant-based ingredients with the indulgence of soft cheeses local to the area.

  • Delicious Food

    The Cretan diet is considered to be one of the healthiest and most balanced in the Mediterranean. The abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, the delicious fresh cheeses, and the moderate consumption of meat is what made it so famous.

    Traditional Cretan cuisine hides treasures that are worth seeking out.

  • Space / Yoga / Paint / Relax

    Relax in nature with professional art tuition. From shady canyons to olive groves and beaches.

  • Beach Days

    If you want to skip an afternoon of painting or Yoga and head to the beach instead, no problem. Be my guest, it’s a 10 minute drive in the jeep and I’ll drop you to the coast before the sunscreen is on..