Hi Reader, I just got home from my 5th retreat in France, and I'm already thinking about next year. That's the thing about this place. You leave and immediately start planning how to get back :-) I'm returning to Perigord Retreats in June 2027 — and bookings are open now. The Dordogne in late June is extraordinary. Medieval castles reflected in slow rivers. Honey-stone villages where the light turns gold in the afternoon. Rocamadour clinging to its cliff face. Markets spilling colour into...

Hi Reader, Imagine waking up in a 16th-century monastery and spending your days painting hilltop villages, sweeping landscapes and sun-drenched piazzas. At La Romita School of Art, that's exactly what we'll do. I'm inviting you to join me in Umbria for my retreat at La Romita — April 2027. Artists have gathered here for 60 years, drawn by the light, the landscapes, and something harder to name — the feeling of being completely absorbed in a place. This is a watercolour sketching retreat, and...

Hi Reader, I'm just back from South Africa — a catch up with family, and climbing and camping to some of our favourite places. South Africa is where I grew up, and it really wakes up my soul: the colours feel more 'me', there's texture and pattern everywhere, and the creative energy of all the different cultures mixed together. I sketched the whole trip in leporellos (accordion sketchbooks) for the very first time, and it's been such a fun, new way to think about composition and storytelling...