Not Sorry Art Painting Retreat F.A.Q.
As we approach the end of 2022 and look towards next year, I’m eagerly anticipating my upcoming painting retreats in 2023 in Texas and Morocco.
This past summer I taught my first retreat-style event in Spain and I had a blast sharing my still life and acrylic painting techniques. It was so much fun that I knew I wanted to sign on for another international retreat with my partner UpTrek, who I am working with again for the Moroccan event June 3-10 2023. The experience encouraged me to host a retreat of my own in Texas, which I’ll be doing March 22-27, 2023 in Wimberley, Texas.
Both retreats will cover similar subject matter and are open to painters of all levels. I’ve had many of you reach out with similar questions over the last few months and I thought I would answer them here in an FAQ format.
Without further ado…
Not Sorry Art Painting Retreats Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much experience should I have to attend a retreat?
This is probably my most asked question so let me be clear: you do not need to be an established painter to attend one of my retreats. I do recommend at least some experience so you don’t feel overwhelmed with information, but it is not required.
I am entirely comfortable teaching a full range from beginner to a trained artist and I had both such students, and everything in between, this summer in Spain. (In fact, I had two students who had never picked up a paint brush in their life who enjoyed learning about painting and being the company of other creatives.)
For the more advanced artists, I have a wealth of knowledge to share from my own art professional practice that has been honed through frequent lessons in my online art school, Not Sorry Art School.
2. What medium should I bring to a retreat?
You can paint with your preferred medium at my art retreats. I will be teaching with acrylic as that is the medium I am most experienced with; I prefer acrylics for teaching because of the fast dry time, but I’m happy to guide you if you paint with oils, gouache, watercolor or any other medium.
Inside look at Atlas Kasbah, venue for my painting retreat in Morocco June 3-10, 2023.
3. What’s included when I sign up?
Both of my upcoming retreats are overnight experiences that include lodging accommodations as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Wine will be served at dinner and coffee, tea and snacks available throughout the day for both experiences.
For the Texas retreat, we are staying five nights at a private venue in the Texas Hill Country in Wimberley which features five separate residences, each with individual options for you to choose from. Meals are vegan and vegetarian friendly and will be chef-prepared each day.
For Morocco, the seven night stay in Agadir (a coastal city in the Atlas Mountains) will take place in a luxurious ecolodge known as Atlas Kasbah. The venue features an array of amenities to complement the painting lessons, including a swimming pool, two restaurant terraces a steam bath and many outdoor work spaces, all of which is surrounded by traditional Moroccan architecture.
All meals are included and are prepared by an in-house chef who will serve traditional Moroccan cuisine.
4. What techniques will be covered in the retreats?
Both retreats will cover my approach to still life and landscape painting through the plein air technique, with multiple lessons dedicated to each subject. Each setting will be ideal for landscape painting inspired by the natural beauty of the scenery; still life is a perfect foundational building block and therefore is critical to my teaching curriculum.
Small waterfall on retreat property in Wimberley, Texas
Students at the retreats will be able to create finished paintings in each style or choose to focus on just one technique to fit their preference.
5. How does a retreat differ from a workshop?
Aside from the obvious difference of a retreat being an overnight experience with meals included, a painting retreat affords me the opportunity to delve into deeper conversations and more personalized instruction compared to a workshop.
Sharing meals together with students and spending time outside of the lesson environment discussing life and art is my favorite part of hosting retreats. The familiarity gained from spending a week together makes for a more comprehensive learning experience.
6. How will I get to the venue?
Airfare is not covered for either retreat, but you will be transported from the airport to the venue in both events. Arrival flights for Morocco should be booked to Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) and to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) for the Texas retreat.
7. What is the refund policy?
For my Texas retreat, all bookings are fully refundable up to 30 days after purchase. Cancelation after more than 30 days since purchase will result in 50% refund. The retreat is non-refundable within 40 days of start date.
For Morocco, the retreat is guaranteed since very few spots remain. This means that the retreat is non-refundable at this point save for issues related to Covid-19 or other force majeure events that prevent you attending.
8. I want to give a retreat as a gift…
Booking a retreat is a great gift for someone you love this holiday season 😉. If you sign up and would like a tangible gift for the recipient to open, I would be happy to send a personalized note and a regular-sized print of your choice as a “thank you”. Contact me at notsorryart@sari.studio and I can make it happen!
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For a complete rundown of each retreat, please visit the event pages for Morocco and Texas.