This is Part 4 in a 4 part series about my Artist’s Journey. I encourage you to go back and begin with Part 1 here

I hope you’ve been enjoying this series about my journey as an artist. I’ve loved receiving all of your kind emails along the way and hearing your stories.

As I mentioned before, I’ve been making it a priority this year to paint and connect – it’s become central to my life as an artist. I’m excited to continue meeting you in person and connecting face-to-face.

Meeting everyone at my recent opening and Wisconsin retreat was truly inspiring—talking about art, sharing stories, and seeing everyone’s smiles was amazing.

That’s why I’m thrilled to be hosting my painting retreat in FRANCE!

I’ve been planning my trip and researching all the gorgeous places to stay and visit in Paris and the Loire Valley. Since I’ve never been to France, I’ve been getting lots of recommendations.

You know I love mixed media. It’s so freeing, especially for those of us who struggle with perfectionism. So I’ll be keeping lessons fun and accessible while the art supplies do the stunning work.

You’ll leave with a sketchbook full of memories and inspiration along with a few finished mixed media paintings that you can take home and frame, but this retreat is about much more than just painting. I cannot wait to renew, connect, and nourish our creative spirits 😊.

One thing I didn’t mention about my recent solo exhibition was that it was my first time showing my work in person in years.

In 2011, I basically stopped displaying my work in galleries because I had a painting stolen—an owl called She Stands Out.

I always try to see the positive side of things, but when She Stands Out was stolen from the gallery, it took me a while to find the good in it and stay motivated to create.

But I remembered that, at another gallery opening, there was a young girl who couldn’t take her eyes off that painting. She pulled a chair close, stood on it with her nose nearly touching the canvas, and stared at the owl.

A few months later, that same girl enrolled in my in-person workshop for adults, How to Paint an Owl. Having her in that class inspired everyone and reminded me why I paint.

For so many years, I hid my creativity away and stopped painting. Now that I’ve been painting full-time for more than fifteen years, I can’t stop. I do whatever it takes to bring myself back to a less serious place.

Whenever I get frustrated with my work, I step away, start a new painting, finger paint, or return to my favorite techniques and colors. I do whatever it takes to bring myself back to a less serious place, so I can start having fun again. That’s when the magic happens.

I want you to feel all of that magic too… in FRANCE! ❤️

Together, we’ll spend eight days bringing back joy and curiosity to your art process, developing your style, and letting your creativity loose.

More details here.

1-1 Painting Time With Me

Whether you’re new to painting or an experienced artist, I will nurture your creativity with gentle guidance, supportive community, and plenty of one-on-one feedback.

I will show you how I overcome my inner critic and paint with freedom. This way, you can fully immerse yourself in this colorful landscape and nourish your creative spirit.

Paint + Play

We will focus on color and techniques for loosening up and developing your style, particularly in painting women and animals.

Over the week-long art retreat, I’ll guide you through my painting process from start to finish: beginning with covering the white space, layering color, and fingerpainting. Then we’ll add faces and figures, loosen up in our sketchbooks, and draw inspiration from our beautiful surroundings, memories, and imaginations.

New Connections + New Friendships

We’ll have so much fun painting together in this gorgeous landscape, creating paintings full of color and joy.

I find that sketching during downtime or while hanging out with friends leads to amazing connections and conversations, which deeply inspires my mixed media paintings.

Our Gorgeous Chateau + Color Inspirations

We’ll be staying at our very own private chateau in the Loire Valley, France, painting in blooming gardens under shaded pergolas, and in our gorgeous light-filled art studio (and around the heated pool).

Let the colors, garden blooms, and expansive skies move you while we paint. We will let go of the outcome, soak everything in, and have an amazing time.

Our Private Chef + Wine Tasting

We’ll enjoy chef-prepared cuisine every day and have our own wine-tasting event with a local sommelier.

Together, we’ll create lasting friendships, have fun, and find inspiration in this beautiful part of the world.

Day Trips

As you’ve seen in my sketchbook tours, I love layering water-soluble pencil with watercolors in my sketchbook. It helps me relax and play. So we’ll take our supplies with us on two art trips.

We’ll visit local French villages, castles, gardens, and experience all the beautiful charm of France to spark our creativity.

More details here.

ALL skill levels are welcome!

If you’d like to soak up this inspiration, culture and beauty, come spend the week with me.

I hope to see you in France next Spring for a magical experience ❤️ Thank you to everyone who has signed up so far; I can’t wait to paint together! Reach out to me with any questions 😊

Thank you so much for being a part of my journey! I hope to meet you in person someday and keep connecting with you here.

I’m so grateful to share my art and journey with you (thank you!!!). I hope this series inspires and encourages you to follow your dreams, too.

xo Juliette