Painting in the light of Provence
This is definitely more than just a painting week! It's a blend of luxury holiday and creative unfolding. Beginner or advanced: Juliane works with you individually on your pieces, shares the techniques and tricks of the great masters, and opens your eye to the landscape of Provence.
We draw, paint, analyse pictures and discuss our work every day. You go home with small finished works, a sketchbook full of ideas and new knowledge. Luise, a top chef from Berlin, takes care of the culinary delights. Add to that the region's famous wine — we play boule, go swimming, or head to the enchanting little town of Cotignac and its market. The retreat is held in German.
→Programme
Daily: 1–2 theory sessions, 1–2 practice sessions and a shared critique.
Excursions with the sketchbook — urban sketching in Cotignac and/or at Le Thoronet Abbey.
To finish: plein-air painting at the easel.
The focus is on composition, experimental painting, colour theory and plenty of sketchbook exercises.
The detailed daily schedule is currently being finalised and will be published later.
→The group
We paint in a group of no more than 12 participants. All levels are welcome, though some prior experience in drawing and painting is helpful.
→What the course includes
6 days of painting instruction, 7 nights at the Domaine d'Argens, comfortable rooms with en-suite bathroom, 3 meals a day plus drinks (excluding restaurant visits), extensive teaching material from the theory sessions to review at home, painting supplies (see materials list), 1–2 excursions and transport, pick-up from the station or airport by arrangement and as far as possible for us.
→Companions
Companions who don't paint are warmly welcome and are glad to join you in Provence.
For a companion who does not join the course we charge €250 instead of the €150 per-person fee — the room price stays the same.
→Accommodation
The rooms are very comfortable, each with individual air conditioning and its own en-suite bathroom.
→Materials list
The materials list is sent to you upon booking.
A domaine among the vineyards
The Domaine d'Argens sits in the hills of the Var, surrounded by vines, oaks and cypresses: a Provençal mas with a large pool, shady plane trees, a fountain — and plenty of room to paint, indoors and out.
On the doorstep
The 12th-century Cistercian abbey — bare stone, perfect proportions, famous acoustics — is right next door. In 2026 we arrived with sketchbooks and easels; this time we can walk.
Around the corner: one of the loveliest villages in Provence, built against an 80-metre tuff cliff riddled with cave dwellings. Below, the plane-shaded cours with its cafés and market — above, the Saracen towers, looking out over a sea of tiled roofs.
Photos: Mathieu Brossais · CC BY 4.0
Where you stay
Where you paint
Hosts and chef
Philipp & Juliane von Kunhardt
Philipp and Juliane are passionate hosts. With their four children out of the house, they have time to share their love of creativity with friends. They love bringing people together — and creating a joyful setting in which each person can flourish.
Luise von Löbbecke
The kitchen is in the hands of Luise von Löbbecke — trained in vegan cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in London. For our group she cooks vegetarian: fresh, seasonal, and guided by market and garden. Anyone who has joined us before knows: her cooking delights and connects — the evenings at the long table are among the loveliest moments of the week.
Eight days at a glance
27.5.
- daytime
- Pick-up and transfer from Nice airport · Bienvenue au Château Saint-Esprit
- evening
- Apéritif, quiche and salad
28.5.
- morning
- Talk: Painters of Provence — famous works, focus on landscape. Practice: into the vineyard with the sketchbook
- midday
- Déjeuner under the oak · siesta / swimming · talk: the sketchbook — ideas, technique, introduction to perspective
- evening
- Dîner · nightcap and drawing in the dark (starry sky)
29.5.
- morning
- Talk: Grey — contrast, depth, value, chroma, hue. Practice: black-and-white thumbnail sketches in pencil, introduction to hatching
- midday
- Practice: mixing greys in oil, understanding values, two compositions in black and white · group critique
- evening
- Dîner · boule with pastis
30.5.
- morning
- Talk: Green — trees, leaves, grapes. Practice: seeing and simplifying forms, mixing greens, the tree as portrait and as mass
- midday
- Practice: limited green palette, seeing picture planes · walk through Flayosc and apéritif
- evening
- Dîner at Château Saint-Esprit
31.5.
- morning
- Market in Salernes
- midday
- Pique-nique at Le Thoronet · visit to the abbey with sketchbook and easel — perspective and value · mass (possibly a concert by the monks)
- evening
- Dîner at Château Saint-Esprit
1.6.
- morning
- Talk: Blue — clouds and sky, zenith and horizon. Practice: mixing blues, painting from photo, painting or plein air
- midday
- Practice: vineyard with sketchbook — framing and horizon, focus on sky · critique
- evening
- Dîner · boule with pastis
2.6.
- morning
- Talk: Plein air. Practice: plein-air painting with easel or sketchbook
- midday
- Siesta / swimming · critique and painting
- evening
- Dîner: soupe au pistou marseillaise
3.6.
- morning
- Free drawing or painting
- midday
- Crêpes and cooking together · final critique and exhibition
- evening
- Wine festival and dancing with the village
4.6.
- 09:00
- Early checkout — departure, transfer to the airport
This is how the 2026 retreat at Château Saint-Esprit ran — the 2027 programme at Domaine d'Argens will follow a similar shape. Subject to change, the weather paints along.
Good to know
→Do I need painting experience?
Experience helps, but beginners are welcome and will fill their travel sketchbook creatively. Advanced painters who want to work independently will find endless inspiration in the landscape — with critique from Juliane on request.
→What should I bring?
A sketchbook, in any case! If you are experienced: a folding easel, your own paints and brushes. Demos are mostly in oil — but everyone paints as they please. The detailed material list comes with the booking confirmation.
→What is included in the price?
Seven nights, all meals and drinks at the house, and transport to and from the airport. When we eat out, everyone pays for themselves.
→What are the rooms like?
The rooms at the Domaine d'Argens are individually furnished and all have a complete en-suite bathroom and air conditioning; some sleep more than two. You'll find the details on beds and occupancy with each room in the booking overview.
→Requests for the kitchen
We're happy to accommodate food intolerances and requests for vegetarian meals as far as we can. Just let us know in advance – then we can take it into account when planning.
Choose a room and book
The price is made up of the room base price, a fee per person, and the painting course. Companions who skip the course are welcome.
Chambre I
- Room base price
- €1,300
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,350
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €2,233
Deposit today €1,175, balance €1,175 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Chambre II
Chambre III
- Room base price
- €1,100
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,150
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €2,043
Deposit today €1,075, balance €1,075 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Chambre IV
- Room base price
- €1,000
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,050
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €1,948
Deposit today €1,025, balance €1,025 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Chambre V
- Room base price
- €1,200
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,250
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €2,138
Deposit today €1,125, balance €1,125 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Chambre VI
- Room base price
- €1,100
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,150
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €2,043
Deposit today €1,075, balance €1,075 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Chambre VII
- Room base price
- €1,100
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,150
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €2,043
Deposit today €1,075, balance €1,075 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Chalet am Pool
- Room base price
- €1,600
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €2,650
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €2,518
Deposit today €1,325, balance €1,325 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.
Lodge I
- Room base price
- €700
- 1 person × €150
- €150
- 1 course place × €900
- €900
- Total
- €1,750
- −5 % discount for immediate payment
- €1,663
Deposit today €875, balance €875 — The balance is charged automatically to the saved card 3 months before the start — no need to enter the card again.