Four Day Painting Retreat - Acrylics - All Levels - October 2025
Four Day Painting Retreat
Four Day Painting Retreat - Acrylics - All Levels - October 2025
Accommodation details and contact information
Afternoon pick up from Béziers Airport and Main Train Station. Details will be confirmed in our guest information sheet.
4 Day Painting Retreat
Your Retreat
Acrylics - All Levels
OCTOBER 2025
Autumn Acrylic Colours
Enjoy painting in beautiful surroundings with experienced tutors in a relaxed atmosphere. Your retreat starts the night before with dinner at the L’Ortensia, a wonderful local restaurant recognised in the Michelin Guide for its excellent cuisine. Its a chance to mingle and meet your fellow artists. Then three days of painting in the studio, around the village and excursions to inspiring locations. Morning croissants and coffee are available every day along with delicious lunches. The food is hearty and you will get to enjoy roasted chesnut's, mould wine and local delicacies and also get explore our lovely village on sunny autumn days.
Itinerary
Day One
4pm (depending on arrival)
Pick up from Bezier airport - We provide a single shuttle bus/taxi from Bezier Airport and also collect guests from the Main Train station 'Gare de Bezier' then take you to your accommodation in St Gervais Sur Mare which is about a 50 minute away.
If you are driving to Riverside Studio there is plenty of parking adjacent to Riverside studio in the village square. Its then just a short walk to your accommodation.
Evening meet and greet 7pm
Your retreat includes aperitifs and dinner at the L’Ortensia restaurant, which has beautiful views over the village. Here you can mingle and get to know your fellow artists and enjoy a glass of chilled rose on their lovely terrace.
Day two, three and four
9.30am
Croissants and coffee at Riverside studio where your tutor will discuss the programme and answer any questions.
10am
Morning tutorial and painting in studio
12 Noon
Buffet lunch (or picnic if we are on an excursion).
1pm
Afternoon painting in and around the village or an excursion to either a nearby vineyard , local ruin or place of interest.
4pm
Free time to relax, have drinks in the friendly village bar or explore the area with new friends.
Drop off to Bezier airport (3.30 pm on day four to catch return flight) - Departure to the airport on day four will depend on flight time - We usually leaving two and a half hours before flight departure.
Information sheet Retreat details will be sent to you. in advance of your trip in a informative information sheet to answer all of your questions and there is also the 'Whats included' sheet below.
About Your Tutor
Simon Fletcher – Master of Modern Watercolour
Simon Fletcher, an English artist based in France since 1982, is celebrated internationally for his bold, colourful, and contemporary approach to watercolour. Drawing inspiration from the innovative traditions of early 20th-century European painters, he pushes the medium beyond delicate sketches into powerful, large-scale works full of light and energy.
With eleven books published, awards such as the Gold Medal for Watercolour at the Salon International de Béziers, and sponsorship from major cultural institutions, Fletcher’s reputation as one of today’s leading watercolourists is firmly established.
With eleven books published, awards such as the Gold Medal for Watercolour at the Salon International de Béziers, and sponsorship from major cultural institutions, Fletcher’s reputation as one of today’s leading watercolourists is firmly established. He has painted and exhibited worldwide, from Morocco to Japan, while continuing to inspire through seminars and writing.
Additional information
Flights
From the UK , Ryan air has regular flights to Bezier from Stansted and Luton, as well as Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester. Bezier is the closest airport to Riverside Studio and about 50 minutes away.
There are also regular Easy Jet and British airways flights to Montpellier which is about 1hr 20 minutes from Riverside Studio with direct trains to Bezier.
Both airports are served by regular flights from other numerous European destinations.
Airport Transport
Riverside Studio will arrange for a group pick up from Bezier Airport. Pick ups will usually be late afternoon (depending on flight time) followed by a second en-route pick up at Bezier's main train station.
If you are arriving on an earlier flight you can either wait to be picked up at Bezier airport or take the red shuttle bus into Bezier town centre (about 25 minute) where you can see the sights before we collect you from the main station.
We will then drive you to your hotel/guest house or Airbnb in St Gervais Sur Mare. Where you can change/freshen-up in plenty of time for the meet and great dinner at the Ortensia Restaurant.
The return shuttle to Bezier will be on the final day of your retreat (late afternoon) again making a drop off at the airport and train station.
Accommodation
There is a wide range of village accommodation which you can either reserve through Riverside Studios via this web site (for which we charge a small admin fee per room booked), or alternatively you can book directly with the hotel/guest houses/air BNBs.In both cases we do not take payment for your stay and this will need to be paid directly to the accommodation provider either on arrival or in line with their own terms and conditions.
Non-painting Guests
We welcome non-painting guests if you wish to bring a friend. Their cost for coming will be discounted by X% (50?).
Art Supplies
At Riverside Studio, we want your creative experience to be inspiring and stress-free so we will send you a suggested materials list when you book, so you’ll know exactly what’s need to bring including any specialist materials recommended by your tutor who is running the course. But in general you should bring your preferred paints, brushes and sketchbooks/paper (so you can work with materials you know and love).
We provide craft tables, palettes, water pots and a small selection of paper if you are not bringing your own. We also have easels for beginner's or students who don't want to bring your own.
We would also suggest a lightweight apron or old shirt for working comfortably.
Art Supplies can be purchased at the studio including a selection of watercolours, acrylic paints, brushes and paper. For beginner's we have water colour and acrylic paint sets retailing for around 50 Euros each.
Meals
Food and wine is exceptionally good in the South of France and our lovely little village is no exception. From fresh Croissants in the local patisserie to rich red tomatoes picked from smallholdings along the river, everything smells and tastes divine.
Breakfasts (included)
Riverside Studio daily breakfast includes – croissants coffee, and preserves which is available all morning.
Lunch,s (included)
Riverside Studio daily buffet lunch includes hearty mouth-watering dishes. Some days we will lunch on the village square and play boule and other days we may have a picnic outside in a local vineyard. But rest assured you will have plenty of time to relax and chat with new friends.
Aperitif and Dinner
Meet and great dinner at the L’Ortensia, a local restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide and recognised for its excellent cuisine.
Other dinners are at guests own expense, and you can choose from a variety of dishes at the local bar/bistro and pizzeria as well as produce from a fabulous patisserie and boulangerie. There are also many restaurants just a short drive or taxi journey away in neighbouring villages - Lamalou le laines or Bedarieux
Bringing Artwork Home
We can arrange for wrapping and shipping of any oversized artwork that students want to keep.
Art Gallery and Selling Your Art
Any paintings left by students may be hung in the ground floor gallery or advertised on our website with donations made to local charities for every painting sold.
Cancellations and Refunds
Your reservation is refundable if cancelled at least 6 weeks before the start of your retreat. Riverside Studio can not offer refunds for cancellations made to close to the course time, but the reservation is transferrable to a different person.
Have Questions
We are happy to help you with any questions you have or to plan your visit. Please get in touch with us.