# Abstracted Flavor - Painting Inspired by the Senses Retreat with Artist Nicola Bennett in France Embark on an immersive journey with artist Nicola Bennett in the picturesque Dordogne region of Occitanie, France. Step into a world where food becomes the muse and color becomes flavor. Reconnect with your senses, unlock expressive freedom, and deepen your artistic voice. Through a series of guided tastings, intuitive color studies, and hands-on painting sessions, Nicola will teach you how to translate flavors, textures, and memories into rich and layered abstract paintings.Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, this retreat welcomes all levels of experience, offering a nourishing blend of play, exploration, and artistic growth. Complement your creative sessions with art trips to the market in the medieval village of Issigeac, the bustling market of Bergerac, and the nearby Eymet market. Take note of sights, sounds, smells, and feelings as you explore together with Nicola and your fellow artists, later integrating these aspects into your abstract compositions. Draw inspiration from the stalls full of fresh local produce at the markets you will visit during your outings. Stay at a charming French countryside estate, in one of the five fully renovated traditional gîtes, and savor delicious chef-made food paired with fine wines from one of France's most celebrated wine areas. Enjoy a wine and cheese tasting experience, and find inspiration for your series of paintings in the local culture of southwestern France. ## Details - **Dates:** September 12 - 19, 2026 - **Location:** Eymet, Dordogne, France - **Starting Price:** $4,850 - **Category:** Painting ## Program ### Abstracted Flavor - Painting Inspired by the Senses Retreat Join artist Nicola Bennett for an immersive mixed media retreat set in the glorious Dordogne countryside of France. Across eight inspiring days, reconnect with your senses, develop foundational abstract painting skills, and deepen your artistic voice. Surrounded by the immersive flavors of France, explore abstract painting techniques with Nicola’s supportive guidance.Through guided tastings, intuitive color studies, and hands-on painting sessions, you’ll learn to translate flavors, textures, and memories into strong and rich personal artworks. Time away from the studio will bring the charm of Issigeac's, Beynac's, and Eymet’s markets, with lively colors and delicious produce.The retreat welcomes artists at any level, from beginners to seasoned painters, who want to deepen their understanding of abstraction and strengthen their creative practice. Nicola will demonstrate techniques using both oil and acrylic paints. However, you are welcome to choose the medium that you feel most comfortable with.Overcome your creative blocks and build confidence with abstract work!Some of the topics covered in your classes with Nicola include: Using flavor and food as creative inspiration to generate color palettes and abstract compositionsLetting go of perfectionism and building intuitive, process-led practice that surprises and delights you.Developing experiential drawing and abstract painting skillsUnderstanding how line, value, tone, movement, glazing, layering, and expressive mark-making contribute to strong and rich abstract paintingsLearning how to work in both acrylic and oilsMoving beyond fear and intimidation with abstraction into a place of play, exploration and creative confidenceDiscovering how taste, aroma, memory, and color can fuel abstract expressionCreating a cohesive series of artworks and learn how to resolve a painting to completionConnecting with a small group of like-minded creatives in an inspiring environmentEnjoying a rare chance to work closely with Nicola in a live, intimate formatGuided flavor-to-color translation sessionsVisiting beautiful and abundant local food markets for inspirationDiscussions about abstraction, color and flavor and sensory inspirationConnecting with a supportive group of like-minded creatives through discussions, artist circles, and reflective walksFeeling curious and alive and leave with a renewed confidence, clarity, and a visual language that feels like youReceiving close guidance from Nicola in an intimate setting, culminating in a group showcase and a celebration of each artist's creative achievements…and many more!Your home for the week will be an elegant historic estate from the Napoleonic era, set amidst vibrant gardens, secluded woodlands, a natural pond, and a heated pool. Delight in Dordogne’s culinary heritage with daily chef-prepared meals, and savor the local wines through a cheese and wine-tasting experience. Be receptive to an inspiring adventure in a beautiful location, build friendships, and make unforgettable memories! ### Day 1: Arrival Catch the 3:30 PM shuttle from Bergerac train station to your retreat venue, a stunning 25-acre historic estate in the heart of Dordogne. Upon arrival, settle into your cozy accommodations, take a moment to unwind, and meet Nicola Bennett, your instructor for the week. Start your experience with a guided tour of the estate, showcasing its charming communal spaces, the vast gardens, sunlit terraces, a heated swimming pool, serene woodlands, and a tranquil pond. The day concludes with a warm welcome dinner featuring exquisite French cuisine and fragrant local wine, setting the tone for the inspiring week that’s ahead. ### Day 2: Art trip to Issigeac market Enjoy a refreshing breakfast and a warm cup of coffee in the morning, followed by a quick check-in with Nicola and the group. Kick off the retreat and start your journey into culinary art with a trip to the medieval town of Issigeac. Located only a 30-min drive away from the venue, the ride will carry you past vineyards, stone farmhouses softened by ivy, and open fields shifting in the morning light. Visit the local market in Issigeac, and get inspired by the variety of local farmers’ produce: fresh ingredients, succulent fruits, and crisp vegetables. Wander through the market stalls, observing and taking reference pictures of the fruits and vegetables that pique your interest. As your trip comes to an end, return to the venue for a relaxed lunch, then jump into the first art workshop of the retreat. In this afternoon studio session, the focus is on collaborative drawing exercises. Nicola will bring a selection of beautiful produce such as fennel, mushrooms, walnuts, and figs, and she will guide you through playful, experimental drawing exercises in response to prerecorded cooking sounds. You will work on a large roll of white paper together with your fellow artists, using Indian ink, brushes, and barbeque sticks. The purpose of these exercises is to help you let go of any preconceived notions about drawing being hard or boring. This art session will be dedicated to mark making and bonding with your group. You will work on one area of the paper roll, then move onto another, constantly shifting positions and working on top of other students’ marks. Learn value, line, and composition, and afterwards, engage in a group feedback session, sharing your experience of this fun and collaborative exercise. The late afternoon is yours to enjoy however you like. Take some time to rest and recharge, then join Nicola and the group for a delicious three-course dinner prepared by the in-house chef and paired with a glass of French wine. ### Day 3: Art at the venue Wake up your senses with a wholesome breakfast and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Join Nicola and your fellow artists for a quick morning check-in, easing into the pace of the day. The focus of today’s morning workshop is observational drawing, but not using traditional methods. Nicola will guide you through her tactile and blind drawing techniques, teaching you how to capture the object that is in front of you by using your senses. Close your eyes and draw the object of your piece with one hand while feeling it with the other hand. Let your heightened tactile sense guide you and create an engaging abstract work full of life. You can get inspired by the fruits and vegetables that Nicola brought or by the produce from yesterday’s market trip, if you bought any. Work on your hand-eye coordination by drawing the object that is in front of you without looking at your paper.As the class ends, pause midday for a relaxed lunch. Start the afternoon workshop with a mini critique session in which you will learn from your fellow artists, exchanging ideas, sharing the processes behind your creations, and appreciating all the beautiful art that you have made. Continue working on your pieces and learn how to combine your mark-making skills from the previous day with line, composition, value, and form. Start to introduce color and flavor to your artworks, explore onomatopoeia-inspired marks, and learn about taste-to-color translation. Nicola will guide you on how to respond to food texture and flavor through gestures, as well as help you create your own flavor palette, which you will use in the following days. End the class with another group feedback session, sharing insights and tips with your peers. Take some time for yourself in the late afternoon. You can wander through the estate’s gardens, take a quick dip in the pool, or simply relax in your comfortable room. Enjoy a delightful three-course dinner prepared by the private chef and soak in the lovely atmosphere, accompanied by a glass of fragrant wine. ### Day 4: Art at the venue Start the day with a filling breakfast and a brief morning check-in with Nicola and the group, settling into the rhythm of the day. The focus of the morning workshop will be on preparing painting surfaces for the rest of the week. Nicola will guide you through taping paper with delicate tape and priming with gesso, as well as creating beautiful marks with black and white gesso. Learn how to use water and different tools to create intriguing surface textures through a fun, playful, and experimental preparation activity.Take a break for lunch, enjoying a light chef-prepared meal. Continue the afternoon with another art workshop in which you will use the skills learned in the previous days to draw onto the paper you prepared in the morning. Using the flavor palette you created yesterday, dive into color theory, how color and taste are intricately linked, and how to mix a harmonious color palette. Under Nicola’s gentle guidance, you will create compositions on your prepared papers, focusing on particular flavors and smells and the feelings associated with these. Practice the techniques of blind and tactile drawing from day two, introducing color, emotion, and memory into your abstract painting. You can work on multiple papers at once, experimenting with your senses and with how color and flavor are linked together. The class ends with another group feedback session, sharing your progress and insights and learning from your fellow artists. Enjoy some leisure time in the late afternoon, taking a moment to unwind and recharge before dinner. In the evening, indulge in a wine and cheese tasting experience at the venue, savoring authentic French flavors. Reflect on the stories and moments you have shared today with your group over a wholesome chef-prepared dinner. ### Day 5: Art trip to Bergerac market Kick off the day with a satisfying breakfast and a quick morning check-in with Nicola and the group before heading out to the Bergerac market. As you explore the market, you will observe produce with fresh eyes. Rather than thinking in terms of subject matter, search for compelling shapes, forms, and colors that spark visual interest. Focus on noticing structure and rhythm, gathering ideas to bring back into the studio and feed directly into your work later in the day.Enjoy a refreshing lunch at the venue, then dive into demonstrations covering color theory and glazing techniques. Learn how glazing can be used to create color through layering, working with dry paint applied in separate layers to produce new results. You may spend some time in and around the kitchen at the venue, using the space and the food being prepared as a source of inspiration. You will notice the sounds, movement, and atmosphere of cooking, paying attention to rhythm and pace. The chopping, stirring, and pauses between actions become prompts, allowing sensory impressions to inform mark making later rather than translating them literally on the spot.From there, you will work with color mapping and harmonious palettes, thinking about how color creates a sense of flavor and how it guides the eye through a painting. You will explore how color carries weight and feeling, how texture and contrast can be integrated into the surface, and how gesture can respond to sensory cues rather than visual reference alone. Take part in a group feedback session, offering time to share progress, talk through decisions, and hear how others respond to your choices. The late afternoon is yours to relax and recharge or continue working independently. As evening arrives, gather together for a delicious three-course dinner prepared by the in-house chef. ### Day 6: Art trip to Eymet market Begin the day with a wholesome breakfast and a short morning check-in with Nicola and your fellow artists, then head out together for the Eymet market.As you move through the stalls, you will gather ingredients and sensory impressions, with particular attention on color and smell. You will taste as you go and respond in your sketchbook with small color studies that translate flavor into paint. Explore which colors feel right for a sweet lemon tart pancake, goat’s cheese, or truffle oil, allowing intuition and sensation to guide your choices rather than representation. Your studies will stay loose and exploratory, rooted in response rather than outcome.Return to the venue for a relaxed lunch. The afternoon begins with time to compare your color studies with your fellow artists’, noticing how different responses emerge from similar flavors. You will question expectations and assumptions together. Does sweetness always lean toward warm colors like red, orange, or yellow? Does a tart and sour flavor suggest green? Is salt naturally white? Where does umami sit, and does it feel earthy or energetic? The discussion moves into how color affects emotion, memory, and mood, and how those responses can be used more intentionally in your work.From there, you will choose a favorite flavor from the week, whether discovered at the market or during meals at the retreat, and create a visual response based on that experience. Continue with a group feedback conversation, offering space to talk through your ideas, hear how others read your work, and reflect on how sensory starting points can open new directions in your practice.In the late afternoon, enjoy some spare time to rest, reset, or continue working independently. As evening arrives, gather with Nicola and the group for a hearty three-course dinner prepared by the private chef and accompanied by a glass of delicious wine. ### Day 7: Art at the venue Delight yourself with a filling breakfast, followed by a brief morning check-in with Nicola and the group, before stepping into your final full day of the retreat.The morning begins with collaborative, hands-on exercises centered on color, bringing together everything you have learned over the course of the week. Focus on integration and confidence, connecting technique with intention and your own developing voice. Nicola will work closely with you throughout the session, offering steady guidance to help you problem-solve your work through to completion. Learn to recognize what is working, understanding what needs adjustment, and making clear decisions that move a painting forward. By the end of the morning, you will leave with a clear set of questions you can return to whenever you feel stuck with an artwork back home.After a relaxed lunch, the afternoon continues with a mini-exhibition of the work you have created during the retreat. You will choose your favorite pieces from the week and share with the group why you selected those works. Talk about your work, reflect on what you have learned, and articulate how your thinking or approach has shifted during the retreat. Nicola will offer an overview of the skills developed during the week, covering how to resolve your own paintings, how to speak about your work with others, and how to continue developing your ideas beyond the retreat.Close the day with generous congratulations, encouragement, and acknowledgement from Nicola and your peers, celebrating the progress you have made. Your art practice has moved forward in a meaningful way, lasting connections have been formed, and you are ready to take what you have learned into new and inspiring directions.Gather once more with Nicola and the group for a three-course farewell dinner prepared by the in-house chef. Raise a glass of wine to the memories shared, the growth experienced, and the creative journey completed together. ### Day 8: Departure Enjoy a final breakfast with Nicola and your fellow artists before it's time to part ways. Departing at 9:00 AM, you'll head to Gare Bergerac train station, arriving around 9:45 AM. As you make your way back home, you will take with you a heart brimming with inspiration and lasting memories. ## Instructors - **Nicola Bennett ** - Abstract painter ## Accommodation ### Historic countryside estate ### Shared standard room (female only) ### Shared superior room (female only) ### Single standard room ### Single superior room ## Book This Retreat Visit [https://uptrek.com/retreat/abstracted-flavor-painting-inspired-by-the-senses-retreat-artist-nicola-bennett-france](https://uptrek.com/retreat/abstracted-flavor-painting-inspired-by-the-senses-retreat-artist-nicola-bennett-france) to make a reservation. *Provided by [UpTrek](https://uptrek.com)*