Welcome to the creative retreat.
Whether you’re part of an established art group, planning a painting weekend with friends or simply looking for an excuse to rediscover a creative hobby, the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean make a rather spectacular backdrop.
And when everyone stays together in one big holiday house, the retreat becomes about much more than painting.
Why Creative Retreats Are Having a Moment
Life is busy.
Even when we technically have free time, there’s usually something demanding our attention. Phones ping, washing needs doing, emails appear and suddenly the afternoon you intended to spend painting has disappeared.
Going away changes that.
A creative weekend gives you permission to stop doing all the things you should be doing and spend time doing something simply because you enjoy it.
You certainly don’t need to be an accomplished artist.
A painting retreat could include complete beginners, enthusiastic amateurs and people who haven't picked up a paintbrush since school.
The point isn’t necessarily to create a masterpiece.
It’s to create time.
Time to paint. Time to talk. Time to notice the landscape. And, occasionally, time to stare suspiciously at your canvas wondering why the peaceful riverside scene you imagined has somehow turned into something resembling a storm at sea.
It’s all part of the fun.
The Wye Valley Was Made for Artists
If you’re searching for inspiration, you won’t have to look very far.
The Wye Valley National Landscape offers wooded hillsides, winding rivers, dramatic viewpoints, historic ruins, pretty villages and changing colours throughout the seasons.
Settle beside the River Wye with a sketchbook. Capture the view from a hillside. Paint ancient woodland in the Forest of Dean or spend an afternoon drawing the streets and buildings of Ross-on-Wye or Monmouth.
Even the weather can become part of the experience.
Bright summer greens give way to spectacular autumn colour, while misty mornings and atmospheric winter landscapes offer something completely different.
You could spend an entire weekend painting within a few miles of your holiday house and never run out of subjects.
Turn the House Into Your Own Art Studio
One of the biggest advantages of booking a large self-catering house for a creative retreat is having space that belongs entirely to your group.
Large dining tables can become temporary studios.
Set out the watercolours, pencils, brushes and sketchbooks, make a pot of coffee and spend the morning working together.
If the weather is glorious, move outside.
Gardens, terraces and grounds can provide inspiration without anyone even needing to get into the car.
And if the heavens open?
Perfect.
Stay indoors, paint, chat and raid the biscuit supply.
Unlike staying in separate hotel rooms, everyone can continue enjoying the weekend together between creative sessions.
Someone might be sketching at one end of the table while somebody else makes lunch. Others might be comparing paintings over coffee or planning where to go for the afternoon.
That relaxed togetherness is exactly what makes a creative retreat special.
BHHL have 16 large holiday houses dotted around the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean for you to chose from.Check out these for starters:
Bring Your Own Art Tutor
For established art groups, a large holiday house can also provide the perfect base for a tutor-led weekend.
Bring along your usual teacher or invite a local artist to lead a session.
Your retreat could include watercolour workshops, acrylic painting, drawing, botanical art, photography or even mixed-media sessions.
And there’s no rule saying you have to stick to one activity.
One morning might involve painting landscapes, while the afternoon could be spent experimenting with photography, sketching architecture or creating something inspired by objects collected on a woodland walk.
The beauty of organising your own retreat is that you set the pace.
Creativity, Coffee… and a Very Good Dinner
Of course, nobody said you had to paint all weekend.
Half the pleasure of a group getaway is everything that happens around the activity.
Head out for a leisurely lunch at a country pub.
Stop for coffee in a market town.
Take a riverside walk.
Explore the Forest of Dean.
Then return to your house, open a bottle of wine and compare the day's artistic achievements.
One person will inevitably have produced something everyone secretly wants to take home.
Someone else may have created a painting requiring a lengthy explanation before anyone can identify the subject.
Both deserve displaying.
And because you’re staying in a self-catering property, evenings can be exactly as relaxed as you want them to be.
Cook together, arrange a meal delivery or simply gather around the table for dinner and conversation.
No taxis back to separate hotels.
No disappearing to different rooms.
Just another evening together.
Make It a Three-Night Creative Escape
A creative retreat works particularly well over two or three nights.
Arrive, unpack and settle in on the first evening.
Spend the following day exploring, sketching and painting before enjoying dinner together.
The next morning could bring another workshop or an entirely different location before everyone gathers for one final meal and an informal exhibition of the weekend's work.
You could even make it an annual tradition.
Choose a different season each year and watch the landscape – and perhaps your painting – change.
Find Your Creative Retreat House with Big House Holiday Lets
At Big House Holiday Lets, we have a collection of large holiday houses across the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, ideal for groups wanting to spend proper time together.
For a painting or creative retreat, look for a property with generous communal spaces, large tables, comfortable bedrooms and plenty of beautiful countryside nearby.
Some properties also offer gardens, riverside settings and wonderful views – inspiration before you've even left the house.
Whether you're organising a weekend for an established art group, bringing a tutor along or simply persuading a collection of friends that spending three days painting, eating and laughing in the countryside sounds like an excellent idea, we'll help you find a house that works for your group.
Because sometimes the best weekends aren't about how many places you visit.
They're about slowing down long enough to actually notice where you are.
Pack the paints. Bring the sketchbooks. Gather your favourite people. And yes, the dogs!
The Wye Valley will provide the inspiration.
