Join the next Experience
2025 Durfort Artist's Collective Presents The French Art Escape
You're invited to join us for a week of time to develop your inner artist in the flower-bedecked medieval artisan's village of Durfort!
July 16-23, 2025
Enjoy being nurtured with healthy food, and time to stroll & smell the lavender. Enjoy being nurtured with healthy food, and time to stroll & smell the lavender. You’ll be among friends with convivial artsy company in this gathering of nine guests. Travel to authentic, off-the-touristy path destinations in southern France as only a team of artists with local knowledge can present it.
Welcome to the French art nest of your dreams!
Your French Adventure Includes:
Accommodations & Meals
Seven night's shared accommodations in a beautifully decorated artisan’s house dating from the seventeenth century in the heart of a tiny French village of dreams.
Seven continental breakfasts with fresh-baked bread, croissants, fruit, homemade yogurt.
Six dinners and two lunches cooked by Chef Nese using nutritious, home-cooked, locally sourced recipes and flavors. A selection of wines is included with each dinner.
Classes and Workshops
A week of YOU time with creative companions in an inspiring environment.
Classes with the Durfort Artist's Collective in polymer clay, mixed media, sketching and extra demos in our supportive, collaborative group. * Jane will be presenting two Sketch Strolls during this event.
Your own workspace in our beautiful artist's studio listening to the waterfall below.
A special handmade goodie bag filled with useful treasures!
Activities & Adventures
Classes with the Durfort Collective in polymer clay, mixed media, & sketching.
Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We’ll stroll the fairy tale medieval walled city with chateau, ramparts and gothic basilica!
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, voted the #1 most beautiful village in France.
Pech Merle caves, a 29,000 year step back in time. See authentic prehistoric cave paintings of mammoths, bison, horses, & aurochs in their natural setting.
Price
$3,400 per person shared accommodations
This event is sold out - email for waitlist.
2025 Durfort Artist's Collective Presents Colleen Attara
You're invited to the medieval artisan's village of Durfort as we host feature artist Colleen Attara!
July 25- August 1, 2025
Colleen is a mixed media artist, storyteller, and photographer whose superpower is connecting people to their creativity. Enjoy quality, individual art instruction at this special gathering of only nine guests.
Welcome to the French art nest of your dreams!
Your French adventure includes:
Accommodations & Meals
Seven night's shared accommodations in a beautifully decorated artisan’s house dating from the seventeenth century in the heart of a tiny French village of dreams.
Seven continental breakfasts with fresh-baked bread, croissants, fruit, homemade yogurt.
Six dinners and two lunches cooked by Chef Nese using nutritious, home-cooked, locally sourced recipes and flavors. A selection of wines is included with each dinner.
Workshops
A weeklong mixed media workshop with Colleen Attara.
Visit a friend’s private salon of antique textiles and papers - vintage shopping delights!
Your own workspace in our beautiful artist's studio listening to the waterfall below.
A special handmade goodie bag filled with treasures to use in your classes!
Activities
Excursions visiting ‘only if you’re in the know’ places and local enchanted villages straight out of fairy tales.
Wandering the local Vide Grenier (French flea market) for the best ‘good junk’ - you’re sure to find that special vintage goodie to enhance your project.
Visits to Farmer's Markets, thrift shops, boutiques, and local artists’ studios.
Price
$3,400 per person shared accommodations
Sign up before October 31, 2024 and save $200!
2025 Art Journaling in Edinburgh with Tammy Gilley and Jane Bumar
You're invited to join a unique art journaling collaboration between Traveler Extraordinaire Tammy Gilley and Sketch Strolling founder Jane Bumar in Edinburgh, the ancient and magical capital of Scotland!
September 6-12, 2025
Create a collaged, sketched, and utterly personal repository of travel memories. Explore Edinburgh’s authentic and off-the-tourist-track neighborhoods with supportive tips to empower your own adventures.
Vagabond away to Scotland with us.
Your Scottish journey includes:
Art Journaling workshops with Tammy Gilley
In this magical week, you’ll immerse yourself into the wonderful world of Art Journaling with traveler extraordinaire Tammy Gilley! You’ll make your own travel journal imbued with the found and discovered - ephemeral whispers from the road. The adventures you have, the person you will become as a result - all kept close to your heart in your own handcrafted journal of memories and found objects.
Sketch Strolling exploration with Jane Bumar
Sketch Strolling is the essence of Jane’s relaxed, supportive art journaling practice. You’ll learn the skills of gentle sketching and painting techniques, journaling, and meditative practices as you create a veritable time travel machine in your pocket. Capture the spirit of place, observe, and create as you wander the city’s special places.
City and Countryside Sightseeing Adventures
Visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites - the Old and New Town areas of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland with a private walking tour, guided journeys to areas of the city. We’ll have all sorts of gentle fun with a traditional Scottish welcome dinner, a beautiful afternoon tea experience, and more!
Spread your wings and take a jaunt into the stunning countryside with kilted Scotsman Brian from Personal Tours of Scotland. We’ll visit historic South Queensferry, and the romantic village of Falkland, walking in the footsteps of Jamie and Claire (for our Outlander fans!) We’ll also revel in the autumnal colors of Highland Perthshire, take a waterfall walk, and be charmed by the villages of Dunkeld & Pitlochry.
Price
$2,120 per person
This workshop is limited to 10 guests
To register for this experience,
please contact Jane at sketchstrolling@gmail.com
2024 Durfort Artist's Collective Presents The French Art Escape
You're invited to join us for a week of time to develop your inner artist in the flower-bedecked medieval artisan's village of Durfort!
JUNE 28-JULY 5, 2024
Enjoy being nurtured with healthy food, and time to stroll & smell the lavender. Enjoy convivial artsy company in this gathering of only nine guests. Discover our authentic, off-the-touristy path region of southern France as only a team of artists with local knowledge can present it.
Welcome to the French art nest of your dreams!
Your French Adventure Includes:
Accommodations & Meals
Seven night's shared accommodations in a beautifully decorated artisan’s house dating from the seventeenth century in the heart of a tiny French village of dreams.
Seven continental breakfasts with fresh-baked bread, croissants, fruit, homemade yogurt.
Six dinners cooked by Chef Nese using only nutritious, home-cooked, locally sourced recipes and flavors, including a selection of wine.
Classes and Workshops
A week of YOU time with creative companions in an inspiring environment.
Classes with the Durfort Artist's Collective in polymer clay, mixed media, sketching and extra demos in our supportive, collaborative group.
Your own workspace in our beautiful artist's studio listening to the waterfall below.
A special handmade goodie bag filled with useful treasures!
Activities & Adventures
Excursions visiting ‘only if you’re in the know’ places such as a private treasure trove of textiles and vintage papers, and local enchanted villages straight out of fairy tales.
Wandering the local Vide Grenier (French flea markets) for the best ‘good junk’ - you’re sure to find that special vintage goodie to enhance your project.
Farmer's Markets, thrift-shops, boutiques, artists’ studios, historic villages abound.
2024 Durfort Artist's Collective Presents Roxanne Evans Stout
You’re invited to nurture your artistic soul with mixed media artist and inspirational teacher Roxanne Evans Stout in the flower-bedecked medieval artisan's village of Durfort!
JUNE 20-27, 2024
Enjoy quality, individual art instruction at this special cozy gathering of only eight guests. Discover our authentic, off-the-touristy-path region of southern France as only a team of artists with local knowledge can present it.
Welcome to the French adventure of your dreams!
Your French Adventure Includes:
Accommodations & Meals
Seven night's shared accommodations in a beautifully decorated artisan’s house dating from the seventeenth century in the heart of a tiny French village of dreams.
Seven continental breakfasts with fresh-baked bread, croissants, fruit, homemade yogurt.
Six dinners cooked by Chef Nese using only nutritious, home-cooked, locally sourced recipes and flavors, including a selection of wine.
Classes and Workshops
A Week of Mixed Media Classes with Roxanne Evans Stout.
Eco-dye using Bleu de Pastel (woad) with an internationally acclaimed Master Dyer.
Your own workspace in our beautiful artist's studio listening to the waterfall below.
A special handmade goodie bag filled with useful treasures!
Activities & Adventures
Excursions visiting ‘only if you’re in the know’ places such as a private treasure trove of textiles and vintage papers, and local enchanted villages straight out of fairy tales.
Wandering the local Vide Grenier (French flea markets) for the best ‘good junk’ - you’re sure to find that special vintage goodie to enhance your project.
Farmer's Markets, thrift-shops, boutiques, artists’ studios, historic villages abound.
2024 Scotland & England with Mindy Lacefield
Cherry blossoms fill the air, magic castles rise out of the mist, and springtime awakens the land!
We invite you to join artist Mindy Lacefield and the Wandering Crafters as we explore a world-famous garden, paint ourselves cozy, and hear the gentle sounds of newborn lambs in flower-strewn fields. If this feels like your kind of perfect adventure with a gathering of friends, then come join our merry alchemy of paint and whimsy.
APRIL 20-27, 2024
Workshops Included:
Enchanted Lands with Mindy Lacefield
Mindy's workshops are a playground of whimsy, and a safe space to just play and let loose with your art. She often starts her pages with what if moments, experiments, and a huge sense of curiosity, and invites you along for the joyride. She will lead you in workshops inspired by a Royal palace, dapper bunnies in a garden and all the magic of telling your travel adventure story in this most special corner of the land.
Join Mindy's deeper exploration into her magical world during art time in a lovely home with expansive views across a hidden valley, and on field trips that will inspire your story of this time and place.
Sketch Strolling & Watercolor with Jane Bumar
We'll go stravaiging (that's Scots for a wee casual wander) on the Undiscovered Royal Mile. In our wander, you'll learn tactile ways of creating a time machine for your mind. Jane shares her gentle urban sketching approach and helps you develop your own style.
Later, you'll have the opportunity to wander through the natural environment around the English Lake District with Jane, countryside journaling and recording your impressions of drystone walls, heritage-breed sheep, an ancient churchyard, and other classically English scenes.
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As both a student and fellow art instructor, I had a wonderful time sketching with Jane Bumar in Scotland. Her urban sketching skills are truly impressive, and her storytelling brought the history of the areas we explored to life, adding unexpected beauty to the experience.
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Jane's approach to art journaling is about observation and really connecting with your surroundings. Her unique approach and eye for extracting and building a relationship with art and making connections is truly inspiring!
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Jane’s gentle sketch strolling instruction prompted me to view my surroundings with more open and appreciative eyes. I was prompted to slow down and truly see the beauty in front of me. Then, Jane’s watercolor instruction which followed was so accessible and calm that I felt confident and comfortable within minutes of picking of my brush.
— Annette Smith Tyler
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Thank you so much for such a beautiful experience. I feel like a week + later I am still unpacking a lot of the lessons I learned. I had no idea I would come home with so many soul-seeing insights and thoughts to ponder. Thank you also, especially, for the first day of the sketch stroll through Edinburgh. There was something absolutely captivating and magical about that day. I don't consider myself a "sketcher" and yet found this to be one of the most meditative and truly beautiful art experiences I've ever had. Your instructions to look at small intricacies instead of taking in the whole feels like a life lesson I look forward to carrying forth.
— Lori Adams, MEd
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I always admired the beautiful sketches I saw in art journals, but when I tried my hand at attempting a sketch, I was never happy with the results and I gave up trying. Then I went on a retreat with Jane Bumar where she taught me her Sketch Stroll method of sketching, and I have never looked back! I now absolutely love sketching and have many journals filled full of sketches that I look back on with such happiness. My journals now really do act like little time machines that transport you back to so many happy memories.
— Annie Hooten
