Inspiration from Nature in the Algarve - Residency and Retreat in Portugal

Course date is Sunday September 7^th - Saturday Sep 13^th 2025 (teaching course Mon-Fri)

Cost - from £1500; ( + £200 single room supplement ) for accommodation, food, tuition and materials.

This is a perfect week for working artists, graduates from Emily Ball’s online Paint fit courses or for artists from week 1 to continue from.

A residency gives artists the opportunity to live and work outside of their usual environments, providing them with time to reflect, research and produce work. Emily will lead the week, encouraging everyone to immerse themselves in their own internal dialogue with themselves and their subjects. There will be no teaching given, yet the emphasis will be on support and exchange with a rare chance to witness the artists Emily Ball and host/artist Rosalind Hodges, in their own rhythm and creative processes as they work. Everything is on view here, work practise, reflection, wellbeing, rest, fun, collaboration and exchange.

We will coexist, choosing to work in isolation or alongside each other. It’s an inspiring landscape to work within; you will have time to explore the sea, cliffs and beaches at sun rise, or sublimely sink into the alluring star filled sky each night. There is nothing to think about this week apart from you and your work, its full immersion, fully catered and facilitated enabling you to find what inspires you and go deeper, balance, connect, draw, paint, write, share ideas, experiment, re-evaluate, play, discover and explore. Before and after lunch each day there will be a set time when you can meet with Emily, to share and discuss any creative dilemmas you may be having if needed. At the end of each day there will also be ample time to discuss all of our work/processes, within this supportive collective.

The villa and location offer a beautiful, rugged landscape and access to unspoilt beaches, calm space and comfort. Students on the course have outside spaces to work in and can allow themselves to become immersed in the experience; as local home cooked food, guided walks, materials are all generously provided and organised daily. Giving you the luxury of just concentrating on developing your own creative flow. Additionally, a pro masseur is available poa, to ease you into a place of relaxation and personal nurture too.

You may take it as a stand alone course; or, you might want to combine it with the course running the previous week – Inspiration from land and sea in the Algarve, Portugal August 31^st - September 6^th 2025. A magical combination, as one will feed so beautifully into the other. (There is a 10% discount if you book for both courses).

Read the Course Details for more information