Watercolor Retreat in Spain w/ Elizabeth Allison
from €3,990.00/pers.
Watercolor Retreat in Spain
with artist Elizabeth Allison
📅 April 28 - May 5, 2027 🌏 Sitges, Spain 🎨Watercolor
Find Your Light Again: A Painting Journey Along the Catalan Coast
There’s a particular kind of quiet that settles over you the first morning you set up your easel somewhere entirely new, brush in hand, the Mediterranean light doing something you’ve never quite seen before. For many who travel with us, that moment is the whole reason they came. Not to check a landmark off a list, but to remember what it feels like to make something, surrounded by people who understand exactly why that matters.
This is a painting journey through Barcelona and the heart of Catalonia, led by artist Elizabeth Allison, built for people who want more from travel than sightseeing: who want the company of kindred spirits, the guidance of a patient and skilled instructor, and the freedom to paint without apology. You’ll work alongside the Modernist splendor of Hospital de Sant Pau, set up your easel on the sunlit square before the ancient Monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès, and spend a day in an authentic Catalan masia among the vineyards of the Penedès. Each stop is chosen not just for its beauty, but for what it gives your hands to do.
Evenings bring their own rewards: a hands-on paella class steps from La Boqueria market, long dinners, and the kind of conversation that only happens among people who’ve chosen, deliberately, to spend a week investing in themselves. You’ll settle each night into the 4-star Hotel Estela, tucked into a quiet cove in Sitges, where original art fills the halls and the view from your window may be reason enough to come back.
You’ll travel in a close group of just fifteen, small enough that you’re never a face in a crowd, large enough that you’ll leave with real friendships. Every detail, from your instructor’s guidance to the pace of each day, is built around one idea: that you deserve to feel both cared for and free.
Partners and travel companions are welcome too, with their own guided outings running alongside the painting sessions, from the monastery museum to a wine tasting in the Penedès, so no one in your party is left wondering what to do with their afternoon.
What's included
✅ Instructed painting workshops: painting classes in plein-air at different locations each day, demonstrations with artist Elizabeth Allison & individual attention
✅7 nights of accommodation at 4 star Hotel Estela Barcelona in Sitges with access to swimming pool, bar & restaurant
✅ Expert Tour Guides all week leading the Painting Group and guiding the non-painting partners during workshop times
✅Outdoor Painting workshop equipment provided with small tables, foldable chairs, lightweight premium easels, paper towels and disposable bags
✅All group meals including 7 buffet breakfasts with daily-made pastries, cured meat, cheeses and fresh fruits ; 5 lunches at local restaurants with a special selection of Spanish dishes ; 2 celebration dinners with a 3-course welcome dinner & a farewell dinner party
✅Local wine served with group meals
✅Daily trips to various painting locations with guided visits, walking tours, time for shopping
✅Special program for non-painting partners during painting sessions led by a local tour guide
✅Private tour bus with AC for all planned activities
✅ Round-trip group transfers from/to Barcelona airport (BCN)
✅ All local tourist taxes and fees
Not included
❌ Airfare - Recommended Group Flight information to Barcelona (BCN) & booking details with our partners will be communicated upon booking
❌ Travel insurance - available with our partners
❌ Art materials - a list of art supplies recommended by artist Elizabeth Allison will be provided three months before the tour.
❌ Tips for staff
❌ Other expenses guests might incur on their own
Art Workshop Program
*Program & itinerary subject to change due to scheduling considerations & weather conditions.
Your painting holiday in Barcelona and the Costa Brava begins with a warm welcome. Upon arriving at Barcelona Airport, meet your fellow travelers and board a comfortable private bus transfer to your seaside retreat venue, set against the easy beauty of the Catalan coastline.
Once you arrive, settle into your comfortable room and take time to unwind after your journey. When you're ready, begin exploring the hotel's inviting amenities: a swimming pool with a sun-drenched solarium overlooking La Marina Beach, a relaxed bar, and the Iris Gallery restaurant, where Mediterranean cuisine is served in elegant surroundings—an ideal spot to sketch or simply linger over a glass of local wine.
At 7:00 PM, gather with your art instructor Elizabeth Allison, your tour guides, and your fellow artists for an Orientation Meeting. You'll be introduced to your week ahead and to the plein air painting spots handpicked to spark your creativity—a program designed to fill the days with immersive sessions, cultural discovery, and memorable moments.
Cap off your arrival day with a chef-prepared three-course welcome dinner, paired with locally sourced wines from the region. It's the perfect beginning to your art retreat in Catalonia, where painting, culture, and connection come together.
Begin your day with a generous buffet breakfast overlooking the Marina de Aiguadolç, then let the morning unfold at your own pace. Relax beside the pool, or take a gentle stroll along the quiet, beautiful beach just steps from your hotel—a slow, restorative start before the afternoon's discoveries.
After lunch, board your private tour bus into the heart of Barcelona to encounter the masterwork of Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner: the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. Let yourself be inspired as you take in the splendid architecture of its pavilions and learn about the site's remarkable heritage and its place in the history of medicine. As you paint, you'll breathe in the fragrances of gardens planted with orange and lemon trees and medicinal herbs—lavender, sage, and rosemary—each one a quiet invitation to look more closely.
Meanwhile, the non-painting group will explore the magnificent interiors of the historic hospital alongside their tour guide, discovering its stories from within.
After a nourishing breakfast, hop aboard your bus for a short, scenic ride into the Penedès region for a day you'll long remember.
Surrounded by rolling vineyards, you'll be captivated by the serenity of an estate owned by the pioneers of organic viticulture in the region. Five generations have tended the vines that stretch out before you, framed by a garden with spectacular views. Let your creativity flow as you build a beautiful collection of paintings, working to capture the authentic charm of this historic winery.
Pause for an outdoor lunch and an enlightening wine tasting beneath the pine trees. Afterward, you'll have time to put the finishing touches on your paintings—or simply surrender to the meditative calm of the gardens.
Guided by their expert tour guide, the non-painting group will explore the beautiful Penedès region and its many celebrated wineries.
Start your day with a relaxed breakfast, then head to Sant Cugat del Vallès, a town where centuries of history meet everyday Catalan life. At its heart stands the monastery, a magnificent Benedictine landmark rising above a broad, open square that is a joy to paint.
Set up your easel on the large square and capture the monastery’s stone façade as the morning light moves across it. Around you, the town goes about its day: neighbors greeting each other, children playing, and café terraces slowly filling up.
Enjoy a leisurely Spanish-style late lunch on the square, the way locals do, with plenty of time to linger over good food and conversation. In the afternoon, choose your own pace. Continue painting the monastery from a new angle, or wander the charming lanes and small boutique shops for ceramics, linens, and handmade gifts to take home.
Meanwhile, the non-painting group will explore the monastery and its museum, discovering the rich history of this ancient site at their own pace.
After a fulfilling breakfast, ease into a relaxing day by the sea. Wander along this beautiful stretch of Spanish coast, paint the stunning views from your terrace balcony, or set off to discover the historic center of Sitges and its marvelous museums.
There will be no shortage of moments to take photographs, fill a sketchbook, and let yourself be inspired by the tranquil atmosphere of this seaside town—a day to follow your own rhythm.
In the evening, an unforgettable culinary experience awaits. Near the bustling La Boqueria Market, you'll push your creative boundaries with Spanish cooking techniques, mastering the flavors of an authentic paella you can recreate once back home—a masterclass you'll remember long after the trip ends.
Savor this wonderful dinner alongside your fellow artists, accompanied by delectable wines from the Catalan region.
After breakfast, set out for the Penedès, the heart of Catalan wine country, at a traditional masia (Catalan country house) that has been lovingly turned into a family-run restaurant and wedding venue. Its terraces, gardens, and small wooded grove look out over rolling vineyards.
Set up your easel and let the setting inspire you: the stone farmhouse, the terraces, the garden paths, and the vines beyond. This is authentic Catalan countryside, with the unhurried rhythm of a working family estate.
Meanwhile, the non-painting group will visit a nearby winery in the Penedès. They will tour the large family estate by train and enjoy a tasting of the estate’s wines.
At lunchtime, everyone gathers at the masia’s own table. The family has run the kitchen for three generations, and its cooking is traditional Catalan, built on local suppliers and seasonal produce.
In the afternoon, return to your canvas to capture the golden light over the vineyards, or stroll the gardens and terraces at your leisure.
Begin the day with a refreshing breakfast, then regroup for a remarkable excursion to the most iconic of Barcelona's landmarks: the temple of the Sagrada Família by Antoni Gaudí.
Experience this World Heritage monument together with your group of fellow art lovers. Immerse yourself in the basilica's many secrets alongside your official tour guide, and discover how Gaudí drew such profound inspiration from the natural world. Take time to gather reference photographs for future sketches and paintings, and try to capture the details of this expressive, still-evolving architecture.
Pause from the wonder of the morning for lunch in the Gothic Quarter, where you'll spend the afternoon exploring its many boutiques and artisan shops, the Cathedral of Barcelona, and the famous La Rambla.
The retreat draws to a close with a special farewell dinner and wine, marking the end of this artistic journey through Barcelona and the lands around it.
Enjoy a tasty breakfast before boarding your bus transfer to Barcelona Airport. As the trip comes to a close, take a moment to say farewell to the friends you've made along the way—with the hope of painting alongside them again on your next tour destination.
Art Retreat Information
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Meet Your Instructor: Elizabeth Allison
Some artists choose a single medium and master it. Elizabeth Allison chose two — and spent a career proving they could speak to each other. Based in New York and raised in Chicago, she moves fluidly between the quiet intimacy of watercolour and the sheer physical ambition of large-scale public sculpture, a range few working artists can claim.
Her training reads like a well-earned résumé: a BFA from the University of Michigan, an MFA from The City College of New York, and further study at the storied Art Students League of New York — the same institution that shaped generations of American painters before her.
That foundation has since been recognised again and again. Elizabeth has received three Elizabeth Greenshields Grants, a Nessa Cohen Grant, and the Raluca Popescu Memorial Scholarship — honours awarded to artists whose work merits sustained, serious attention. One of her monumental sculptures, first installed in Manhattan's Riverside Park South, now stands permanently on the campus of Rockland Community College, a public testament to work built to last.
Her paintings have been featured in the New York Times, and she holds membership in the Accademia Internazionale Dell'Aquarello, an international body upholding watercolour's place among the fine arts — a distinction held by only a select circle of painters worldwide.
It's this rare combination — a sculptor's discipline and a watercolourist's sensitivity to light and restraint — that Elizabeth brings to every session she teaches. Her students don't just learn technique; they learn to see the way a working artist sees.
Explore more of her work at elizabethallisonart.com.
The main accommodation for the painting tour with Elizabeth Allison is located in Sitges a coastal town in the region of Catalunya.
Located just 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Barcelona, Sitges has a laid-back atmosphere with a real village feel to it. The historical center located at a 20 min. walk away is reachable by a lovely path along the charming Marina of the Aiguadolç with its boulevard of bars and restaurants. Strolling along its cobbled alleyways lined with palaces and ancient castles, you will discover historic buildings from the Modernisme and Noucentisme movements.
The city is filled with restaurants and small boutique shops where you can indulge in souvenir shopping.
Barcelona airport (BCN) is reachable within a 25 min drive (your group pick-up/drop-off location).
How to get from Barcelona Airport to Hotel Estela in Sitges?
Group transfers at prearranged times to and from Barcelona airport (BCN) are included. The transfer journey to the hotel takes approximately 25 minutes.
- Arrival transfer: April 28, 2027 — 1:00 PM (leaving from Barcelona airport, arriving at the hotel around 1:30 PM)
- Departure transfer: May 5, 2027 — 10:00 AM (leaving from the hotel, arriving at Barcelona airport around 10:30 AM). Group transfer times will be confirmed by email.
🔎Please hold off on booking flights until the retreat becomes confirmed. (A notification email will be sent to you)
If your travel arrangements don't work with our group transfer times, we can reserve a taxi to the Hotel Estela Sitges (address: Av. del Port d'Aiguadolç, 8, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona - SPAIN) approximately 70 EUR per way from Barcelona Airport. Please note that taxi fares may change.
Art Retreat Packages
- €3,990.00 - Shared Room (Twin/Double Room)
- €4,650.00 - Single Room
- €3,790.00 - Non-Painting Partner (Twin/Double Room)
Booking Information
- A €1,000 deposit per person is required upon booking to secure your spot. The remaining balance is due 90 days before the tour.
- 100% Refund if cancelled before January 28, 2027 (minus admin. fee). Terms & conditions
- Please hold off on booking flights until the retreat becomes confirmed. A notification email will be sent to you.
- Participants are strongly advised to purchase travel, medical, and cancellation insurance for protection against any circumstances that might entail cancellation or change of travel arrangements.
- Please note that the tour includes some daily walking (couple of hours/day) and carrying your own painting supplies. Participant must be able to walk comfortably.
- Any questions? Please contact us for any pre-booking questions.
👆To book this retreat, click on Register (in the top right corner)