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Perigord Retreat 05 - Poppies Galore and Plein Air Painting

The red poppies!!!! Oh my!


The red, GORGEOUS poppies were in full bloom during my time with Perigord Retreats.


Harrison and I had chatted about finding the perfect poppy field so we could bring the group and do some plein air painting one day. So, as we were driving out to the different excursions, we’d look for poppy fields and declare that’s the one! All of them were great and would be the perfect scenery for a watercolor painting.


Well, we found a gorgeous field close by that was perfect. And the weather was perfect, too—blue skies with puffy white clouds and sunshine all around—excellent for hanging out in a poppy field.



The joy of painting in a poppy field is one I'll never forget!


Harrison asked if he could film me teaching while we were there (ack! No pressure!), so he has since created a two-part video series on YouTube. You have to check it out, as a super funny thing happened, and you will see that at the end of part 2. 


Lots of giggles and a couple of retakes!


Hop on over and check out Harrison's fun videos here:


These poppies are wild, and the farmers will eventually clear them out with tractors, which makes me so sad! Glad we were there at the right time!


 

Earlier that day, we also explored Perigord Retreat’s hometown of Gourdon. At the top of the hill, there is an old part with a wall around it. Walking down, you go through an arch into a newer section. I love that they kept the structure of the old part.


We saw incredible views and sketched at the top for a bit before we meandered down. There is so much beauty in these old towns. I could paint old doors and window boxes with colored shutters all day. 



We are missing Dom and Patty in this cute photo!



This secret garden in the walled town of Gourdon was incredible. I spy Leslie sketching by the butterfly!



Gorgeous church with bells ringing on the hour, a little antique shop, and a secret garden full of purple poppies. So many surprises and delights on this special day!


Some of these photos are from Perigord Retreats; Katel just sent them to me - love this one!



My pocketbook sketches of this fabulous day!

 

If you’d like to create, explore, and paint with me in Ireland next year, registration has just opened! Click on the link for more info. July 14-21, 2025


Or sign up for my Retreat Waitlist and be the first to know when other amazing retreats open up for registration. https://www.andreagarvey.com/artretreats


Always leaping wherever I go!

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1 Comment


Fabulous! First, I’m enjoying this blog series! So much fun! The photos are fun and inspiring! Second, the poppy field with the green field, poppies, and purple flowers could inspire a wonderful colorful abstract piece!

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