The Painting Holiday in Provence, South France 2026
A residential painting course with Adam Cope in a charming, authentic Provençal farmhouse. The old haunt of Hollywood stars such as Liz Taylor and Leonard Cohen. Nestled in the middle of vines, cypresses & lavender fields, looking towards the blue Luberon hills. Near the ochre village of Rousillon ‘the red’, where the warm-hearted colours of the south of France are illuminated by bright Mediterranean light.
With visits to:
- The ocre quarries & ‘Le Conservatoire des Couleurs’
- A picturesque hilltop village, ‘l’un des plus beaux villages de France’ with its art galleries & shops.
Provençal Inspiration
Come & paint in the bright Mediterranean light that has inspired artists since time immemorial. The landscape is a rich tapestry of agriculture, stone villages & blue hills. In the ‘Parc Naturel de Luberon’ much of the natural beauty is still preserved. There’s lots to paint onsite : olive & cypress trees in the garden. One step outside of the garden and you are in lavender fields, vines, cherry orchards & far views.
Roussillon les Ocres
The ochre village, where they quarry a treasure of red & yellow earths. The seductive stucco walls sing with colour. Provence & the South of France has a warm, sun drenched palette.
We visit ‘Le Conservatoire des Couleurs’, a must for any colour hungry painter. Like a ‘Conservatoire de Musique’, where the discipline lives on by practice. By active hands-on learning, exhibitions, library & shop full of pigments, paints & colour. You will learn how artists paints are made & give it go yourself. Adam makes his own oil & watercolour paints.
The Painting Course
The course specializes in plein-air landscape painting, colour, light and composition. Still-lives, portraits & semi-abstracts happen too. I find that students like light and colour, so I like to get students painting, using their brushes and mixing colour as soon as possible. We can then return to drawing later, rather than spending three or four days caught in the complexities of perspective.
“Your rules should arise out of your passions and your experience with what works for you. ” – Richard Schmid
You will learn painting techniques as well as have plenty of time for your own creativity. Since there are many beautiful painting opportunities in the garden & surrounding fields, youwon”t be herded into a mini-van. Learning happens both in group and on an individual basis. There’s lots of one to one teaching in your own individual painting time since group size is small. Not more than ten students. This course is appropriate for strong beginners as well as advanced. However, there are only a few limited places available for absolute beginners. There’s a studio/camp for plein-air painting which equipped with painting furniture. Thus you can travel light. Oils & fast drying oils (alkyds) or watercolours. There’s also the option of hiring a set of alkyd or oil paints so you can travel lite.
I had such a great time! I learned so much from you Adam and love your painting style! I will be sure to send you pics of my painting series from the trip, I have so many ideas, I feel like they are going to explode! “
Cathy, USA
The Tutor : Adam Cope
BA hons; Further Education & Adults Teaching Cert.I ; Foundation Diploma Art Therapy.
Accommodation
‘La Madone’ is an authentic, 300 year old ‘Mas’ (southern farmhouse) built in natural materials : terracotta pan tiles, old stone & red earth walls, wooden beams, all lovingly restored. It wouldn’t be out of place in Claude Berri’s film ‘Jean de Florette.’ Restored by Madame et Curd Jurgens, Hollywood film star extraordinaire, home to an artistic tradition, you can expect to find good hospitality & interesting paintings hanging on the walls. Previous guests include Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton & Leonard Cohen. Private & secluded, yet only about two kilometers (about two thousand yards) walk into Roussillon village, with its many art galleries & bars.
The inside is large & spacious. Labyrinthine as organic ‘houses of the earth’ often are. It offers privacy & seclusion as well large inspiring spaces to hang out & be convivial with fellow students. The decoration is white walls, soft adobe curves & red clay ‘terre cuite’ tiles. The comfortable bedrooms are either twin or double en-suites, all with fresh linen & pretty views. It is rated four stars by the France Tourist Authority.
Enjoy the swimming pool (pool towels provided). We eat ‘al fresco’ in the courtyard with its covered terraces, under the shade of olive & cypress trees. No need to get into a van to find something to paint, just walk right out into the vines, lavender fields, cherry orchards & woods … and find yourself in a painter’s paradise!
La Cuisine
Wine & dine in good company where laughter & conviviality are the norm. Friends are soon made, camaraderie flows. People often come from all over the world & share this passion for painting. We eat ‘al fresco’ in the courtyard with its covered terraces, under the shade of the olive & cypress trees.
- Provençal cuisine. Ingredients are mostly organic. Vegetarians welcome.
- Breakfast, a cold buffet lunch, and a good evening meal (entree, plat, fromage, desert).
- Appertifs, nibbles & 2 glasses of Côtes de Ventoux wines with lunch and dinner. Non alcholic drinks.
- Tea & Coffee ‘à volonte’ throughout the day.
- For Wine Buffs : There’s an ‘Honesty Bar’ for those extra-curriculum drinks & an extensive wine cellar.
I see the sun in all its glory
Vincent Van Gogh
Meteo
Late September is a lovely time in Provence. Average temperatures are around 23°C (72°F) but with fresher, shorter evenings. The Provençal sun is still powerful, yet softer than high summer, with a golden cast & long violet shadows. It’s vendange time & the leaves are beginning to turn colour.
Late April in Provence : The sun is ascendant; the Mediterrean light is bright; the greens are fresh and gardens beautiful. Less tourists & less heat than the high season. Average temperatures are around 17°C (63°F).
Mid May is sunnier & warmer, but not boiling. It’s the high season but without the school holiday. Average temperatures are arround 70°F (21°C).
“The sun is free, but can’t be ordered in advance” (Don’t forget your sunhat… and raincoat & sweater)
Thinking back to our week together it now seems like we were enveloped in this wonderful cocoon or bubble away from all the troubles of the world and the tourists.
– Peter, Australia.
Dates 2026
Saturday 25 April – Saturday 2 May (mid season)
Saturday 9 May – Saturday 16 May (high season)
Saturday 19 – Saturday 26 September (mid season)
Course times : 17hr arrival day – 10hr departure day
Prices 2026
Mid season (April & September) : Total Price 1900 € per painter, based on two people sharing an ensuite.
Single person supplement : 300€ in a standard ensuite. Deluxe ensuites at 450€ if available.
There are two deluxe bedrooms in ‘The Master Appartment’ which share a shower room, for a group of three painters (one per bedroom). No supplement. For three painters sharing the Master, accommodation price is 400+400+400 (mid season).
High Season (May) : 2050 € Total Price per painter, based on two people sharing an ensuite
Single person supplement : Single person supplement : 300€ in a standard ensuite. Deluxe ensuites at 450€ if available.
There are two deluxe bedrooms in ‘The Master Appartment’ which share a shower room, for a group of three painters (one per bedroom). No supplement. For three painters sharing the Master, accommodation price is 500+500+500 (high season).
What’s included : TEACHING. 6 days full days of teaching plus arrival evening & departure morning. Painting furniture (easels, boards, chairs,aprons, etc) & studio basics (solvents,etc). Trip to village & colour museum. Online mini-course. Payable directly to Adam Cope.
What’s included : FULL BOARD & LODGINGS, 7 nights. Payable directly to La Madone.
What’s not included : Your travel, travel insurance, your art materials, entry to sites on trips out (about 7 euros).
Deposit of 450€ (mid-season) or 600€ (high-season). Payable upon booking. Possibility payment in US dollars.
Travel – Getting to Roussillon
Rossillon is situated in the Parc Naturelle de Luberon in Provence, South France.
* Nearest Train TVG is Avignon (about 55 kms. 1 hour drive from La Madone).
* Possibility of transfers to & from La Madone/Avgnon TVG on start & finish days. These are in a shared taxi, to whom you pay directly (not included in the price). Price of taxi is about 140 euros, which is then divided by the number of voyagers. This usually works out around 3 euros per person per transfer. Pick up time is 16hr on arrival day @ Avignon TVG. Departure time time from La Madone is 9hr30 on departure day. It’s about an hour drive.
* Nearest airport is Marseille (85 kms. 1 hour 15 mins drive to La Madone). 35 minutes to Avignon TVG on bus/TVG inOui.
* For travel advice, we reccommend this online app: rome2rio
Learn to Paint
” Learning is most often considered a process of getting rather than giving. This is most evident in conceptions of student/teacher roles : Teachers give and students get. Yet, in adult learning both giving and getting are critical. – David Kolb
Testimonials
” I felt you really cared about the quality of tuition. You knew how to inspire the best in us. – VICKIE, DEEP DORDOGNE, 2004
” I recently took part in Adam’s one-week painting course in Roussillon, and it was such a special experience. The location was absolutely stunning—I’ve rarely felt so connected to nature and the present moment.I enjoy painting and sketching from time to time, but I’m not very confident with watercolours, even though I really like them. Being in a small group of passionate painters using different techniques was really interesting, and Adam did a brilliant job adapting to each person in the group.The places we painted were beautiful, most just around the (amazing) house, and we also visited the Ochre Museum and the village of Roussillon. We did some fun and eye-opening exercises, and I learned a lot about mixing colours, composition, values and painting techniques. Adam gave us guidance based on everyone’s level and what we wanted to paint, which made a big difference. We got plenty of personal help, and that really helped us improve. By the end of the week, I felt much more confident with my painting.Adam is a kind, energetic, encouraging, and passionate teacher who clearly loves what he does. If you’re looking for an intense week full of learning, creativity, and inspiration, I’d definitely recommend his courses. – AGNETA, ROUSSILLON, MAY 2025