** coming in 2025 **
Week long art retreats
Get sketching with Susan in Europe
I have two amazing art retreats in the planning for 2025. One in Spring (Travel Sketching in Romania 23.04.25-0205.25) and one in the Autumn in Italy. Details are currently being worked out and both retreats will be released for sale later in 2024.
** Register below to join the waiting list and be first to hear about the retreats **
23 April - 02 may 2025
Travel sketching in romania
In Spring 2025 I am collaborating with Creative Arts Safaris to bring to you a unique combination of sketching and cultural tour in Romania. This retreat is a chance to get your travel sketching mojo back on track as we travel around Romania, taking our sketchbooks with us!
Bucharest and Romania sometimes feel like a place that time forgot. Rural villages full of timber houses, flower filled meadows, an Art Nouvelle feel in Bucharest, gothic castles and luscious colours on the painted walls of churches. There is so much beauty to catch your eye and to fill those sketchbooks with!
The 10-day tour begins in Bucharest, moves through the beautiful countryside to Sibiu including a visit to Corvin's Castle, then onto Brasov to explore the mountains and local villages and returning to Bucharest for a spot of traditional egg painting, food and farewells.
** Bookings open in June 2024 **
"it felt like a weekend with family i never knew I had. thank you." Jenny, retreat attendee, Sept 2023
take tim to travel and sketch
Immerse yourself in your creativity
BeautIful locations
Each sketching retreat is located in a beautiful environment, suited to the topic being covered - from 4* country hotels in the New Forest, to remote villas in Tuscany. The accommodation will enable you to relax and enjoy your stay. No chores to worry about, you can focus on your creativity, sketching and relaxing. This truly is a sketching experience with a difference.
enjoyable experience
Meet like-minded people who also enjoy sketching and painting. Share in a creative experience, immersing yourself in your sketchbook. You’ll be in a small group, creating together and enjoying downtime - many people make wonderful new friends, share art tips and geek out on new materials. Many retreat attendees book on their own but instantly connect with the group.
creative practice
Each retreat will have a different creative theme and focus. Typically, each day will begin with one of my famous 'sketchbook warm-ups' to get you ready for your day of drawing, sketching or painting. Then throughout the retreat there will be a variety of guided sketching sessions, excursions or discussions exploring the venue and theme. Each retreat is completely unique, yet the same focus on a relaxed creative vibe runs through them all.
** details coming soon **
2025 art & sketching retreats
Join me for an experience of a lifetime - sketching and reading in beautiful locations across Europe in 2025. To be the first to be notified when bookings open, please join the waiting list here.
"I cannot thank you both enough. I've refound my art mojo. I have found my confidence just to do it - right or wrong - have a go. I'm inspired so much!" Jane C, Retreat attendee, Sept 2023
Artist, author and online educator
About your host - Susan Yeates
I teach aspiring sketchbook artists just like you, how to live more creatively, re-discover your inner artist, build confidence in drawing, fill sketchbooks and make art you can be proud of.
I’ve worked as a successful professional artist for over 15 years, authored 6 art books including Sketchbook Challenge: 100 Prompts for Daily Drawing, spoken at TedX Woking, been featured on HobbyMaker TV, created over 35 online courses, and taught thousands of aspiring artists sketching and drawing techniques.
For the last few years, sketching on a regular basis those things that I see around me has been my foundation, and underpins all of my creative endeavours. To just grab a pencil and sketch what you see in front of you, wherever you happen to be is such a joy.
I cannot wait to share with you the fun I personally have sketching and doodling everyday objects and items.
At this day-retreat a good friend of mine, Kirsty Grey will also be attending as host and event organiser to ensure the well-being of all guests. Together we will be your team for the day.
What we get up to
Previous retreats
Here are some examples of previous retreats I have hosted.
Sketching the New Forest - Sept 2023
For three days this group explored the beauty of the New Forest landscape in their sketchbook, based at the Forest Park Hotel in Brockenhurst. We played with acrylic paints, studied the tallest redwoods in the forest, sketched the local ponies, looked at colour mixing and even a spot of leaf printing from local ferns. All meals, accommodation and materials were provided. This was a beautiful weekend full of landscape sketching, connection and friendship (and a smattering of the good old Britsh rain!)
Sketching the everyday - Surrey, March 2024
This sketching retreat was hosted in leafy Surrey in the gorgeous Gorse Hill Hotel. We explored sketching warm-ups to understand our materials, sketched small objects, used viewfinders and generally had a giggle whilst sketching in our special studio space. Participants came away with pages of their sketchbooks full and plenty of techniques and inspiration for daily sketching going forwards. The lunch was fabulous and some even stayed for dinner and a spot of pottery painting at Fired Frog Pottery cafe the next day.
