Konnichiwa!
Welcome to Artable's carefully curated City Sights & Funaya Houses with Chan Dissanayake. We have included a diverse itinerary to include painting in the Gion area of Kyoto, visits to stunning gardens and the Nishiki Markets with day trips out to UNESCO world heritage Nara and the old fishing village of Ine which rests along the turquoise coloured waters of Japan's coastline. Days will be spent exploring and painting and nights will be spent enjoying the extraordinary cuisine that Kyoto has to offer. Artable is renowned for quality. You will be enjoying 4 star hotel accommodations, a private coach for our day tours and our very own guide.
We have painting days with watercolour master Chan Dissanayake to explore the local sights. This special retreat will suit students who have been exposed to the medium of watercolour and want to extend their knowledge to the next level - if you have never done watercolour before, you've got some time to jump into a beginner class or one of Chan's Australian weekend workshops to get started before your big trip. You will have loads of time in your holiday to practice, but you will feel a lot more comfortable having held a brush and had a play before you arrive.
Art wise - we will specifically concentrate on how to inject and capture the mood of our travels. The truly magical qualities of watercolour can best be demonstrated in portraying atmospheric effects, using wet-in-wet technique. We will paint a variety of subjects, producing two paintings a day from start to finish; each painting will be chosen to demonstrate a certain technique and key learning points. There will be lots of useful discussions as well as tips on how to avoid potential pitfalls.
If you enjoy the challenge of producing loose and bold watercolours and exploring the extraordinary Japanese culture, then this trip is for you.
Please contact Artable at info@artable.com.au for full pricing. Our price listed on this webiste is our deposit fee.
Chan will be covering:
Properties of Colour & Colour Relationships
Understanding Light and Shadows
Wash and Glazing techniques
Secrets of Wet-into-Wet Technique
Understanding Timing in Watercolour to create magical effects
Tonal Values
Planning & Composition
At the end of the week, you should:
Have a greater understanding and appreciation of watercolour medium and its techniques
Be able to plan and approach a subject, then complete a painting with confidence
Learn how to paint variety of subjects with solid technical understanding
Work with the magical properties of watercolour to create mystical effects with effortless ease
Complete a series of fresh, bold, and lively paintings
To join us make your $500 non refundable or transferrable deposit. We will be in contact in June 2026 to collect the balance. Please note that cancellation fees apply to all Artable retreats as outlined below.
We look forward to welcoming you to this unique experience.
ARTABLE RETREAT TERMS & CONDITIONS
ACCOMMODATION
4-star accommodation in Kyoto.
MEALS
We include 4 dinners and 3 lunches.
CLIMATE
You can expect 13-23 degrees for Japanese Autumn.
CLOTHING
Pack painting clothes and casuals. A good waterproof/windproof jacket is great for when the weather changes and you want to do walks outside.
TRAVEL/TRANSFERS
We meet you at the hotel on day 1 at 6pm for a welcome dinner. You can travel from Osaka or Tokyo by train to reach our meeting point. We finish on day 7 after breakfast and those of you joining us for week two will travel to Nagoya via train.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is essential and is to be organised by you.
ART SESSIONS
Painting sessions are decided each day as per itinerary and weather permitting.
MATERIALS LIST
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Materials List tab.
FLIGHTS
Flights are not included and are to be organised by you. We are partnered with Intrepid who can help you with personal travel arrangements.
PAYMENT
A non-refundable and non-transferable $500 deposit is to be made to secure your spot via our website and the reservation form completed.
FULL PAYMENT is due 1 June 2026 - we will send an invoice prior.
Payments are to be made to:
Artable Pty Ltd
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
BSB: 062 643
ACC: 1008 8473
Please use your surname as reference and your invoice number. For example, Smith6471
CANCELLATION/REFUNDS
This trip relies heavily on group numbers. Therefore it is necessary to charge a cancellation fee as outlined below in the event that you decide to cancel. If we decide to cancel the trip at any time we will issue you with a FULL refund. We are not responsible for expenses incurred in the preparation of trips (even cancelled trips), such as airline tickets, travel delays, flight cancellations. There is no refund if you arrive late or decide to leave early. Deposits secure your place and are non-refundable.
In the event that government travel restrictions prevent travel, you will be issued with a credit to be used at any Artable event.
Please note our cancellation dates & that Artable charges a $500 non refundable fee as your deposit.
Cancellation up to 1 May 2026 - $500 non refundable admin fee regardless of reason for cancellation.
Cancellation from 1 May - 1 June 2026 - 50% of trip cost refunded, less $200 non-refundable deposit.
Cancellation from 1 June 2026 - No refunds
Please note that our itinerary is a guide only and is subject to changes to accommodate the group and teacher's needs as well as weather considerations. Have a look at our inclusions for a list of what is and isn't included.
