Welcome to Artable's carefully curated Tasmanian space - a quaint 100 year old hotel in the remote north east town of Winnaleah where you enjoy your very own bedroom and bathroom at no extra charge and where we have a full studio complete with everything you need for your art holiday. In addition to studio time, each day brings a new experience…the incredible colours of the Little Blue Lake and the Bay of Fires coastline, local rivers full of sapphires, streetscapes untouched by time and more. There is even Tasmania's famous ‘Floating Sauna’ just down the road for those of you keen to try out the health benefits of a hot sauna and cold lake plunge combo.
Everything is included except your flights and art materials and 1 lunch and 1 dinner. We have made sure that you get a day to travel in and out plus a FULL 5 days in workshop mode with John.
Your own beautiful bedroom complete with luxury linens and a plush mattress topper for the best nights sleep. A light filled studio space complete with easels and boards for your use. Transfers between Launceston (airport or city) and the venue are included as well as daily excursions to a variety of landscapes (see the full itinerary link below).
We have painting days with watercolour master John Lovett to explore the local landscape and to work in studio. 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. We will specifically concentrate on how to inject and capture the mood of the Tasmanian landscape. 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, then this is for you.
John 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
At night, we dine by candlelight as our cooks prepare Tasmanian fare from locally sourced produce and the extensive organic kitchen garden at Enclave to suit all dietary needs. There are beautiful walks surrounding the hotel to truly experience the beauty of the area before or after class or sink into the Chesterfield couches with a wine or a hot chocolate by the fire instead.
If you are keen to come on your own, don't worry, we have many people that join us on their own. Please note that if you opt for a shared room (twin single beds) you attract a $400 discount. Some rooms are located on the upper level and include stairs, so please contact us if you have mobility issues.
To join us make your $200 non refundable or transferrable deposit via the link to the right. We will be in contact in January to collect the balance. Please note that cancellation fees apply to all Artable retreats as outlined below.
We look forward to welcoming you to a wonderful creative holiday.
ARTABLE RETREAT TERMS & CONDITIONS
ACCOMMODATION
Rooms 1-5 have a King bed and detached ensuite (across the hall), these rooms are located on the ground floor.
Room 7 has 2 x double beds for sharing and ensuite, Rooms 8 & 9 have queen beds with ensuites (room 9 is a detached ensuite), Room 10 has a king bed and ensuite. Rooms 7-10 are all located up a single set of stairs on our top floor.
You can opt for a shared room and enjoy a $400 discount. Please note that there are 4 rooms located upstairs, we allocate rooms based on the order that bookings come in.
All rooms enjoy luxury linens and a plush mattress topper.
MEALS
All melas are included except for one dinner out and a lunch. We draw from our local farmers as well as our region for produce and take pride in our meals. We are very used to catering to a wide range of diets, so please make sure you note any requirements. Please note that alcohol is not included and available for purchase on site. No alcohol is to be brought on location.
CLIMATE
This time of year is summer so days are the perfect painting temp and nights cool but not freezing!
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. Swimwear if you are keen for a cold ocean plunge or if you would like to book the local ‘Floating Sauna’ nearby. We recommend slippers for inside the hotel as some bathrooms are detached. Painters often find that fingerless gloves are wonderful in the cooler climates when working outside.
TRAVEL/TRANSFERS
We pick you up at 3.30pm from the LAUNCESTON AIRPORT or a nearby hotel and return you by 11am on the final day. If you end up with flights arriving up to 4pm, that’s ok, and for your departing flights, if you can only get a flight departing after 10am, that’s fine too. It's an early start for everyone, but we can get you to these. If you require accommodation before or after the retreat, you need to have this approved by us for availability and you will be charged $220 per night to be paid before you leave the retreat. We otherwise recommend you book a night in Evandale or the Sebel Launceston. Please note that unfortunately we cannot offer airport transfers in the event that you decide to arrive early or stay longer at the retreat. We drive an hour and half to reach our venue and there a number of hills and turns. Bring travel sick tablets if you are worried about this.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is highly recommended and is to be organised by you.
ART SESSIONS
Painting sessions are from 9am-4pm or as directed by the artist. The rest of the time is yours to enjoy.
MATERIALS LIST
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Materials List tab.
FLIGHTS
Flights are not included and are to be organised by you (LAUNCESTON AIRPORT). Please check our pick up and drop off times.
PAYMENT
A non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit is to be made to secure your spot via our website and the reservation form completed.
FULL PAYMENT is due 1 NOVEMBER 2025 - we will send an invoice prior.
Final invoice 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 $200 non refundable fee as your deposit.
Cancellation up to 1 November 2025 - $200 non refundable admin fee regardless of reason for cancellation.
Cancellation from 1 November 2025 - 1 December 2025 - 50% of trip cost refunded, less $200 non-refundable deposit.
Cancellation from 1 December 2025 - 1 February 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.
