May
Residential plein-air weeks · Provence · 2026
Painting
the landscape
A fully hosted week with Julian Merrow-Smith—daily demonstrations, individual guidance, exceptional materials and time to live the painter’s life.
Dates and details01 · Plein-air
A residential week
built around painting
Do you dream of living the painter's life in the South of France? Would you love to paint your very own Postcards from Provence without having to drag your gear across countries and continents?
Would it be wonderful to return at the end of each day of plein air painting and be served food that nourishes the body and gladdens the senses before sliding into fresh cotton sheets under the Provençal night sky?
On a workshop with Julian Merrow-Smith, you will have the chance to eat, sleep and breathe painting, completely hassle-free. There is no need even to bring your own kit as we take care of everything.
During the week, you will enjoy personal guidance from Julian Merrow-Smith in an informal and welcoming atmosphere. Mealtimes are a chance to enjoy locally sourced Provençal food while sharing ideas, experiences and a love of painting with new friends. Working at your own pace and making the most of the pools, terraces and quiet corners of the property, the week offers a perfect balance between painting and relaxation. You will return home refreshed, inspired and full of new ideas.
02 · Plein-air
Experience a week
in Provence
Join us for a glimpse of life at one of our painting workshops, from early morning painting sessions to long lunches, evening demonstrations and the extraordinary light of Provence.
03 · Plein-air
The rhythm
of the day
Each morning begins at your own pace with freshly baked bread and warm croissants delivered from the local boulangerie, alongside freshly ground coffee, a selection of teas, seasonal fruit, eggs, cheeses and charcuterie.
During the first few mornings we usually work together on the same subject close to the house. This gives everyone the opportunity to become familiar with the materials and equipment, settle into a relaxed rhythm, and gain confidence before we venture a little further afield. Each morning begins with an introduction to the day's subject and a short demonstration from Julian, after which you'll work at your own pace with individual guidance and encouragement throughout the session.
After a well-deserved lunch prepared by our wonderful chef, Elly, the afternoon is yours to enjoy. Take a siesta, relax by the pool, read, swim, explore the grounds or simply continue painting if inspiration strikes. Julian will lead a second painting session through the late afternoon and into the early evening, when the softer light often reveals a completely different character in the landscape.
Later in the week we venture a little further afield, exploring some of the historic hill villages and landscapes within easy reach of the estate. Close to Gordes, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Venasque, we often choose quieter locations where we can paint in peace away from the crowds.
Back at the house, we gather over an apéritif to discuss the day's work before sitting down together to enjoy a delicious dinner accompanied by wines from some of our favourite local vineyards.
04 · Plein-air
Workshop
dates
October
3–10
2026 · Last placesOctober
17–24
2026 · Last placesThe residential week includes seven nights’ accommodation, tuition, painting materials and equipment, local transport, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and carefully chosen wines.
Non-painting companions are warmly welcomed. If a date is full, we can add you to the waiting list or tell you when new dates are announced.
“Such a wonderful, beautiful and supportive environment. Truly, a peak experience.”
A workshop painter
05 · Plein-air
Your home
in Provence
Domaine St. Jacques provides the perfect setting for our workshops. Set among vineyards and woodland at the foot of Mont Ventoux, the estate is home to two beautiful Provençal manor houses that combine history, character and comfort. Two swimming pools, extensive libraries, baby grand pianos and peaceful terraces provide the perfect places to relax, read or simply enjoy the surrounding countryside between painting sessions.
Le Devencet
Dating largely from the fourteenth century, with parts of the house tracing their origins back to the twelfth, Le Devencet is wonderfully authentic and full of character. Original beams, flagstone floors and centuries of history have been carefully preserved, creating a house that feels unmistakably Provençal.
The house offers seven comfortable bedrooms, a heated swimming pool beneath a magnificent ancient oak tree, a baby grand piano and an extensive library. Two bedrooms are en-suite, while the remaining rooms share three bathrooms and two additional cloakrooms.
La Grange Neuve
Beautifully converted from an old stone barn and renovated in 2016, La Grange Neuve combines traditional Provençal architecture with contemporary comfort. Light-filled living spaces open onto the terrace and gardens, where everyone gathers each evening for dinner.
The house offers six spacious bedrooms, five with en-suite bathrooms and one with a private bathroom. A peaceful saltwater lap pool, baby grand piano and comfortable sitting areas make it a wonderfully relaxing place to spend the week.
06 · Plein-air
Food, wine
& good company
We treasure mealtimes as an important part of the week. They are moments to exchange ideas, share stories, laugh together and enjoy the company of fellow painters over wonderful food and carefully chosen wines.
Our chef, Elly, creates delicious seasonal menus using fresh, locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. She delights in shopping with local producers and markets, working with organic produce whenever she can, whilst operating an almost entirely zero-plastic and zero-waste kitchen.
Every morning begins with freshly ground coffee and breads, baguettes and pastries delivered from a wonderful family bakery whose own stone-milled flours include traditional local grains. Breakfast is served in each house before we gather for the day's painting.
Our wines are chosen with equal care. Alongside some of the finest bottles from the southern Rhône, many are organic or biodynamic, including wines from our friends at Domaine de Mourchon and Château de Saint Cosme.
07 · Plein-air
Everything is provided
One of the biggest hurdles to painting outdoors is knowing where to begin. What equipment do you need? How do you carry it? What paints work best? How can you keep everything light enough to enjoy walking and painting?
Over the past twenty years of painting almost every day for Postcard from Provence, Julian has refined a simple, lightweight system that answers all of those questions.
Your kit includes a handcrafted pochade box, tripod, prepared gesso boards, hand-squeezed and labelled artists' oil colours, hog-bristle brushes, cleaning materials and a lightweight rucksack. Folding chairs and umbrellas are also provided.
Working on a small scale makes painting outdoors simpler, more enjoyable and far less intimidating than many people imagine.
All you need to bring is a straw hat.
The complete kit
Handcrafted pochade box, tripod, prepared boards, oil colours, brushes, cleaning materials, rucksack, chair and umbrella.
Oil colours
Professional paints, hand-squeezed and labelled using Julian’s working palette.
Brushes
Carefully selected hog-bristle brushes—the same kind Julian uses every day.
Pochade box
A compact field easel that keeps outdoor painting simple and enjoyable.
08 · Plein-air
Travelling with
a companion?
Non-painting companions are warmly welcomed. Many guests come with a partner, friend, parent or adult child who wants to enjoy Provence while the painters spend the day at the easel.
Relax beside one of our two swimming pools, one of them heated, enjoy walks that begin directly from the house, browse our extensive libraries, or spend an hour at one of the baby grand pianos.
For those who enjoy exploring, e-bikes and road bikes can be delivered directly to the house, on-site massage treatments are available with Kelly, and golf is just a short drive away at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. The estate is perfectly placed for discovering hill villages, markets, vineyards and the celebrated wine villages of the southern Rhône.
Each evening everyone comes together over an apéritif, wonderful food, local wines and the company of new friends.
“It was the best holiday we’ve ever had—and we’ve had some pretty good holidays.”
A non-painting guest
09 · Plein-air
What people
are saying
“Julian gives more of himself to a workshop than anyone I’ve had the privilege of studying under for the last twenty years.”
“Such a wonderful, beautiful and supportive environment. Truly, a peak experience.”
“Julian provided incredibly useful suggestions to each of my paintings, things I simply hadn’t spotted. I really felt it helped take them to the next level. Exactly what I needed.”
“A painter’s dream.”
“One of the best travel and learning experiences I have ever had.”
“Thank you both for your warmth and hospitality—far beyond what I expected.”
10 · Plein-air
Meet the team
A successful workshop is about much more than painting. Throughout the week you'll be looked after by a small team who share a love of art, good food and the Provençal way of life.
Julian Merrow-Smith
Artist & tutor
Julian is a British painter living in Provence. His work has been exhibited in Britain, France and the United States, and he has twice been selected for the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
He has been running workshops in Provence with Ruth for more than a decade, sharing the loose, direct approach to painting that has shaped his daily Postcard from Provence project.
Ruth Phillips
Co-host
Ruth co-hosts the workshops with Julian, helping create the warm, thoughtful atmosphere that guests remember long after the week has ended.
She is an internationally acclaimed musician, performance coach, writer and mindfulness teacher, and brings all of that experience to the rhythm and care of the workshops.
Elly Polhill
Chef
Elly creates generous, seasonal meals from fresh local ingredients, drawing on her background in restaurants, sustainable cooking and her childhood on a small English farm.
Her food is thoughtful, joyful and deeply connected to the produce and food culture of Provence.
Kelly
Workshop assistant
Kelly helps keep the week running smoothly, looks after breakfasts each morning and is one of the friendly faces guests quickly come to rely on.
Originally from California and now happily settled in France, she also offers on-site massage treatments by appointment.
Featured in and heard on
Provence · 2026
Ready to join us
in Provence?
We'd love to welcome you for a week of painting, wonderful food, good company and the unforgettable light of Provence.