Sketching as you walk weekend
A weekend With Zara Chancellor.
French Alps 12 - 16th June 2025
Have you always wanted to sketch in the landscape? Or perhaps learn how to use watercolour to capture a view or a flower? If so, we invite you to join us for a weekend of walking and painting with our own, very talented, artist in residence, Zara Chancellor. Over the three days, you will gain the skills and the confidence to capture what you see in the moment, in your own unique way.
Come and walk with us amid the breathtaking alpine scenery with your sketch book in hand. We will move through the landscape, opening our eyes and minds to new senses, images and ideas. We will then stop and assess and then with a quick sketch, record our experiences in real time.
Zara will offer group and 1-on-1 instruction on how to capture what is unfolding in front of us, sketching in watercolour our thoughts and observations. She will guide us through composition and colour as we travel together experiencing the beauty of our surroundings.
The weekend will include four nights and three days staying in a charming mountain chalet in the village of Les Contamines-Montjoie in the French Alps, about an hour from Geneva. The area is known for its snow sports and amazing walking.
Each morning, we will enjoy a delicious and healthy breakfast of homemade granola, local yogurt and berries, before a group briefing with Zara. We will then pack our picnics and set off for a walk led by our International Mountain Leader, Marit. Mid morning we will find a beautiful spot to pause, get our sketch books out and draw/paint, for half an hour/40 minutes. Zara will take the time to talk and instruct each person as needed. At lunchtime, we will stop again to enjoy a rest, our picnic, and a chance to return to our sketch books. If time allows, we will have a third stop in the afternoon for further observation and personal recording of the environment through which we are moving.
On our return to the chalet, we will relax with a much-needed cup of tea and piece of homemade cake in the garden overlooking Mont Joly and the valley. After tea, there will be an opportunity to sit with Zara and work on our drawings and paintings in the comfort of the chalet. Alternatively, Claire, our yogi will be on hand to lead some gentle stretching and/or massages.
Later we will meet for an aperitif in the garden followed by a delicious three course vegetarian home-made dinner with wine.
Women are welcome to come on their own or with friends. The weekends will only run if we have at least eight people. Maximum number is 10.
Price is £1100pp for shared occupancy and £1300 for single occupancy.
Price includes: Four nights full-board accommodation including breakfast, picnic lunches, tea, dinner and wine in a charming alpine chalet; three group sessions with Zara; three walks accompanied by Zara, plus a fully licensed International Mountain Leader; and Geneva airport transfers at set times.
The price will not include: Flights, cost of massages, the spa (should we go there) or transfers not at set times.
Zara lives in Suffolk where she paints portraits and landscapes. After studying in Italy and America she lived in London painting figures and portraits. For the last 20 years she has lived in Suffolk landscape painting and teaching small groups of adults painting, and drawing and Life Drawing to children. Whilst her work is primarily in oil, she walks with her watercolours and sketchbook in hand.