Join award-winning artist and educator Helen Dannelly for a transformational week of painting, inspiration, and connection in the enchanting Pyrenees-Atlantiques region of Southwest France. This exclusive retreat—set in a 1,000-year-old stone guardhouse and tower in the picturesque village of Sauveterre-de-Béarn—offers the perfect balance of structured instruction and open exploration.

“Abstracting the Landscape” is not tied to a single technique, but rather to each artist’s unique way of distilling visual experience.  Helen will guide you both in the field and in-studio, helping you connect deeply to your vision.

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What's Included

Retreat Fee: €3,500
Maximum Attendance: 12 participants

Lodging & Meals

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Lodging & Meals

You’ll stay eight nights in your own private room in a historic stone tower with a spiral staircase and 360° views of the Pyrenees. All presentations, critiques, and discussions take place on-site—making it easy to drop into the creative flow.

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• 7 continental breakfasts (with daily coffee, tea, and water)

• 6 three-course lunches & 6 three-course dinners (each with wine, tea, or coffee)

• One dinner and one lunch on excursion day are on your own​

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What's Not Included

• Airfare, trains, or airport transfers (though our host can assist in organizing transport from Biarritz or nearby cities)

• One lunch and one dinner on excursion day

• Art materials (a detailed list will be provided upon registration)

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Optional: Ship materials in advance or order from boesner.fr.

Shipping address: BE•ARTZ, 3 Rue Léon Bérard, 64390 Sauveterre-de-Béarn, France

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The Experience

Whether you walk the line between observation and interpretation, or dive into pure abstraction, this workshop is designed to support and elevate your unique voice as an artist. With the majestic Pyrenees mountain range, rolling hills, and medieval village as your muse, you’ll explore ways to distill the essence of landscape into compelling compositions rich with texture, color, and feeling.

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Who This Workshop Is For

• Artists ready to deepen their practice in a breathtaking environment

• Beginners comfortable with self-directed time

• Experienced painters seeking rejuvenation, vision, and fresh perspective

 

 

This week is about more than technique—it’s about transformation.

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Workshop Highlights

• Six days of personalized instruction with Helen Dannelly

• Daily demos, on-site painting, studio time, group critiques, and Q&A

• PowerPoint presentations to deepen understanding and spark ideas

• A one-day local excursion including ancient caves and dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant

• Two 24/7 art studios

• Optional post-workshop trip to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

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Registration & Payment

Contact our host, Magdalena Groszek

info@be-artz.com

+33 6 13 42 53 18

 

Payment Options:

• Credit card (fees apply)

• Bank transfer in any currency (no fees)

• PayPal (fees apply)

• Stripe (fees apply)

 

Payment Schedule

• 50% due at registration

• Balance due by July 31, 2026

• Installment plans available (contact Helen Dannelly)

 

Instructor Bio 

An award-winning artist, educator, and curator, Helen Dannelly is a formally trained painter and sculptor raised in California and currently living in Chicago. She studied painting and printmaking at San Francisco State University and sculpture at the University of Minnesota. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the U.S. and internationally, including Slate Contemporary (CA), Conrad Wilde Gallery (AZ), and the Ballinglen Museum of Art in Ireland.

Helen is co-founder of Catalyst Art Lab, curator of the Forshey Gallery in Chicago, and teaches workshops nationally and abroad. She is a featured presenter at NorCal Wax at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto in 2026.

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Getting There

The nearest airport is Biarritz, with direct flights from many European cities and seasonal service from New York and Montreal. Nearby airports include Lourdes, Toulouse, and Bordeaux—all accessible by train, taxi, or bus. Use FlightConnections.com to plan your route. Magdalena can help arrange airport/train pickups.

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Packing Suggestions

• Comfortable art clothes and layers for variable weather

• Good walking shoes (including ones that can get wet), sandals

• One dressy outfit for our Michelin-star lunch

• Toiletries, medications, driver’s license, passport, medical insurance

• Art materials (canvas, paper, boards, paints, brushes, hat, apron, gloves, etc.)

• Parchment or freezer paper to wrap finished work

• Note: Solvent can be ordered in advance to have on hand

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Praise for Helen

Master Artist Steve Puttrich: “Helen’s painting speaks with sophistication. The interplay of shadow and form shows a mature understanding of contrast and restraint... What I appreciate most is the patience in her brushwork; everything is resolved with intention.”
 

Student Testimonials
“You were answering questions I never knew how to ask. Such a generous teacher.” – Suzanne D.
“I’ve loved the class and been humbled by how much there is to know about color.” – Karen F.
“You’re an excellent teacher. I’m growing by leaps and bounds.” – Jan M.
“Loved the course. Your feedback helped me get comfortable with beginner’s mind.” – Adelaide S.
“Absolutely wonderful class.” – Ann E.
“What an inspiring class. I’m learning so much!” – Deb P.