OUR NEXT ART RETREAT with BECKY BLAIR
is in FES, MOROCCO 2028
Please check into www.annakwiecinska.com
for details, and stay up to date with Anna's
occasional SPICE VOYAGER newsletter
Ignite your creative spirit!
Escape to the gently-sun-drenched shores of early Autumn in Hydra, Greece, for a transformative creative odyssey led by acclaimed British artist Becky Blair. This isn't just an art holiday; it's a masterclass in creative liberation!
This week of workshops celebrates the wonderful opportunity that sketchbooking provides: the chance to discover, explore, and develop without pressure or outcomes. This immersive retreat experience is curated to fire the imagination of all creatives - whether you're a painter, jewellery designer, designer or hobbyist seeking to reconnect with your inner Muse.
Thirty Years of Artistry Unleashed
Becky Blair brings three decades of professional experience to this retreat, and will open her entire 'toolkit' of secrets to you.
"I’ll share everything I’ve learned over the past 30 years — how to travel light while still carrying a compact creative 'Studio" with you wherever you go."
Over the past 30 years, Becky has refined the delicate balance of maintaining a high level of creative practice whilst exploring the globe. During this retreat she'll teach you er coveted method of travelling light. You'll learn how to curate a compact creative studio that fits into your travel bag without compromising on quality or capability.
Imagine wandering the car-free, cobblestoned streets of hydra, equipped to capture the islands iconic light and all that it illuminates at a moment's notice!
Signature Techniques: Painting and Embroidery
While Becky is celebrated for her dreamlike, colour-rich paintings, this retreat delves into sketch-bookng combined with her latest passion: signature embroidery techniques
-
mixed media exploration: learn how to bridge the gap between your painted surface (we'll be using heavy art paper) and thread
-
tactile storytelling -learn simple but effective stitch techniques which can bring depth, texture and a contemporary edge
-
intuitive process; Becky will guide you through her unique workflow, showing you how to translate your Mediterranean observations into both pigment and fibre.
Why Hydra?
Hydra is a sanctuary for the soul. With no cars allowed, the island hums to the rhythm of donkey hooves and lapping waves. It has long been a haven for legends like Leonard Cohen and Sidney Nolan. This destination is specifically chosen to strip away the noise of daily life, allowing your creative intuition to take centre stage.
The Background
Our second season of Art Retreats on Hydra, with an emphasis in 2025, on enjoying the many beautiful locations of Hydra as sites for art-making, or exploring to gather inspiration, with a shaded open-air (or indoor if necessary) garden courtyard area in which to work too.
Anna lived on Hydra for two wonderful years, and during some of that time worked as an arts instructor.
Becky and Anna are old friends! Anna first exhibited Becky's work in Australia, some 20 years ago, and went on to hold several extraordinarily successful shows in the ensuing years; we also held a Creative Living Retreat in Bali together. Now we are thrilled to be able to bring two lifetimes of art and travel experience to this fabulous week on Hydra - at a gentle time of the year.
It's mid-Autumn, the locals are relaxed, you've arrived onto one of Greece's most picturesque islands - one with no vehicular traffic - only donkeys, water taxis and meandering footpaths and horse trails - and you have ahead of you a week of working closely with Becky Blair who has developed a truly unique style, central to which is her lexicon of symbols which evolve through the techniques she is going to share with you this week.
This sketch-booking through observation is an ever-evolving process, and keeping a collection of books over time is an incredibly satisfying thing in itself, but these books become a precious repository for all of your creative endeavors to follow, whether it’s as a painter, ceramicist, textile designer, jewellery maker, glass artist … in fact, anything where bringing your unique interpretation of something you want to communicate visually is important.
On Hydra, the water is still deliciously comfortable for swimming, the cooler evenings perfect for exploring the many charming seaside tavernas, and your traditional Greek accommodation is a family-run hotel in a quietly central part of the port which you can reach without climbing all those steps for which Hydra is (in)famous.
You'll need to be quick to secure your place on this special week - staying in your own room in accommodation hand-picked by Anna and chosen for ease of access, views, delicious breakfasts and a pretty courtyard and terrace for making art (see the gallery of photos further down this page).
We can't wait to share the magic of Hydra with you!
You have organised us beautifully, Anna!
Huge thanks for every day you pulled together for us
Gina S. U.K,- Hydra Art Retreat October 2024
WHAT YOU'LL DO
This 8-day/7-night retreat offers you a quietly relaxed week to focus on creating a beautifully full and potent personal visual journal of your explorations, discoveries and meaningful moments on the island of Hydra, with the guidance and inspiration of British artist and designer Becky Blair, whose lively and eclectic style, combined with her vivid use of colour and dream-like reflections, has seen her highly-sought-after work sold through exhibitions and private commissions internationally.
With 18-hours of art tuition (3 hrs art time per day for 6 days, in various settings) sharing Becky's techniques and processes for exploring the motifs and things you’ve noticed, re-creating them in an abstract way by playing with them and evolving them into a personal lexicon of forms from which you can draw on in all of your following work. You will also, later in the week, use these motifs and methods to create works on paper which you'll be able to take home, ready to display.
Play is the most freeing and intuitive approach to making art. It was this idea that inspired Sketchbook and Stitch—a guided, playful exploration without the pressure or expectations that come with a canvas or the goal of a completed artwork. This week is not about producing finished artworks—it’s about starting conversations, taking visual notes, and becoming a vessel for inspiration.
During this workshop, we’ll spend time exploring, collecting, sketching, and simply noticing our surroundings. Using these visual records of the environment, we’ll play with a wide variety of materials and methods—repeating, reimagining, and nurturing our own creative language into existence.
This workshop celebrates the wonderful opportunity that sketchbooking provides: the chance to discover, explore, and develop without pressure or outcomes. This is not about producing finished artworks—it’s about starting conversations, taking visual notes, and becoming a vessel for inspiration.
Using stitch, collage, line, and watercolour, we’ll create a meaningful and expressive visual journal of our time in Hydra.
You will take home a collection of works on quality paper, providing not only souvenirs of a memorable holiday on this unique island, but as a compendium of enhanced motifs which you'll be able to draw on and even elaborate on in your own studio work.
The Beauty of this Retreat is its Inclusivity
We believe that creative energy is universal - you don't need to be a professional illustrator, or artist to benefit from Becky's mentorship. Her teachings and the 'portable studio' mindset are designed to reinvigorate:
-
graphic designers seeking tactile inspiration
-
writers and journal-keepers looking to visualise their narratives
-
jewellery designers seeking to expand their visual lexicon
-
textile artists wanting to expand into fine art
-
soul-seekers ready to discover their 'flow'
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?
A relaxing week where all you need do is turn up each day after breakfast - perhaps after an early morning walk up and high, or through the quiet alleys of this picturesque port.
The daytime temperature hovers around 27 Celsius, it's mainly dry, a bit breezy, occasionally a wind might whip up, but people who really know and love this area of Greece know that this is the best time of the year to enjoy its charms without crowds, The water is still warm and it's lovely for swimming, even into November.
Becky and I warmly invite you to join our group in 2026 for this exceptional art experience by the sea on the legendary Greek island of Hydra.
Becky Blair, whose lively and eclectic style, combined with her vivid use of colour and dream-like reflections, has seen her highly-sought-after work sold through exhibitions and private commissions internationally.
Her paintings evolve through a complex layering of glazes, textures, drawing and printing. Her compositions are formed from pools of overlapping colour, and the use of negative space, adding and taking away elements to create a surface that has its own history.
Known as an artist who sees the beauty in things which may otherwise seem ordinary, she draws inspiration from the everyday, as well as her travels through India, Australia and Europe.
"I like the back streets. I like to wander. I’m curious to everyday happenings, and this is reflected in the way I travel."
Read More...
Becky made a home in Brighton in 1997 after spending her twenties travelling, and undertaking regular commissions for the Pizza Express chain. This allowed her time to grow as an artist, and be inspired by the wonders of India, Nepal, South East Asia and Australia. Trekking through the Himalayas, riding pillion on an Enfield Bullet from Southern India to Katmandu were some of her many adventures. And along the way making friends that were to shape her future as an artist in later years.
Meeting Cat Read, a design publicist in a guesthouse in Nepal was the beginning of a long love affair with Western Australia. Cat proposed in return for a painting, she would secure a gallery and generate the publicity required for a solo exhibition in Perth, WA.
Becky’s first show with the Gadfly Gallery, whose director, Anna Kwiecinska immediately recognised a unique authenticity in Blair's work. The show was a huge undertaking and a steep learning curve, but ultimately a huge success, and the pair went on to collaborate with 6 sell out solo shows over years, creating a loyal following that relish her vibrant, and unique style.
During this period, Anna held a Creative Living retreat with Becky in Bali, and now, in 2025, the pair collaborate gain with art retreats in Fes Morocco (march/ April 2025), and Hydra, Greece (October 2025).
When traveling, Becky’s interest lies in the sights and scenarios that reveal a true sense of place. Her paintings reflect the experience, rather than the visage, allowing viewers to share in the moment. In some images, one can note a suggestion of indigenous motifs but it is rather an appreciation than appropriation as Blair celebrates all subjects with her unique view.
When she isn’t in Australia, Becky lives in Brighton with her husband and daughter. Working out of her studio at the Phoenix, she creates work for galleries throughout the UK, and is commissioned by collectors worldwide. She is represented by FourWalls at art fairs in London.
Creative Living Retreats by Anna Kwiecinska
With a background as an art historian and art gallery owner, my collaboration with artists continues to be a fascinating career which evolved into specialist art retreats designed to combine seriously good art tuition with authentic cultural experiences.
Over the last 15years and dozens of retreats participants from all over the world have experienced the depth of wellbeing that being creative can foster.
Creative Living Retreats are a source of focus for creative inspiration, with our intuitive teachers guiding you to Live Creatively.
Many retreatants return for our thoughtfully curated weeks of supported creativity, and I genuinely look forward to welcoming you to experience the depth of wellbeing that Creative Living Retreats have become known for, More info
Loved the whole thing ... I just thought you did the retreat so well. I felt totally satisfied with the way you made it all happen and made us all feel very special.
You really were the glue. Very professional.
The exhibition was just so beautifully put together.
Lyn M. Australia
How does the retreat work?
The working part of our program will happen mainly in the lovely spacious bougainvillea-trellised courtyard of our hotel where you'll also be able to order drinks.
Some mornings we may walk to a location for on-the-spot inspiration, and we also have an 'away day' (involving a short boat ride), t a mainland location where you'll be able to enjoy your art-making right by the sea, with easy access to glorious swimming, delicious cuisine, pine tree walks and another village to explore.
In all, the retreat comprises 18 hours of class time with Becky Blair, and you'll have the opportunity to partake in other (optional) taught workshops with Hydra residents, including Greek dancing in a real Greek amphitheatre (no pressure!)
You're free to continue your art-maing at any time, anywhere, including the hotel.
After art concludes, you're free to lunch, take a siesta, walk to one of the many beautiful swimming spots, and on some days we have organised water taxi trips to such locations with either an included traditional Greek lunch or dusk supper.
On one day we spend on the mainland at Ermioni, a 30-minute boat ride away, with a scented pine forest, site of ancient Classical ruin, lovely swimming spots and great places to sit and draw or paint, with our lunch included (many say the "best all week").
Other activities available on the island include horse trail treks, suitable even for novices, and superb trekking to the island's famous mountain top monasteries and convent, all of which is very comfortable to do at this time of the year.
The port features four museums, three of which are included in the retreat program, an art cinema and two art museums, with free entry for you to enjoy.
At this time of the year, the port boutiques offer enticing sales, and the tavernas are not crowded.
Anna will share menus from favourite taverns during the week - there's a wide choice, from fine dining to take-away souvlaki, and the several supemarkets are available for self-catering too.
Where does the retreat take place ?
Imagine walking into a thickly-walled stone mansion, white-washed walls, waxed timber floors smelling freshly polished, with white muslin-curtained windows filtering Hydra's distinctive light ... furnished thoughtfully with quality art and with antiques, each room is individual, with quality, crisp white bedlinen and comfy beds. All rooms have windows to the outside - with either with street or garden views from the first floor room and from the second floor, spectacular sea and port views from the balconied rooms. A one-off apartment offers a large private terrace too.
This hotel has been chosen with great care and concern for your comfort, the quality of breakfast, the very obliging staff, and spacious, interiors that allow you to step back into the grand day of 'Old Hydra'.
The retreat hub offers accommodation, breakfast and relaxed and private places for the art both outside beneath shady trees a in high-walled, private and spacious courtyard where you'll find tables and chairs to relax, and work.
Although Hydra is a very vertical island, with steeps scaling steep hills populated with the iconic, picturesque stone houses, our retreat hub is just a 10 minute walk from the port, on flat ground, with no steps required to approach it. The hotel has ground, first and second floors ....
What a lovely team you are, Anna and Becky; I have valued your quiet, gentle approach encouraging and inspiring us all, thank you so much.
Marian B. Wimbledon, UK,
2026 Art Retreat on Hydra
Submit your name & email to download the file.
