The Artist's Road Painting the World's Beautiful Places

Nocturne Painting in France

Perspectives from The Artist's Road


Aerial View of the Castle Marouatte in France

   We have been working with our workshop host preparing details for our October 2025 watercolor and gouache workshop at his marvelous private castle on a 270-acre estate in the Dordogne valley of southern France. The Dordogne region is perhaps the most beautiful part of the South, and is chock full of medieval castles, prehistoric cave dwellings, beautiful villages and of course, the Dordogne River, which runs through it all. It is truly a painter’s paradise, and we are excited to be back there again and offering this amazing painting opportunity to a lucky few.

   During our week at the castle, we will be touring around visiting some of those villages to paint and to sample the excellent local fresh foods and marvelous wines. Our nights will be spent at the castle Marouatte, which is filled with period antiques and art. Sumptuous dinners are included at the castle and will be prepared by our private chef and his wife. And since we have been featuring Nocturnes this month on The Artist's Road, it has us thinking that perhaps we'll have the opportunity to paint the full moon while there! If you have never tried this, we know you will love it!  To guarantee maximum enjoyment, Ann and I will demonstrate and instruct anyone who wants to have this most special of painting experiences.

   Pictured above is an aerial view of the Castle Marouatte perched on its hilltop and below is a watercolor Nocturne John painted of the village of La Roque Gageac situated on the banks of the Dordogne. Stay tuned for more info—we should have all the details nailed down soon. Curious about Nocturne painting? You can find several illustrated articles by searching for "Nocturnes" in the search bar. Or purchase a download of our book, A Primer on Night Painting - Nocturnes.

Nocturne - LaRoque Gageac     12 x 16"     Watercolor