Art Retreats
Art Retreats with TheMintGardener
A Creative Way
Some experiences change the way you see yourself as an artist. As a creative. As a person. A Creative Way Art Retreat is one of them.
These are not just workshops. They are not just courses. They are a few light-filled days set entirely apart from ordinary life — dedicated to the one thing we so rarely give ourselves permission to do: create, fully and without interruption, in the company of people who understand exactly why it matters.
Sarah Simon has spent years watching what happens when artists of every level step away from their daily lives and into a space designed entirely for creative flow. What she has seen, again and again, is this: something settles. The perfectionism quiets. The brush loosens. And the work that emerges, from beginners and seasoned artists alike, is almost always more beautiful, more confident, and more genuinely theirs than anything they thought they were capable of before they arrived.
That settling is the gift of dedicated creating time. It cannot be rushed or replicated, it has to be lived.
“I’ve been following Sarah for a while, so when I saw an opportunity to join a retreat, I was so excited! Her calm and approachable vibe made it easy to dive right in, despite how intimidating a bank sheet of paper can feel. After the retreat, I felt inspired to explore watercolor on my own, and I officially have myself a beautiful hobby! As a digital marketer, it’s amazing what quiet time away from my technology can do to calm me down and mindfully explore painting - all of which I would never have done without her instruction!”
Mel D.
A little more info
All are welcome here
Whether you are picking up a brush for the very first time, returning to a practice you set aside years ago, or deepening a creative life you have already built, there is a place for you at Sarah’s art retreats. Sarah's teaching meets every level with warmth, encouragement, and the kind of clear step-by-step guidance that makes even the most hesitant beginner feel capable and confident within the first hour.
The retreats are deliberately small and intentionally intimate. The community that forms around a shared creative experience is as transformative as the painting itself. You will leave not only with a sketchbook full of work you are proud of, but with friendships that feel like they have been waiting for you, cheering you on even after you return home.
What to Expect
Each retreat is held in a carefully chosen, beautiful location — with both domestic and international destinations — designed to spark the senses and fill your palette with the particular colors and textures of that place. Every detail is tended by the extraordinary Brooke Anderson and Kristi Brumbaugh of StudioLife Seattle, rounding out Sarah’s talented Creative Team, whose gift for anticipating every need before you know you have it means your only job is to show up and create.
Sarah will guide you through her proven watercolor techniques and practices: brush work, color mixing, composition, painting, still life, and travel sketching — with guided projects, open studio time, and creative excursions into the surrounding landscape. Every day’s session builds on the last, developing not just technical skill but a lasting creative practice and a genuine artistic voice that is entirely your own.
What is included:
Three to five full days of watercolor instruction with Sarah, depending on location
Guided art excursions into the local landscape
Meals, depending on location — lunches, dinners, and plenty of beautiful nibbles throughout
Over $1,000 in high-end art supplies curated specifically for each retreat
A community of fellow creatives that stays with you long after you go home
An experience that changes the way you see yourself as an artist
Domestic & International Retreats Available
From the Lowcountry of South Carolina to the Loire Valley of France to the hills of Umbria, Italy and the cozy Seattle, Washington — each destination is chosen with the same intention: to place you somewhere so quietly extraordinary that beauty becomes impossible to ignore and creativity arrives almost on its own.
Because that is what art does, when it is done with intention. It awakens the senses. It loosens something held tight. It reminds you, gently and gloriously, of the amazing creative being you already are.
