EDITORIAL LISTING: This listing was prepared by the AtelierBound editorial team using publicly available information. Dates, availability, final pricing, and any options such as occupancy or materials should be confirmed directly with the host before making any plans. If you run this retreat, contact us at hosts@atelierbound.com to claim your listing and take full control of your page, add your own photographs, and respond to guest enquiries. October 1 to 5, 2026, at Sofia in Monsaraz in the historical walled city of Monsaraz, Portugal, this five-day, four-night sketching and painting retreat offers the chance to dig deep into the rural landscape, historic old town, and surroundings whilst learning the fundamentals of sketching and painting on location. You will work with watercolour and ink to tell stories through observational art, with a mixture of outside and in-studio sessions. The slower-paced workshop provides extended time to develop skills and insights in this spectacular medieval hilltop location overlooking the Alentejo plains. Accommodation is a fifteen-minute walk from the workshop venue, passing by the Bulhoa menhir (a National Monument) and the Alentejo plain, with each participant given their own room with air conditioning, full private bathroom, and balcony access. The retreat includes transport from Lisbon Airport (two hours' drive), activities such as wine tasting and yoga, and meals prepared with local produce. Pricing shown is an approximate USD equivalent converted from EUR. Please confirm the final price, currency, and options for single or double occupancy with the host directly before booking.

Website Link

https://sofiainmonsaraz.com/en/mattgibbons/?utm_source=atelierbound&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=listing

What's Included

4 nights accommodation with private bathroom and air conditioning, all breakfasts, transport from and to Lisbon Airport (2 hours drive), all lunches and dinners except one night, activities including wine tasting and yoga

What to Bring

The supplies list will be communicated a few months before the event, and each student will bring their own. The materials can be shipped to our place before you arrive.

Leader Bio

Matt Gibbons is a self-taught observational sketcher and painter who uses watercolour and ink to tell stories, having left his career in the non-profit sector in 2019 to pursue art full-time and document his travels across Europe and Asia.