Welcome to the workshops at Be-artz.
To register and book please contact or email : info@be-artz.com
some reviews…
Beartz was more than I had ever hoped for. The gorgeous, ancient guardhouse is full of artistic details and flourishes, your eye is constantly being drawn to another work of art, hidden treasure, or even a simple and useful object creatively placed. All the rooms are comfortable, each with its own name and personality.
Magdalena is welcoming and kind and truly makes the place a home, filled with light, laughter, and inspiration.
The town of Sauveterre-de-Bearn is a real life fairy tale with the castle spires reflecting in the river, with the river itself as centerpiece.
In all, a workshop or retreat at Beartz is a dream come true and I cannot recommend it enough. You will love it here.
Donya Stockton
I had the best time visiting Sauveterre-du-Béarn! The village is very special and charming, the river setting adds to the beauty.
Magdalena’s hospitality was above and beyond, the food was delicious, the accommodations and studio were just right. I felt very fortunate to be there in such a small intimate group, and realize that might not always be the case.
Jane Kenyon
Sculpting the Head in Clay
wait list for 2026. Dates to be decided.
Post workshop 2025 ….Reviews
The five day workshop at Be-Artz was a life changing and magical experience. Sharon Griffin’s instruction went beyond sculpture to guiding all of us to dive deeply inside our creative souls. The large well-lit studio was a welcoming and wonderful place to work at any hour. We felt transported in time staying at Magdalena’s 1,000 year old stone fortress to the castle, and her artistry and attention to detail made us feel quite at home and inspired. Other highlights were walking down the village hill twice a day to Clara’s delicious lunches and dinners on the river, visiting an ancient cave, digging clay near the river while singing and then swimming in the river afterwards… all with the company of our mascot hound, Pepito. It was a dream-filled week that I will never forget!
LAUREN A MILLS
What a magical séjour Sauveterre was! From the first minute to the last your generosity and care for each one of us created an overall warmth and well being. The Guard House, this wonderful and special space you imprinted with your vision, the spacious studio with its the beautiful light, the entangled garden, the meals at Clara, Jennifer and Jackie and the lunch you prepared, the outings all of it contributed to make our workshop with Sharon even more memorable.
I keep thinking about Sauveterre, the gentleness of its layout, the river, the views and the many interesting other villages in the area to visit.
Michele Atkinson
Dietlind Vander Schaaf May 6- May 13 ( arrive May 5)
FULL with Wait list… next workshop 13 to 20 June 2027 please email if you wish to reserve your spot.
Encaustic : Layers and Translucency
click for website and workshop details
• Instagram: @dietlindvanderschaaf
Jeff Hirst Workshops 2026 There are two workshops, one printmaking, one encaustic painting in close succession. It is possible to sign up for both!
We are programming two workshops end of May beginning of June with Jeff Hirst
Alternative Approaches to Printmaking May 21-May 29 2026
https://www.jeffreyhirst.com/workshops-classes/https/https/be-artzcom/pageid366
Create color prints in the charming French village of Sauveterre de Béarn and enjoy the cliff views overlooking the river, the Gave d’Oleron, and the Pyrenees mountains. There is a terrace from which to view and a descent to the river. Start your day with a walk around the village or down to the river and then enjoy a nice breakfast back at Be-Artz.
Workshops have taken place in the 1000 year old castle in two spacious studios and participants have plenty of room to spread out and work. The facility is amazing with 1 large etching press, places to work, and a large outdoor yard
Printing with Akua Intaglio Ink
Location: Sauveterre de Béarn, Southwest France.
Workshop Venue: At the beautiful printmaking studio at Be-Artz.
Alternative Approaches towards Printmaking: Making Color Prints in Southwest France
Who can take the 7-day workshop? Everyone! The class requires no experience and is a perfect gateway into printmaking. We will be making creating and building print plates from cardboard, paper, wax, and acrylic. We then will print the plates onto paper. Painters as well as printmakers love this class!
Using Akua inks we will focus on making monoprints that focus on making color images.
Artists will draw and paint on non-absorbent surfaces and then using a press, will print the images onto paper. The class will cover many different approaches to painting and drawing onto the plate to create imagery. During the seven-day class, participants will explore creating multiple plate images that speak of complex layering, rich color and some surprise elements. We will explore the local French landscape and use prompts that reflect a sense of place. Class participants will also have the opportunity to take print plates out side and draw on the plates and then bring back to the printshop and print the plates. Besides Akua inks, we also will draw on the plates with various crayons and print the images.
Simple registrations systems will be covered. There will be a heavy emphasis on composition, how color functions within the print, exploring a personal vision, and experimentation of visual ideas. There will be class reviews of work in progress and finished work. Several PowerPoint presentations will be given during the class of artists using Monoprints. The class also will explore Chine Colle processes.
The prints will be made using an etching press and we will cover how to use the press and press safety. All concepts in the class are adaptable to working without a press and how to print without a press will be covered.
There will also be time to explore Sauveterre de Béarn and enjoy the local architecture and nature. We will also incorporate parts of the local environment in our prints. Day four of class will include a day-long field trip for those wishing to go. The day-trip is entirely optional and may include visiting Bilbao, Spain.
There will be plenty of time to explore, ponder, talk a walk (the Camino Trail) runs right through Sauveterre de Béarn. Some of my previous classes have started out with an optional brief walk to start the day. People have enjoyed this and it always its to soak up the local culture. There will be either one or two half-day trips around the local area and we will discuss trips as a group.
The seven-day class will cover the following:
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Painting and drawing with ink
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Printing plate building processes using cardboard, wax, paper, and acrylic
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Transfer ink processes
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Using stencils to create prints
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Working with viscosity printing
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Printing multiple plate images
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Simple registration systems
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Chine Colle processes
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A day trip exploring the local area
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All images will be printed using Akua intaglio and liquid pigment inks. Artists will be exposed to transparent and opaque color relationships that add to richness to images. The class will cover multiple registration systems that make printing easy and accurate.
Alternative Approaches towards Printmaking: Making Color Prints in Southwest France is open to artists with no printmaking experience to advanced printmakers. Class size is limited to 10.
Cost: €3200 per person
What is included:
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Welcome appetizers and drinks
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7 days of instruction
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An awesome printmaking studio with a large press
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7 – continental breakfasts
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6 – 3 course lunches that include a glass of wine
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6- 3 course dinners that include a glass of wine
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Daily coffee, tea, and water
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Akua inks and other printmaking materials
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Lodging in a beautiful private room at the 1000 year old castle. Lodging is also where the workshop takes place so it’s extremely convenient.
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half day local trip
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Encaustic Painting. June 2 to June 9 2026
https://www.jeffreyhirst.com/workshops-classes/https/https/be-artzcom/pageid366-t8hc4
Jeffrey Hirst -Exploring the Luminous Color of Encaustic Painting in Southwest France
Exploring the Luminous Color of Encaustic Painting in Southwest France takes place in the 1000 year old castle in two spacious studios and a new spacious studio opening in 2026 that’s designed for encaustic workshops. Participants have plenty of room to spread out and work and enjoy a large outdoor yard with beautiful gardens.
Painting with R & F Encaustic Paint and supplies.
Location: Sauveterre de Béarn, Southwest France.
Workshop Venue: At the beautiful painting studio at Be-Artz.
Exploring the Luminous Color of Encaustic Painting in Southwest France.
Who can take the 7-day workshop? Everyone! The class requires no experience and is a perfect gateway into encaustic painting. The class will explore the luminous color of encaustic painting with a deep dive into making paintings that explore the radiant color and beauty of encaustic paint.
In addition to challenging you visually, this workshop will expand your knowledge of encaustic color and throughly explore opaque and transparent color relationships. We will cover using prismatic color, mixing muted tones, and using warm and cool chromatic and chromatic grays to enhance your work.
Participants will explore making paintings that use color in sophisticated relationships. We will reference local color of southwest France and incorporate into work created over the seven days.
We will address each participants’ work within the class and discuss best practices for moving the work forward.
There will also be time to explore Sauveterre de Béarn and enjoy the local architecture and nature. We will also incorporate parts of the local environment in our prints. Day four of class will include a day-long field trip.
There will be plenty of time to explore, ponder, talk a walk (the Camino Trail) runs right through Sauveterre de Béarn. Some of my previous classes have started out with an optional brief walk to start the day. People have enjoyed this and it always its to soak up the local culture. There will be either one or two half-day trips around the local area and we will discuss trips as a group.
Topics and concepts covered in the seven-day course:
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Working transparent and opaque color with encaustic paint
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Discover how cool and warm color can coexist forming dynamic relationships
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Learn the difference between prismatic color, muted tones, and chromatic grays and how you can use them in your own work
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Rapid fire color study exercises
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Create paintings during the class that will open new doors to how you think about colo
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Introduction of podcasts, books and contemporary drawing concepts
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How tools can enhance how use color with encaustic paint
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How oil and wax can work together in an encaustic painting
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Understand glazing in encaustic work
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Class exercises to further inspire and brainstorm possibilities
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A day trip exploring the local area
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In additional, the class will incorporate mindfulness drawing exercises each morning that open ideas to creativity, being present while you create and understanding how to get into the “flow”.
Exploring the Luminous Color of Encaustic Painting in Southwest France is open to artists with no encaustic experience to advanced encaustic painters. Class size is limited to 10.
Cost: €3200 per person
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TO REGISTER
Price Per Person
€3200
At the time of registration, 50% or €1600 due. The balance (€1600 ) is due 90 days before the class or on February 28, 2026.
Registration for the class is open until April 30, 2026.
Please contact MagdalenaGroszek to register.
email: info@be-artz.com
phone: +33613425318
You may pay using:
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a credit card or Stripe. Stripe issues the invoice and takes the credit card payment and they charge 5%, so when you ask Magdalena to register for the workshop she will send you a stripe invoice and you pay by card to Beartz via Stripe.
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Paypal (fee apply)
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Bank Transfer (no fees, any currency)
It’s highly recommended that you purchase cancel for any reason travel insurance incase you need to cancel your trip.
IMPORTANT. TRAVEL INSURANCE. There is no refund for the deposit if the class is not full, but still takes place. For this reason, it’s a good idea to take out travel insurance so you are covered if you have to cancel for whatever reason. If the class is full with a waiting list or you can find a replacement for your spot or if the class is cancelled from our end, Be-artz will refund less cost of bank fees. Cancelations almost never happen and only one person has had to cancel from all the workshops Be-artz has offered.
Jeffrey Hirst earned an MFA from Louisana State Univeristy in 1990 and has worked as an artist since then. Hirst has been showcased at venues around the U.S. and Europe and is represented by galleries in Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio. Hirst has been a visiting artist at universities around the United States conducting encaustic and printmaking workshops. He owns Hirst Printmaking in Chicago which is a printshop specializing in experimental printmaking and mixing painting and prints.
The recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, City of Chicago grant and his work is in numerous public and private collections.
TO REGISTER: please contact Magdalena Groszek at info@be-artz.com
Please contact Jeffrey Hirst with any questions on the class directly on email jeff@jeffreyhirst.com.
Bettina Egli Sennhauser 2026
Encaustic and Fresco Surface is an Illusion. June 26th to July 3rd.
https://kunstfreiraum.ch/7-day-castle-retreat-in-france/
Fresco and Encaustic
in a 1000 year old French Castle
What could be more inspiring?
We will live and work in the Guard House, a 1000 year old ancient castle converted by Magdalena Groszek to a building to accommodate artists and creators set in a medieval village called Sauveterre-de-Béarn on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in the beautiful South West of France.
This storied setting provides an ideal backdrop for exploring and reimagining the possibilities of the ancient techniques of encaustic and fresco – in a brand new encaustic studio.
The village is medieval, with many remains of walls and towers, and generally the church and village are about 1000 years old. It is quite spectacular with it’s view from the village terrace to the Pyrenees Mountains, with a river down below for hikes and swimming.
Optional free day excursion to Bilbao, Spain, including visiting the Guggenheim Museum or a trip to the sea. Biarritz on the Atlantic Coast is just an hour away, and Bilbao can be reached in just two hours by car.
And last but not least – calling all foodies! We’ll be indulging in delicious French cuisine every single day. And if you’re up for it, a visit to the fabulous one-star Michelin restaurant Choko Ona in Espelette is on the menu of possible adventure
What you will learn
In this workshop, we’ll explore the rich world of surfaces and textures. Moving between highs and lows, cracked and smooth, we’ll let ourselves be guided by an intuitive and playful process.
With gentle guidance and creative experimentation, you’ll discover how textures and materials can bring surprising depth and contrast to your artwork. We’ll layer and combine Encaustic with materials like sand, ash, marble dust, plaster, collage elements to create a series of expressive pieces.
I will demonstrate techniques in a spontaneous, process-oriented wayto inspire rather than instruct. You’re welcome to follow your own path, and I will support you individually, whether you’re trying something new or building on past experience. Group and one-on-one discussions will help you shape your compositions and develop your authentic visual language.
The group has no more than 8 participants, so we’ll have the chance to work closely together one-on-one.
About me
My passion lies in developing an abstract visual vocabulary through the exploration of natural materials and an intuitive, process-oriented approach. In my work, the ancient technique of encaustic painting merges with fresco elements and aspects of mixed media, resulting in layered, tactile surfaces that invite close observation.
Since 2019, I have taught workshops and courses in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Ireland, and the United States. I’ve served as a speaker and instructor at the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown (2023, 2024, and 2025) and at the IEA Encaustic Conference in Ireland (2024).
My work has been exhibited in Switzerland, Italy, and the U.S., and is represented in the United States by the Jeff Soderbergh for Sustainable Art Gallery in Wellfleet, MA. I am a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints and a member of both the Swiss Society of Female Visual Artists (SGBK) and the International Encaustic Artists (IEA).
I live and work near Basel, Switzerland.
What is included
- Welcome Dinner on June 26, 2026
- Six days of instruction in a fabulous newly set-up encaustic studio
- Every day self service continental breakfast
- Personalized 1:1 instruction with Bettina and ample Studio Time
- Six lovely lunches that include a glass of wine, tea, or coffee
- Six three course dinners that include a glass of wine, tea, or coffee
- Daily coffee, tea, and water
Not included: Airfare, trains and taxis to/from the airport, costs of meals on day trips or restaurant outings, Material Fee ca. € 70 p.P.
Making Magic with Monotype Printing
Journey to the Sacred Feminine Through Divine Creativity
Glen Rogers, International Artist, MFA in Printmaking
September 3 – 10, 2026
In this workshop, Glen Rogers shares two of her passions – monotype printing and celebrating the Divine Feminine through art. Let’s deep dive into goddess archetypes, symbols, connecting with our ancestors, mothers, and grandmothers. (In the country where Mary Magdalene took refuge!) The studio is our cauldron where we create the magic, merging ink and paper to develop one-of-a-kind prints.
For all levels, beginner to advanced. The Monotype process encourages playfulness and exploration of ideas, perfect for traditional styles to looser abstraction. As we work on our individual projects, we will apply ink to the plate with brush or roller and embellish with color, texture, collage, and stencil. Each person follows their own imagery and receives individual attention from idea to finished print.
Dates: September 3 – 10, 2026. (Arrive on the 3rd, depart on the 10th)
An 8 Day Experience with 6 days in the studio and 1 or 2 days of exploration/field trip like a Paleolithic Cave site, https://www.grottes-isturitz.com/ The Workshop takes place in two spacious studios in the Guard House in this 1000 year old ancient castle.
Fee for 7 nights/8 days at the Castle including Monoprint Workshop:
4 rooms are with bathroom ensuite – $3550 Euro
Two of those can be shared rooms with two separate beds $2850 Euro per person.
4 rooms are with shower ensuite except for one with a bathroom across the corridor, and they all have a WC down the corridor. $3150 Euro
To Register:
Please contact Magdalena Groszek at info@be-artz.com
50% is due on registration, with the balance due 90 days before the course starts, fees are non-refundable. Please take out all cause travel insurance so that you can be refunded should anything happen or if you can’t make it.
https://insuranceranked.com/travel-insurance/a/best-cancel-for-any-reason-travel-insurance
Accessibility: Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate people who cannot climb stairs, the Castle/Guard House studio has a front entrance up several stairs and is very narrow. All rooms and bedroom are upstairs.
Testimonials:
I highly recommend this workshop. Glen is an amazing artist, teacher, and guide!
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It was a fabulous learning experience and Glen is a wonderful, positive, supportive teacher. Very inspirational! Lian Brehm
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Glen brought out the best from a group of artists with widely varied media and backgrounds. Her range of knowledge and experience is stimulating without being daunting to even beginners.
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Glen’s introductory demos and instructions were exactly the right amount of information. She was consistently available for feedback and problem solving, but left us plenty creative latitude. In addition to the peaceful, serene working space, her house and gallery provided non-stop inspiration.